the red seal-第5章

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〃

〃Autopsy！〃　McIntyre　spoke　with　sharp　abruptness。　　〃I　thought　it　was　clearly　established　that　Jimmie　died　from　angina　pectoris？〃

〃It　is　so　believed；〃　responded　Stone。　　His　mystification　was　growing；　had　not　Helen　informed　her　father　of　the　scene　which　had　transpired　at　the　police　court；　and　of　her　request　to　the　coroner？　　〃I　understand　the　post…mortem　examination　will　be　made　this　afternoon；　Helen。〃

A　heavy　paper　knife；　nicely　balanced　between　McIntyre's　well　manicured　fingers；　dropped　to　the　floor　as　a　step　sounded　behind　him　and　the　butler；　Grimes；　stopped　by　his　side。

〃Mr。　Rochester　just　telephoned　that　his　partner；　Mr。　Harry　Kent；　is　out　of　town；　Miss〃　…　bowing　to　the　silent　girl。　　Grimes　always　contented　himself　with　addressing　his　〃young　ladies〃　by　the　simple　prefix　〃Miss；〃　and　never　added　their　given　names；　because；　as　he　expressed　it；　〃them　twins　are　alike　as　two　peas；　and　which　is　which；　I　dunno。〃　　Considering　himself　one　of　the　family　from　his　long　service　with　Colonel　McIntyre；　he　kept　a　watchful　eye　on　the　twins；　but　their　pranks　in　childhood　had　often　exasperated　him　into　giving　notice；　which　he　generally　found　it　convenient　to　forget　when　the　first　of　a　new　month　came　around。

〃Mr。　Kent　will　be　back　to…morrow；〃　added　the　butler；　as　silence　followed　the　delivery　of　his　message。　　〃Mr。　Rochester　wishes　to　know　if　he　can　transact　any　business　for　you。〃

〃Please　thank　him　and　say　no。〃　　The　girl's　color　rose　as　she　caught　her　father's　disapproving　look。　　The　colonel　waited　until　the　butler　had　disappeared　before　addressing　her。

〃Why　did　you　send　for　Harry　Kent？〃　he　questioned。　　〃You　know　I　do　not　approve　of　his　attentions　to　Barbara。　　Rochester　is　well　enough　…〃

〃Speaking　of　Rochester　〃…　Mrs。　Brewster　saw　the　gathering　storm　clouds　in　the　girl's　expressive　eyes；　and　broke　hastily　into　the　conversation。　　〃I　see　by　the　paper；　Cousin　Amos〃　…　she　turned　so　as　to　face　Dr。　Stone　…〃　that　Mr。　Rochester　declared　positively　that　Jimmie　Turnbull　died　from　angina　pectoris。〃

〃What's　Philip's　opinion　worth？〃　　The　young　girl　smiled　disdainfully。　〃Philip　seems　to　think　that　having　shared　an　apartment　with　Jimmie；　gives　him　intimate　knowledge　of　Jimmie's　health。　　Philip　is　not　a　medical　man。〃

〃No；〃　acknowledged　her　father。　　〃But　here　is　a　medical　man　who　was　on　the　spot　when　Jimmie　died。　　What's　your　opinion；　Stone？〃

Stone；　suddenly　conscious　of　the　keen　attention　of　his　companions；　spoke　slowly　as　was　his　wont　when　making　a　serious　statement。

〃Rochester's　contention　that　Jimmie　died　from　angina　pectoris　would　seem　borne　out　by　what　transpired；〃　he　said。　　〃Undoubtedly　Jimmie　felt　an　attack　coming　on　and　used　the　customary　remedy　to　relieve　it　…〃

〃And　what　was　that　remedy？〃　questioned　Mrs。　Brewster　swiftly。

〃Amy1　nitrite。〃　Stone　spoke　with　decision。　　〃I　could　detect　its　presence　by　the　fruity；　pleasant　odor　which　always　accompanies　the　drug's　use。〃

〃Ah！〃　The　exclamation　slipped　from　Mrs。　Brewster。　　〃Is　the　drug　administered　in　water？〃

〃No；　it　is　inhaled　…　take　care；　you　have　dropped　your　handkerchief。〃　Stone　pulled　himself　up　short　in　his　speech；　and　bent　over　but　the　young　girl　was　too　quick　for　him；　and　stooped　first　to　pick　up　her　handkerchief。

As　she　raised　her　head　Stone　caught　sight　of　the　tiny　mole　under　the　lobe　of　her　left　ear。　　It　was　the　one　mark　which　distinguished　Barbara　from　her　twin　sister。　　Colonel　McIntyre　had　addressed　his　daughter　as　Helen；　and　she　had　not　undeceived　him　…　Why？　　The　perplexed　physician　gave　up　the　problem。

〃The　drug；〃　he　went　on　to　explain；　〃amyl　nitrite　comes　in　pearl　capsules　and　is　crushed　in　a　handkerchief　and　the　fumes　inhaled。〃

Mrs。　Brewster　leaned　forward　suddenly。　　〃Would　that　cause　death？〃　she　asked。

Stone　shook　his　head　in　denial。　　〃Not　the　customary　dose　of　three　minims；〃　he　answered；　and　turning；　found　that　Barbara　had　stolen　from　the　room。　　　

CHAPTER　IV

BARBARA　ENGAGES　COUNSEL

Bidding　a　hasty　good　morning　to　the　elevator　girl；　Harry　Kent；　suit…case　in　hand；　entered　the　cage　and　was　carried　up　to　the　fourth　floor　of　the　Wilkins　Building。　　Several　business　acquaintances　stopped　to　chat　with　him　as　he　walked　down　the　corridor　to　his　office；　and　it　was　fully　fifteen　minutes　before　he　turned　the　knob　of　the　door　bearing　the　firm　name　…　ROCHESTER　AND　KENT；　ATTORNEYS　…　on　its　glass　panel。　　As　he　stepped　inside　the　anteroom　which　separated　the　two　offices　occupied　respectively　by　him　and　his　senior　partner；　Philip　Rochester；　a　stranger　rose　from　the　clerk's　desk。

〃Yes；　sir？〃　he　asked　interrogatively。

Kent　eyed　him　in　surprise。　　〃Mr。　Rochester　here？　〃　he　inquired。

〃No；　sir。　　It　am　in　charge　of　the　office。〃

〃You　are！〃　Kent's　surprise　increased。　　〃I　happen　to　be　Mr。　Kent；　junior　partner　in　this　firm。〃

〃I　beg　your　pardon；　sir。〃　The　dapper　clerk　bowed　and　hurrying　to　his　desk　took　up　a　letter。　　〃Mr。　Rochester　left　this　for　you；　Mr。　Kent；　before　his　departure　last　night。〃

〃His　departure！〃　　Kent　deposited　his　suit…case　on　one　of　the　chairs　and　tore　open　the　envelope。　　The　note　was　a　scrawl；　which　he　had　some　difficulty　in　deciphering。

〃Dear　Kent；〃　it　ran。　　〃Am　called　out　of　town；　will　be　back　Saturday。　Saunders　gave　me　some　of　his　cheek　this　afternoon；　so　I　fired　him。　I　engaged　John　Sylvester　to　fill　his　place；　who　comes　highly　recommended。　　He　will　report　for　work　to…morrow。　Ta…ta　…　PHIL。〃


Kent　thrust　the　note　into　his　pocket　and　picked　up　his　suit…case。

〃Mr。　Rochester　states　that　he　has　engaged　you；〃　he　said。　　〃Your　references　…？〃

〃Here；　sir。〃　The　clerk　handed　him　a　folded　paper；　and　Kent　ran　his　eyes　down　the　sheet　from　the　sentence：　〃To　whom　it　may　concern〃　to　the　signature；　Clark　Hildebrand。　　The　statement　spoke　in　high　terms　of　John　Sylvester；　confidential　clerk。

〃I　can　refer　you　to　my　other　employers；　Mr。　Kent；〃　Sylvester　volunteered　as　the　young　lawyer　stood　regarding　the　paper。　　〃If　you；　desire　further　information　there　is　Mr。　Clymer　and　…〃

〃No；　Judge　Hildebrand'S　recommendation　is　sufficient。〃　And　at　Kent's　smile　the　clerk's　anxious　expression　vanished。　　〃Did　Mr。　Rochester　give　you　any　outline　of　the　work？〃

〃Yes；　sir；　he　told　me　to　file　the　papers　in　the　Hitchcock　case；　and　attend　to　the　morning　correspondence。〃

〃Very　good。　　Has　any　one　called　this　morning？〃

〃No；　sir。　　These　letters　were　addressed　to　you　personally；　and　I　have　not　opened　them；〃　　Sylvester　handed　a　neatly　arranged　package　to　Kent。　　〃These；〃　indicating　several　letters　lying　open　on　his　desk；　〃are　to　the　firm。〃

〃Bring　them　to　me　in　half　an　hour；〃　and　Kent　walked　into　his　private　office；　carefully　closing　the　door　behind　him。　　Opening　his　suit…case　he　took　out　his　brief　bag　and　laid　it　on　the　desk　in　front　of　him　together　with　the　package　of　letters。　　Instead　of　opening　the　letters　immediately；　he　tilted　back　in　his　chair　and　regarded　the　opposite　wall　in　deep　thought。　　Philip　Rochester　could　not　have　selected　a　worse　time　to　absent　himself；　three　important　cases　were　on　the　calendar　for　immediate　trial　and　much　depended　on　the　firm's　successful　handling　of　them。　　Kent　swore　softly　under　his　breath；　his　last　warning　to　Rochester；　that　he　would　dissolve　their　partnership　if　the　older　man　continued　to　neglect　his　practice；　had　been　given　only　a　month　before　and　upon　Kent's　return　from　eight　months'　service　in　the　Judge　Advocate　General's　Department　in　France。　Apparently　his　warning　had　fallen　on　deaf　ears　and　Rochester　was　indulging　in　another　periodic　spree；　for　so　Kent　concluded；　recalling　the　unsteady　penmanship　of　the　note　handed　to　him　by　the　new　clerk；　John　Sylvester。

Kent　was　still　frowning　at　the　opposite　wall　when　a　faint　knock　sounded；　and　at　his　call　Sylvester　entered。

〃Here　are　the　letters　received　this　morning；　sir；　and　type…written　copies　of　the　answers　to　yesterday's　correspondence　which　Mr。　Rochester　dictated　before　leaving；〃　Sylvester　explained　as　he　placed　the　papers　on　Kent's　desk。　　〃If　you　will　o。k。　them；　I　will　mail　them　at　once。〃

Kent　went　through　the　letters　with　care；　and　the　new　clerk　rose　in　his　estimation　as　he　read　the　excellent　dictation　of　the　clearly　typed　answers。

〃These　will　do　admirably；〃　he　announced。　　〃Sit　down　and　I　will　reply　to　the　other　letters。〃

At　the　end　of　an　hour　S