"I received it by the afternoon mail, just before the doctor made his examination. I then telegraphed to you, and decided that, until you arrived, I would not allow any interference with the body."
"Was the coroner notified?" asked Nick.
"No, sir. Dr. Lord has given a certificate of death from heart disease."
Just then the servant summoned young Rogers to receive a visitor.
The moment he was gone Nick took a hasty inventory of the surroundings.
As the young fellow had said, it was quite apparent that nothing in the room had been disturbed since the old man died.
During his examination of the body his hand touched something with a sharp point.
It lay within the folds of the coat, and Nick made an exclamation of surprise when he discovered that it was a lady’s hat-pin, with a curious haliotis shell head. This he put in his pocket.
He had almost finished his examination of the body, rearranged the clothing, and was just placing the hands in the position in which he found them, when his keen eye detected a slight discoloration of the left wrist.
Upon close examination, he discovered a very small wound—almost a pin-hole.