Nicholas Carter

“ 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 [Pg 46] 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. ”

“ THE VIAL IN THE SNOW.
"Well, old man," said Nick Carter, as he shook the snow from his overcoat, "what’s the news? Anything strange since this morning?"
He was addressing Chick, his assistant, who, to use his own expression, was "acting the chamber lawyer" for the day.
"Yes. Two small cases have come in; but there is a telegram from Boston that may be of importance."
"Let’s see it, my lad!" said the great detective, throwing his overcoat on a chair and seating himself. He took the dispatch in his hands and read it slowly.
"H’m! Yes, there’s something in this, Chick. What time is it?" ”

“ You know that people who understand surgical instruments usually go in for a little chemistry, too. When I examined the cylinder of this syringe I noticed a small quantity of colorless liquid in it; so I took it out and analyzed it."
The doctor was now becoming interested again, and Nick continued:
"I found it was a terrible poison."
"What?" cried Dr. Lord.
"Yes, doctor. That little syringe contained enough poison to kill a dozen men."
"You astonish me!" said the doctor.
"I have a little vial of the same drug here," said Nick, producing the one which he had picked up in the snow. ”

“ 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 [Pg 50] 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. ”

“ Nick thanked the analyst, and went at once to the Adams House for letters and telegrams from Chick. The coincidence of the fluids contained in the hypodermic syringe and in the vial, which he picked up in the snow at the Providence depot, being the same was remarkable, and, as he walked along, he mused:
"One hundred and fifty thousand dollars and a pretty girl is a big stake to lose, Dr. Lord. But it wasn’t a man of science who [Pg 15] placed that syringe point in man’s wrist!" ”

“ The doctor started.
"What do you mean?" he cried.
"I was thinking that perhaps he might have left it behind. And if you gave me his address, doctor, I would call upon him and offer to mend it."
Dr. Lord laughed and said:
"Yes, I had a Spanish visitor the day before yesterday. But it wasn’t a man. It was a lady."
"I found a new kind of fluid in this little syringe, doctor," said Nick, adroitly changing the subject. ”

“ Carter," said the physician, "what can I do for you this time?"
"I simply called to ask you to meet me [Pg 54] 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. ”

“ When Nick Carter reached the Adams House, it was just six o’clock.
A tall, clerical-looking man met him in the hallway.
It was Chick, Nick’s assistant.
"Well, Chick," said Nick, when they were seated in his room, "what’s the news?"
"The woman who claims to be Mrs. Rogers is already married to Moreno." ”

“ Blackmail."
"I know that; but what else?"
"I dined at the next table to theirs last night, and learned that they have some deep scheme to prevent a man named Lord from getting married. Her brother was to have seen him this morning. That was why I sent the second telegram."
"Yes, yes. Go ahead," cried Nick.
"I think young Rogers is in the deal."
"No, he isn’t," said Nick. "Is that all?"
"Yes."
"Good, Chick!"
At that moment there was a knock at the door and a bell-boy handed in a telegram.
It was from Patsy, and read:
"Alvarez woman and Moreno started for Boston on four-thirty train. ”

“ Rogers’ wrist, he was not surprised to find that it fitted exactly.
He quickly replaced the broken syringe in its case and resumed his seat.
Shortly after a tall, dark, good-looking man entered the room.
Nick recognized him from a photograph he had seen at Rogers’.
"Dr. Lord, I presume," he remarked.
"Yes, sir. What can I do for you?" said the medical gentleman, with a pleasant voice.
"Have you any surgical instruments to be repaired?" said Nick.
"No, sir," politely replied the doctor. "When surgical instruments need repairing it is generally time to get new ones. ”

“ But the gateman shouted:
"All aboard for Boston!"
Moreno hastily wrung Anita’s hand and rushed back to the train, and the lady gathered up her dress and went to the depot entrance.
Nick watched her board a cab and heard her order the driver to take her to the Bay State Hotel.
He followed leisurely on foot.
Having arrived at the hotel, he nodded to the clerk at the desk and asked to see the register.
"I want to see a lady who was to have arrived from New York to-day."
There were two recent signatures on the book.
One was in a delicate feminine hand, and read:
"Mrs. Rogers, New York." ”

“ It stipulated that upon condition [Pg 45] that the Alvarez woman or her brother would not breathe a suspicion about the finding of the hypodermic syringe point, I was to pay to her the sum of fifty thousand dollars on the morning of my marriage with Miss Rogers. I need not tell you that signing such a document would incriminate me and give them a perpetual handle for blackmail."
"You only know one-half of their scheming, doctor. But they are clever. They wished to make certain of at least one person from whom they could levy tax. ”

“ Nick Carter, alias Mr. Rogers, admitted her.
"How do you do, madame?" said Nick.
"Very well, thank you, Mr. Rogers. I [Pg 55] expected to find my brother, and—and a friend here."
"They will be here presently."
"My brother tells me that Sam will not accept the terms of the agreement."
"He will be here himself at three o’clock, madame. We shall then arrange everything connected with this matter."
"But cannot you tell me in the meantime what it is he particularly objects to?"
"I cannot see what good it would do. It will be much better to discuss the entire affair with him personally. ”

“ There is a line of classics for youth—the books your fathers read—the books you want to read—the books the boys and girls will read and like as long as the English language endures. They have done more to shape the mind of American boys for the last fifty years than any others. ”

“ It is, perhaps, the most deadly in existence, and the peculiar thing about it is the fact that in doing its work in the human system, it so quickly assimilates with the blood that it is next to impossible to trace it. ”

“ Sam has confided everything to me."
"He made an awful mistake in sending for that man, Nick Carter," said Anita. [Pg 37]
"I don’t agree with you."
"You don’t know him, Mr. Rogers. That man will be sure to ferret out the truth. What I told Sam to do was to engage an ordinary detective, and if he did that, suspicion would most surely fall upon Dr. Lord. However, Moreno and Manuel will probably be able to arrange matters." ”

“ 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. ”

“ The average boy has not got $1.50 to invest. Ten cents is nearer the price. We have made the ten cent book the leader with the elder readers. Now we are going to do the same thing for the boys, and give them their favorites in a form in every respect equal to our well-known Eagle and Magnet Libraries, at the uniform price of ten cents. ”

“ 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." [Pg 51]
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." ”

“ Lord I want."
"It must be," said the clerk, laughing, "for he is the only Lord in Dorchester."
A few minutes afterward Nick Carter was ushered into the reception-room of Mr. Rogers’ physician.
Apparently the reception-room was also used as a kind of auxiliary surgery; for, upon a table, were a number of surgical instruments of various kinds.
Nick noticed this with satisfaction, and [Pg 12] he moved over toward the table in order to more closely inspect the contents.
Just then the servant entered the room and announced that the doctor would be disengaged in a few minutes. ”

“ Thousands more are ready to buy it on sight. There is no line like it in the world. We can justly call it the Medal series, as every book will be a prize winner. It will contain no story that the boys have not approved as a "standard." ”

“ It was answered by Chick, to whom Nick passed a note, saying, as he did so:
"Will you please bring some coffee and brandy at once?"
"Yes, sir."
The note contained the following message:
"Have Moreno and Gonzales here at 3:30. Admit Rogers first. Keep prisoners in your room until we need them."
Chick’s room was number 73, and had a door leading into Nick’s.
When the door closed, Nick took from his pocket the hat pin which he found in [Pg 56] Mr. Rogers’ room, and placed it on a chair close to his visitor. ”

“ He gave him his card, and the moment the analyst recognized the name of the great New York detective he became particularly attentive, and after a careful examination, he pronounced the contents of the syringe to be the same as the vial, and a deadly poison it was.
"Supposing some of it was injected into a man’s wrist, what would happen?" said Nick.
"Happen? Why, the man would be dead in ten second or less. This is a South American poison, 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. ”

“ When he arrived at the Adams House, he found a telegram from Chick, which read: [Pg 23]
"Alvarez at Spanish-American Hotel. Dining with the Cuban, Moreno. Shall endeavor to overhear conversation. If important, will report at Boston and put Patsy on the case here."
"Good!" said Nick. "The fellow who tried to knock me out must be one of Moreno’s gang. I must warn Chick."
He forthwith sent the following cipher telegram:
"Telegram received. ”