Produced by Charles Bowen from page scans provided by the
Internet Web Archive (Cornell University Library)
Transcriber's Notes:
1. Page scan source: Internet web archive
http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924021765239
(Cornell University Library)
2. "Roman Doubleday" is a pseudonym for "Lily Augusta Long."
3. The diphthong oe is represented by [oe].
The Hemlock Avenue Mystery
[Illustration: "IN A MOMENT HALF A DOZEN MEN WERE BETWEEN THEM."]
The Hemlock Avenue Mystery
By Roman Doubleday
Illustrated from Drawings by
Charles Grunwald
Boston
Little, Brown, and Company
_Copyright, 1907_,
By Street & Smith.
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_Copyright, 1908_,
By Little, Brown, and Company.
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_All rights reserved_.
Printers
S. J. Parkhill & Co., Boston, U.S.A.
The Hemlock Avenue Mystery
CHAPTER I
Young Lyon, lounging in the Court House to make up his daily tale of
items for the Waynscott _News_, was perhaps the only man who knew
exactly how the quarrel between Lawrence and Fullerton began, though,
when later events had made that quarrel take on an unexpected
significance, he was exactly the one man who did not talk about it.
Through the glass side-panel of the door he had seen Lawrence coming
up the stone walk from the street, and he had watched him with
eagerness, meaning to get a nod as he passed, for Lawrence was not
only a rising young lawyer, but, what was more important to the cub
reporter, he had just won the championship in the curling contest of
the city clubs. Slight as was Lyon's acquaintance with him, it had the
touch of hero-worship which a youth is always ready to pour out as an
offering before a man who is at once an athlete, a social success, a
man eminent in professional life, and withal magnetic and charming in
his personal relations, as Lawrence was. So he counted it luck just to
have the chance to say "Good morning." It seems that Fullerton must
have approached from the side street, for the two men met at the foot
of the Court House steps and came up together. Lyon noticed that
though they nodded to each other they did not speak. At the top
Fullerton pushed ahead so as to come first through the revolving
pepperbox of a storm-door which made the entrance of fresh air to the
Court House as difficult as was the exit of foul air within. Lawrence
swung through in the next compartment, pushing the door around much
more rapidly than suited Fullerton's dignified gait. The knowledge
that he had thumped his distinguished predecessor's heels probably
cheered Lawrence's heart, for he cried gayly as he emerged,
"You see I follow in your footsteps."
"Not for the first time," said Fullerton in level tones, with a slow
lifting of his lowered eyelids.
The effect of those quiet words on Lawrence's temper was surprising.
Instantly his hand flashed out and he slapped Fullerton's face.
In a moment half a dozen men were between them. Some one restored
Fullerton's hat, which had fallen off at his sudden start, while
others officiously laid restraining hands on Lawrence, who was
trembling like a nervous horse.
"You may think a trick will win, but, by my soul, I'll take the
trick," he cried hotly.
Fullerton, who was quite white except where the marks of Lawrence's
fingers burned like a new brand on his cheek, stood perfectly still
for an instant, with his eyes on the floor, as though waiting for
anything further that his opposing counsel might have to say. Then he
replaced his hat, bowed slightly to the group, and walked away to the
elevator.
"Jove, if I had the grip on my temper that Fullerton has, I'd be
Attorney General by now," said Lawrence lightly. "Guess I'll take the
other elevator, all the same." And he walked jauntily down the hall.
The collected group of men burst into excited cross-currents of talk.
"What was it all about?"
"What will Fullerton do?"
"Gee, but Lawrence might be disbarred for that."
"Fullerton, of all men! He must be getting old, if he lets that pass."
"Oh, this isn't the end of it, you can bet on that all right."
"But what was it all about?"
"Why, Fullerton got a decision in the Symes case yesterday,--beat
Lawrence on a technicality. It was rather sharp practice, but
Fullerton goes into a case to win, and he knows all the tricks of
the trade. You heard what Lawrence said about taking the trick?"
Yes, they had all heard what Lawrence had said. Lyon listened to the
gossip, but contributed nothing. He was perfectly certain that
Lawrence's hot speech about a trick had been expressly intended for
the by-standers. The champion was too good a sport to take a
professional defeat like a baby. And the quick speeches that had
preceded the blow no one had heard but himself. He walked down the
steps thoughtfully. It was his business to understand things.
But the quarrel did not appear among the news items he turned into the
city editor.