As nearly as anybody could make out, it was just previous to Low’s departure that two or three persons on a street that ran along one side of the hotel were fearfully startled by the sight of a man falling from an upper story window.
He struck headfirst on the sidewalk, and was instantly killed.
Men were at his side before his heart stopped beating, but no word came from the unfortunate man’s lips.
He was unknown to those who saw him die, but they knew from the cut of his clothes that he was a clergyman.
Information was taken to the hotel office at once, and the clerk went out, and he immediately identified the body as that of a guest of the house, Reverend Elijah Judson.
CHAPTER II.
WAITING FOR NICK CARTER.
In the first horror of this discovery nobody thought of murder.
It was taken for granted that the unfortunate clergyman had been leaning from his window and lost his balance.
But it was not long, however, before men began to look at the thing in another way.
The minister’s body was left on the walk under guard of policemen until an undertaker came to take it away.