olled it slowly round between his thumb and forefinger,
and then laid it down. "It is a No. 32 ball, usually sold with the small
pistol made by Smith & Wesson."

"A small pistol!" exclaimed the butler, jumping up from his seat.
"Master used to keep a little pistol in his stand drawer. I have often
seen it. We all knew about it."

Great and irrepressible excitement, especially among the servants.
"That's so!" I heard a heavy voice exclaim. "I saw it once
myself--master was cleaning it." It was the cook who spoke.

"In his stand drawer?" the coroner inquired.

"Yes, sir; at the head of his bed."

An officer was sent to examine the stand drawer. In a few moments he
returned, bringing a small pistol which he laid down on the coroner's
table, saying, "Here it is."

Immediately, every one sprang to his feet, but the coroner, handing
it over to the clerk from Bonn's, inquired if that was the make before
mentioned. Without hesitation he replied, "Yes, Smith & Wesson; you can
see for yourself," and he proceeded to examine it.

"Where did you find this pistol?" asked the coroner of the officer.

"In the top drawer of a shaving table standing near the head of Mr.
Leavenworth's bed. It was lying in a velvet case together with a box
of cartridges, one of which I bring as a sample," and he laid it down
beside the bullet.

"Was the drawer locked?"

"Yes, sir; but the key was not taken out."

Interest had now reached its climax. A universal cry swept through the
room, "Is it loaded?"

The coroner, frowning on the assembly, with a look of great dignity,
remarked:

"I was about to ask that question myself, but first I must request
order."

An immediate calm followed. Every one was too much interested to
interpose any obstacle in the way of gratifying his curiosity.

"Now, sir!" exclaimed the coroner.

The clerk from Bonn's, taking out the cylinder, held it up. "There are
seven chambers here, and they are all loaded."

A murmur of disappointment followed this assertion.

"But," he quietly added after a momentary examination of the face of
the cylinder, "they have not all been loaded long. A bullet has been
recently shot from one of these chambers."

"How do you know?" cried one of the jury.

"How do I know? Sir," said he, turning to the coroner, "will you be kind
enough to examine the condition of this pistol?" and he handed it over
to that gentleman. "Look first at the barrel; it is clean and bright,
and shows