A CRUEL POSITION.
"I shall settle that question," said
Nick. "It was I who found the point of
the hypodermic syringe imbedded in Mr.
Rogers’ wrist. It was undoubtedly broken
off to complete the blackmailing scheme
and attract suspicion to you. It was for
that same reason the broken syringe was
left here."
"That must be so," said the doctor,
"and if he was murdered, it must have
been by that woman."
"In my profession we do not jump at
conclusions so hastily," said Nick, evading
the doctor’s remark.
Dr. Lord laughed at this sally, and
Nick took up his hat as if about to leave.
"Before you go, Mr. Carter, can you tell
me what was the appearance of the wrist
in the locality where the syringe point
was imbedded?"
"Yes. I observed it very carefully.
Where the point lay, underneath the
skin, the color was normal--except that
one could detect the needle-like piece of
silver, upon very close observation. But
it was not that which first attracted my
attention."
"What was it?" asked the doctor, who
seemed to be intensely interested.
"It was the fact that, extending from
the point of the needle upward, for a
couple of inches, there was a marked
discoloration."
"Thank you. This may be important,
Mr. Carter. I shall consult with Dr. White
about it."
Nick then bade the doctor good-by and
turned his footsteps toward the Rogers
mansion.
He had not gone many yards when he
met his faithful assistant, Chick.
"Moreno is up at Rogers’ place," said
Chick, "and Ida is at the hotel."
"Well, what other news, Chick?"
"Miss Rogers loves the doctor."
"Good! Keep an eye on Rogers and
Moreno for a few minutes."
Nick immediately returned to Dr.
Lord’s house.
He hurriedly explained to the doctor
why he had come back, and, two minutes
later, a distinguished-looking Cuban left
the physician’s residence.
He walked leisurely in the direction of
the Rogers mansion.
Chick, who was accustomed to his
chief’s wonderful disguises, noticed him
approaching and came slowly toward
him.
"As soon as I have entered the house
I engage Jones, the butler, in conversation,"
said Nick, hurriedly.
He then entered the lawn of the Rogers
villa and approached the front door.
"Can I see Mr. Rogers?" he asked,
when Jones answered the bell.
"He is engaged just now, sir. But if
you will give me your card----”
"Oh, never mind," interrupted Nick.
"I shall wait for him."
The colored man showed him into the
reception-room.
At that moment the door bell rang
again.
It was Chick, and Nick Carter knew
well that his clever assistant would keep
Jones engaged until he again appeared.
Creeping noiselessly, he went along
the hallway until he arrived at the library
door.
Here he stopped and listened.
He heard the voices of two persons;
but could not catch their conversation.
The ornamentations on the key-hole, inside
as well as on the hall side, prevented
his hearing through that channel.
Looking upward, he noticed that the
old-fashioned transom could easily be
opened, and he was soon standing upon a
hall chair with a good view of the interior
of the room.
Sam Rogers was seated at a desk, and
Moreno standing beside him.
The latter was speaking in a commanding
manner; but his voice was so low
that Nick could not detect his words.
He now proceeded to open the transom
as cautiously and noiselessly as possible.
After a few moments he succeeded in
opening it a few inches, and he then
heard distinctly the conversation of Moreno
and Rogers.
"It is utterly useless to go any further,"
said Rogers. "I will not swear an information
against Dr. Lord."
"Was it Nick Carter advised you to
make this decision?"
"No, sir. Mr. Carter does not know
anything about this affair."
"Why did you engage him?"
"Anita told me to engage a detective."
"She told you to engage a private detective
in Boston, to whom you were to
point out the top of the hypodermic
syringe, and suggest to him that it might
belong to Dr. Lord. If you did that, Lord
would have been at once arrested on suspicion.
But you knew that Nick Carter
would never make the arrest until he had
fully and perfectly investigated the case,
and was absolutely certain of his man."
"I know that now. I did not know it
when I engaged him."
"If you engaged him with the intention
of directing his suspicion to Dr. Lord,
why do you now refuse to make an information
yourself?"
"Because I know Dr. Lord did not murder
my father."
"What would you do if Anita made
such a statement to the police?" said the
Cuban.
The young man started at this cold-blooded
suggestion.
He seemed to be in a perfect agony of
mental torture.
Suddenly he stood up, and, facing Moreno,
he said:
"If she dares to do such a thing, I
would expose the whole affair."
"Have a care, Mr. Rogers," said the
Cuban, fiercely. "Don’t go too far."
"I defy both you and her!" cried
Rogers, who was now very excited.
It evidently did not suit Moreno’s plans
to quarrel seriously with his companion.
He immediately changed his tactics and
said:
"If Anita gave you a release to-morrow,
how much would you pay for it?"
"To-morrow? Why, that’s impossible!
But, see here, Moreno. If Mr. Carter arrests
the doctor upon his own responsibility,
I shall not interfere. That is all I
can or will do in this direction. But I am
willing to guarantee Anita one hundred
thousand dollars, to be paid after my marriage
with Miss Bland, if she produces a
decree of divorce before it. It is utterly
useless to annoy me further."
"We will force you to do this!" hissed
Moreno.
"Do your very worst! I am so weary of
this disgraceful affair that I am perfectly
prepared for any event."
"Very well, Mr. Rogers," said the Cuban,
in a cold, cutting tone. "Anita will
to-morrow come to Boston and proclaim
herself your wife."
That shot told.
The young fellow threw himself into a
chair and gave way to torturing reflections.
His position was indeed cruel.
Moreno knew well the effect of his
blow, he looked at Rogers with a smile
of triumph, and then took up his hat and
pretended to prepare to leave the room.
He took a few steps toward the door,
when Rogers suddenly cried:
"Stop!"
"Well, sir?" said Moreno, smiling
grimly.
"Give me one week to consider."
"No, Mr. Rogers, not one day. You
wish to consult with Nick Carter. I must
have your answer now or you will never
marry Miss Bland. If you are so anxious
to avoid family scandal by saving your
sister’s intended husband, pay the money
right away. It will enable you to wed half
a million."
The young fellow struggled desperately
between his honor and his feelings.
"Supposing I do consent," he said, at
length. "You have agreed to produce a
divorce from Anita upon receipt of one
hundred thousand dollars. That will take
some time."
"She is prepared to release you legally
at once."
"At once?"
"Yes. If you consent to pay the money
to-morrow, I shall telegraph to her to
come here to arrange the affair. And now
I shall not waste another moment. Do
you consent? Or shall I allow her to come
here and proclaim herself your wife?"
"I consent," said Rogers, in a solemn
tone, as if he was passing his own death
sentence. "Leave me now, Moreno. I am
upset by this affair. I shall be ready to-morrow."
"Oh, no," said the Cuban, with a sardonic
grin. "I shall not leave you now
until our little business is transacted."
"Mr. Carter will be here shortly," said
Rogers, looking the Cuban full in the
face. "Perhaps you would not care to see
him?"
"Oh, it does not make any difference,
now that you have decided to settle up
without waiting for Dr. Lord’s arrest.
But I would advise you to dismiss Carter
at once."
"Very well. I shall be glad to have this
horrible affair ended. But----”
He mused for a moment, and then continued:
"Mr. Carter has already interested himself
in the case, and from what you tell
me of his character, I fear he may want to
probe it, with or without my consent."
"Ah!" said Moreno, "I did not think
of that. Yes. He must be silenced."
"What do you mean?"
"Never mind, Mr. Rogers. We will attend
to that."
As he said this, the door suddenly
opened, and Nick Carter entered.
"You will attend to Nick Carter, will
you?" said he.
Quick as lightning, and before Moreno
could recover from his surprise, Nick
caught his wrists with a grasp of iron
and placed the handcuffs upon them.
"Now, Mr. Moreno," said he, "Nick
Carter will attend to you. Come along!"
"Good heavens!" exclaimed the Cuban.
"Where did you come from?"
"The moon, of course, but the place
you are going to will be much nearer at
hand."
Nick caught him by the arm and
marched him out of the room.
Handing him over to Chick who was
still conversing with the colored man,
Nick said:
"Take this fellow to police headquarters."
He then turned to young Rogers.
The young man was bewildered from
astonishment.
He was positively dazed to learn that
Nick knew about his arrangements with
Moreno.
He could not understand how it was
possible for him to have discovered it, and
he looked at him in silence in the same
manner as he would have looked at a
supernatural being.
Nick saw that the young fellow was
overwhelmed with surprise; but there
was no time to be lost.
"Mr. Rogers," said he, "I want your
presence at the Adams House at three
o’clock. It is a matter of the greatest importance
for you to be there. Don’t fail."
Surprises were pouring in so suddenly
upon the young man that he was too bewildered
to reply.
Nick took no notice of his amazement
or silence. He repeated:
"Don’t forget. Adams House, at three
o’clock."
He left Rogers seated in his library, still
wondering how the affair happened.
Nick now hastened to the nearest telegraph
office and sent the following dispatch:
"Mrs. Rogers, Bay State Hotel, Worcester:
Manuel has seen Sam’s cousin.
Settlement impossible unless with you, in
person. Come on by first train. Meet me
at Adams House. Ask for Rogers, room
75.
MORENO."
Five minutes later he was at Dr. Lord’s.
"Well, Mr. Carter," said the physician,
"what can I do for you this time?"
"I simply called to ask you to meet me
in room seventy-five at the Adams House
at three o’clock."
"I shall be there, Mr. Carter."
Nick did not delay one moment, but
hastened to his hotel.
Here he lay upon a lounge and gave
himself up to a moment of reflection.
"What a sell they will all get!" he
mused. "But it will be an agreeable one.
The poor doctor will be sold because his
misery will end almost before it had
begun.
"And young Rogers!
"Ah! He is a weak subject, and no
mistake.
"If he hadn’t deceived me about the
woman’s visits, I could have finished yesterday.
"However, he will feel sold when he
learns how I have found him out, although
he will, at the same time, be freed from
his Cuban wife.
"As for the three Cubans!
"Well, perhaps the greatest surprise of
all will be for them!"