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"What's theup at Thorndyke "Is it apoplexy? Or is it a heart attack, think you?"

Thorndyke shook his head, though he stooped and put his fingers on the unconscious man's wrist "Prussic acid or potassiuest," he replied

"But can't you do anything?" demanded the inspector

Thorndyke dropped the arm, which fell limply to the floor

"You can't do much for a dead ers after all!"

"He has anticipated the sentence That is all" Thorndyke spoke in an even, i the suddenness of the tragedy, as did also the complete absence of surprise in his manner He seemed to treat the occurrence as a perfectly natural one

Not so Inspector Badger; who rose to his feet and stood with his hands thrust into his pockets scowling sullenly down at the dead lawyer

"I was an infernal fool to agree to his blasted conditions," he growled savagely

"Nonsense," said Thorndyke "If you had broken in, you would have found a dead man As it was you found a live man and obtained an important statement You acted quite properly"

"How do you suppose he er

Thorndyke held out his hand "Let us look at his cigarette-case," said he

Badger extracted the little silver case froarettes in it, two of which were plain, while the other three were gold-tipped Thorndyke took out one of each kind and gently pinched their ends The gold-tipped one he returned; the plain one he tore through, about a quarter of an inch from the end; when two little white tabloids dropped out on the table Badger eagerly picked one up and was about to srasped his wrist "Be careful," said he; and when he had cautiously sniffed at the tabloid--held at a safe distance froht so when his lips turned that queer colour It was in that last cigarette; you can see that he has bitten off the end"

For so down at the still forer looked up

"As you pass the porter's lodge on your way out," said he, "you ht just drop in and tell him to send a constable to er, you had better tip that sherry back into the decanter and put it under lock and key, or else pour it out of the "