He carried himself with an air of certainty, as if accustomed to meeting grave problems--and solving them.

As he stood at the right of the coroner, his keen gray eyes, set deep beneath the arched outline of his eyebrows, swept the faces of the sorrowing employes, as if trying to read their inmost thoughts.

Despite the severe cast of his features, there was something engaging about the man, some magic of personality, that drew one irresistibly toward him.
"Just in time to hear the most important witness," the coroner said to him, at the same time beckoning the office boy to come forward.
The two visitors and the coroner seated themselves at one of the flat-top desks, while the boy, pale, trembling, as if conscious of some guilty act, faced them with fear written in his youthful countenance.
The coroner solemnly administered the customary oath.
"You know what will happen to you if you tell a lie ?" he asked.
"Yes, sir, I'll be sent to prison," the boy answered timorously.
"Now what is your name ?" "Samuel Johnson." The witness further confided that he had been employed in the establishment three years, that he had seen Mr.Whitmore enter the office and that thereafter he had occupied a seat within a foot of the door until one of the clerks called his attention to the peculiar attitude in which his employer had fallen in the chair.
"What did Mr.Whitmore say to you when he arrived this morning ?" inquired the coroner.
"He'd been away for six weeks, and he put his hand on my head like he was glad to see me and said that no one was to be admitted to the office and I wasn't to bring in any visitor's card." The boy sobbed convulsively as he recalled the last words of his employer.
"Were any visitors here this morning ?" "No, sir." "Did any of the clerks enter the office ?" "No, sir." "Did you hear a shot fired, or any other peculiar sound ?" "I did not." "Are you positive ?" "I hope I may die on the spot if it ain't so," the witness said fervently.
The coroner's eyes alternated between his two visitors.

The smaller of the two devoted himself to a long scrutiny of the boy's countenance.
"Mr.Whitmore was absent for six weeks ?" he suddenly asked.
"Yes, sir." "Do you know where he was ?" "Mr.Beard told me to tell all visitors that Mr.Whitmore was away on a business trip." "Who is Mr.Beard ?" "Mr.Whitmore's confidential secretary.

He took charge of the business while Mr.Whitmore was away." "Isn't it somewhat unusual that nobody called to see Mr.Whitmore on his return this morning ?" "I guess they didn't know he was back," the boy replied.
"Did Mr.Whitmore have any trouble with anyone before he left ?" "Not that I know of.