,,the ,,social ,,gangster ,,the ,,craig ,,kennedy ,,series ,,by ,,arthur ,b4 ,,reeve ,,frontispiece ,,by ,,will ,,foster ,,harper ,,brothers ,,publishers ,,new ,,york ,,and ,,london ,copyright1 #aiaf1 by ,,harper ,,brothers ,printed in the ,united ,states of ,america ,illustration3 ,,just ,,before ,,we ,,were ,,off ,a ,,telegram ,,came ,,to ,,her1 ,,which ,,she ,,read ,,and ,,hastily ,,stuffed ,,into ,a ,,pocket ,,of ,,her ,,riding ,,habit ,,contents ,i4 ,,the ,,social ,,gangster ,,ii4 ,,the ,,cabaret ,,rouge ,,iii4 ,,the ,,fox ,,hunt ,,iv4 ,,the ,,tango ,,thief ,v4 ,,the ,,the ,,dansant ,,vi4 ,,the ,,serum ,,diagnosis ,,vii4 ,,the ,,diamond ,,queen ,,viii4 ,,the ,,anesthetic ,,vaporizer ,,ix4 ,,the ,,twilight ,,sleep ,x4 ,,the ,,sixth ,,sense ,,xi4 ,,the ,,infernal ,,machines ,,xii4 ,,the ,,submarine ,,bell ,,xiii4 ,,the ,,super-,,toxin ,,xiv4 ,,the ,,secret ,,agents ,,xv4 ,,the ,,germ ,,of ,,anthrax ,,xvi4 ,,the ,,sleepmaker ,,xvii4 ,,the ,,inter-,,urban ,,handicap ,,xviii4 ,,the ,,toxin ,,of ,,fatigue ,,xix4 ,,the ,x-,,ray ,,detective ,,xx4 ,,the ,,mechanical ,,connoisseur ,,xxi4 ,,the ,,radiograph ,,witness ,,xxii4 ,,the ,,absolute ,,zero ,,xxiii4 ,,the ,,vacuum ,,bottle ,,xxiv4 ,,the ,,solar ,,plexus ,,xxv4 ,,the ,,demon ,,engine ,,xxvi4 ,,the ,,electrolysis ,,clew ,,xxvii4 ,,the ,,perpetual ,,motion ,,machine ,,xxviii4 ,,the ,,cancer ,,house ,,xxix4 ,,the ,,quack ,,doctors ,,xxx4 ,,the ,,filterable ,,virus ,,xxxi4 ,,the ,,voodoo ,,mystery ,,xxxii4 ,,the ,,fluoriscine ,,test ,,xxxiii4 ,,the ,,respiration ,,calorimeter ,,xxxiv4 ,,the ,,evil ,,eye ,,xxxv4 ,,the ,,buried ,,treasure ,,xxxvi4 ,,the ,,weed ,,of ,,madness ,,the ,,social ,,gangster ,,chapter ,i ,,the ,,social ,,gangster ,i'm so worried over ,gloria1 ,professor ,kennedy1 that ,i hardly know what ,i'm doing4 ,mrs4 ,bradford ,brackett was one of those stunning women of baffling age of whom there seem to be so many nowadays4 ,one would scarcely have believed that she could be old enough to have a daughter who would worry her very much4 ,her voice trembled and almost broke as she proceeded with her story1 and1 looking closer1 ,i saw that1 at least now1 her face showed marks of anxiety that told on her more than would have been the case some years before4 ,at the mention of the name of ,gloria ,brackett1 ,i saw that ,craig was extremely interested1 though he did not betray it to ,mrs4 ,brackett4 ,already1 with my nose for news ,i had scented a much bigger story than any that had been printed4 ,for the ,bracketts had lately been more or less in the news of the day4 ,choking back a little suppressed sob in her throat1 ,mrs4 ,brackett took from a delicate gold mesh bag and laid on the desk before ,kennedy a small clipping from the ,lost and ,found advertisements in the ,star4 ,it read3 ,,reward of #aj1jjj and absolutely no questions asked for the return of a diamond necklace of seventy-one stones which disappeared from a house at ,willys ,hills1 ,long ,island1 last ,saturday or ,sunday4 ,,la ,,rue ,,co41 ,jewelers1 ---- ,fifth ,avenue4 ,i recognized the advertisement as one that had occasioned a great deal of comment on the ,star1 due to its peculiar nature4 ,it had been a great mystery1 perhaps much more so than if the advertisement had been worded and signed in the usual way4 ,i knew also that the advertisement had created a great furore of excitement and gossip at the fashionable ,north ,shore ,hunt ,club of which ,bradford ,brackett was ,master of ,fox ,hounds4 ,at first1 explained ,mrs4 ,brackett nervously1 ,la ,rue ,co4 were able to keep the secret4 ,they even refused to let the police take up the case4 ,but as public interest in the advertisement increased at last the secret leaked out--at least that part of it which connected our name with the loss4 ,that1 however1 seemed only to whet curiosity4 ,it left everybody wondering what was back of it all4 ,that's what we've been trying to avoid--that sort of publicity4 ,she paused a moment1 but ,kennedy said nothing1 evidently thinking that the best safety valve for her overwrought feelings would be to let her tell her story in her own way4 ,why1 you know1 she resumed rapidly1 to hide her agitation1 the most ridiculous things have been said4 ,some people have even said that we lost nothing at all1 that it was all a clever attempt at notoriety1 to get our names in the papers4 ,some have said it was a plan to collect the burglary insurance4 ,but we are wealthy4 ,they didn't stop to think how inconceivable that was4 ,we have nothing to lose1 even if the necklace is never heard of again4 ,for the moment her indignation had got the better of her worry4 ,most opinions1 ,i recalled1 had been finally that the disappearance was mixed up with some family affairs4 ,at any rate1 here was to be the real story at last4 ,i dissembled my interest4 ,mrs4 ,brackett's indignation was quickly succeeded by the more poignant feelings that had brought her to ,kennedy4 ,you see1 she continued1 now almost sobbing1 it is really all1 ,i fear1 my own fault4 ,i didn't realize that ,gloria was growing so fast and so far out of my life4 ,i've let her be brought up by governesses and servants4 ,i've sent her to the best schools ,i could find4 ,i thought it was all right4 ,but now1 too late1 ,i realize that it is all wrong4 ,i haven't kept close enough to her4 ,she was rattling on in this disjointed manner1 getting more and more excited1 but still ,kennedy made no effort to lead the conversation4 ,i didn't think ,gloria was more than a child4 ,but--why1 ,mr4 ,kennedy1 she's been going1 ,i find1 to these afternoon dances in the city and out at a place not far from ,willys ,hills4 ,what sort of places8 prompted ,kennedy4 ,the ,cabaret ,rouge1 answered ,mrs4 ,brackett1 flashing at us a look of defiance that really masked fear of public opinion4 ,i knew of the place4 ,it had an extremely unsavory reputation4 ,in fact there were two places of the same name1 one in the city and the other out on ,long ,island4 ,mrs4 ,brackett must have seen ,kennedy and me exchange a look askance at the name4 ,oh1 it's not a question of morals1 alone1 she hastened4 ,after all1 sometimes common sense and foolishness are fair equivalents for right and wrong4 ,kennedy looked up quickly1 genuinely surprised at this bit of worldly wisdom4 ,when women do stupid1 dangerous things1 trouble follows1 she persisted1 adding1 if not at once1 a bit later4 ,this is a case of it4 ,one could not help feeling sorry for the woman and what she had to face4 ,i had hoped1 oh1 so dearly1 she went on a moment later1 that ,gloria would marry a young man who1 ,i know1 is devoted to her1 an ,italian of fine family1 ,signor ,franconi--you must have heard of him--the inventor of a new system of wireless transmission of pictures4 ,but with such a scandal--how can we expect it8 ,do you know him8 ,not personally1 though ,i have heard of him1 returned ,kennedy briefly4 ,both ,craig and myself had been interested in reports of his invention1 which he called the ,franconi ,telephote1 by which he claimed to be able to telegraph either over wires or by wireless light and dark points so rapidly and in such a manner as to deceive the eye and produce at the receiving end what amounted to a continuous reproduction of a picture at the transmitting end4 ,at least1 in spite of his society leanings1 ,franconi was no mere dilettante inventor4 ,but--the necklace1 suggested ,craig1 after a moment1 for the first time interrupting the rather rambling trend of ,mrs4 ,brackett's story1 what has this all to do with the necklace8 ,she looked at him almost despairingly4 ,i don't really care for a thousand such necklaces1 she cried4 ,it is my daughter--her good name--her--her safety6 ,suddenly she had become almost hysterical as she thought of the real purpose of her visit1 which she had not yet been able to bring herself to disclose even to ,kennedy4 ,finally1 with an effort1 she managed to control herself and go on4 ,you see1 she said in a low tone1 almost as if she were confessing some fault of her own1 ,gloria has been frequenting these--recherche places1 without my knowledge1 and there she has become intimate with some of the fastest of the fast set4 ,you ask about the necklace4 ,i don't know1 ,i must admit4 ,has some one of her friends taken advantage of her to learn our habits and get into the house and get it8 ,or1 have they put her up to getting it8 ,the last query was wrung from her as if by main force4 ,she could not even breathe it without a shudder4 ,when the necklace was stolen1 she added tremulously1 it must have been an inside job1 as you detectives call it4 ,mr4 ,brackett and ,i were away at the time at a week-end party4 ,we supposed ,gloria was visiting some friends in the city4 ,but since then we have learned that she motored out with some of her dance-crazed acquaintances to the ,cabaret ,rouge1 not far from ,willys ,hills4 ,it must have been taken then--by some of them4 ,the recital to comparative strangers1 even though they were to be trusted to right the wrong1 was more than she could bear4 ,mrs4 ,brackett was now genuinely in tears1 her shoulders trembling under the emotion1 as she bowed her head4 ,her despair and self-accusation would really have moved anyone1 much less were needed to enlist ,kennedy4 ,he said nothing1 but his look of encouragement seemed to nerve her up again to go on4 ,she forced back her feelings heroically4 ,we put the advertisement that way because--well1 now you understand why1 she resumed2 then anticipating our question1 added1 ,but there has been no response4 ,i knew from her tone that even to herself she would not admit that ,gloria might have been guilty4 ,yet subconsciously it must have been in her mind and she knew it was in ours4 ,her voice broke again4 ,mr4 ,brackett has repeatedly ordered ,gloria to give up her fast acquaintances4 ,but she defies him4 ,even to my pleadings she has turned a deaf ear4 ,it was most pathetic to watch the workings of the mother's face as she was forced to say this of her daughter4 ,all thought of the necklace was lost1 now4 ,i--,i want my daughter back1 she almost wailed4 ,who are these rapid youngsters8 asked ,craig gently4 ,i don't know all of them1 she replied4 ,there is young ,rittenhouse ,smith2 he is one4 ,the ,rittenhouse ,smiths1 you know1 are a very fine family4 ,but young ',ritter1' as the younger set call him1 is wild4 ,they've had to cut his allowance two or three times1 ,i believe4 ,another of them is ,rhinelander ,brown4 ,i don't think the ,browns have much money1 but it is a good family4 ,oh1 she added with a faint attempt at a smile1 ,i'm not the only mother who has heart-aches4 ,but the worst of it is that there are some professionals with whom they go--a dancer1 ,rex ,du ,mond1 and a woman named ,bernice ,bentley4 ,i don't know any more of them1 but ,i presume there is a regular organization of these social gangsters4 ,did ,signor ,franconi--ever go with them8 asked ,craig4 ,oh1 mercy1 no1 she hastened4 ,and they can't seem to break the gang up1 ruminated ,craig1 evidently liking her characterization of the group4 ,she sighed deeply and wiped away another tear4 ,i've done what ,i could with ,gloria4 ,i've cut her allowance--but it has done no good4 ,i'm losing my hold on her altogether4 ,you--you will help me--,i mean1 help ,gloria8 she asked eagerly1 leaning forward in an appeal which must have cost her a great deal1 so common is the repression of such feelings in women of her type4 ,gladly1 returned ,kennedy heartily4 ,i will do anything in my power4 ,proud though she was1 ,mrs4 ,brackett could scarcely murmur her thanks4 ,where can ,i see ,gloria8 asked ,kennedy finally4 ,she shook her head4 ,i can't say4 ,if you want to1 you may see her tomorrow1 though1 at the drag hunt of the club4 ,my husband says he is not going to take ,gloria's actions without a protest4 ,so he has peremptorily ordered her to attend the meet of the ,hunt ,club4 ,we thought it would get her away1 at least for a time1 from her associates1 though ,i must say ,i can't be sure that she will obey4 ,i thought ,i understood1 partly at least4 ,bradford ,brackett's election as ,m4 ,f4 ,h4 had been a crowning distinction in his social career and he did not propose to have ,gloria's escapades spoil the meet for him4 ,perhaps he thought this as good an occasion as any to use his power to force her back into the circle to which she rightfully belonged4 ,mrs4 ,brackett had risen4 ,how can ,i ever thank you8 she exclaimed1 extending her hand impulsively4 ,i know nothing has been changed--yet4 ,but already ,i feel better4 ,i shall do what ,i can2 depend on me1 reiterated ,kennedy modestly4 ,if ,i can do nothing before1 ,i shall be out at the ,hunt ,club tomorrow--perhaps ,i shall be there anyhow4 ,this is a most peculiar situation1 ,i remarked a few minutes later1 as ,mrs4 ,brackett was whisked away from the laboratory door in her motor4 ,indeed it is1 returned ,kennedy1 pacing up and down1 his face wrinkled with thought4 ,i don't know whether ,i feel more like a detective or a spiritual adviser4 ,he pulled out his watch4 ,half-past four1 he considered4 ,i'd like to have a look at that ,cabaret ,rouge here in town4 ,,chapter ,,ii ,,the ,,cabaret ,,rouge ,it was a perfect autumn afternoon1 one of those days when one who is normal feels the call to get out of doors and enjoy what is left of the fine weather before the onset of winter4 ,we strode along in the bracing air until at last we turned into ,broadway at the upper end of what might be called ,automobile ,row4 ,motor cars and taxicabs were buzzing along in an endless stream1 most of them filled with women1 gowned and bonneted in the latest mode4 ,before the garish entrance of the ,cabaret ,rouge they seemed to pile up and discharge their feminine cargoes4 ,we entered and were quickly engulfed in the tide of eager pleasure seekers4 ,a handsome and judicious tip to the head waiter secured us a table at the far end of a sort of mezzanine gallery1 from which we could look down over a railing at the various groups at the little white tables below4 ,there we sat1 careful to spend the necessary money to entitle us to stay1 for to the average ,new ,yorker the test seems to be not so much what one is getting for it as how much money is spent when out for a good time4 ,smooth and glittering on the surface1 like its little polished dancing floor in the middle of the squares of tables downstairs1 the ,cabaret ,rouge1 one could see1 had treacherous undercurrents unsuspected until an insight such as we had just had revealed them4 ,the very atmosphere seemed vibrant with laughter and music4 ,a string band played sharp1 staccato1 highly accentuated music1 a band of negroes as in many of the showy and high-priced places where a keen sense of rhythm was wanted4 ,all around us women were smoking cigarettes4 ,everywhere they were sipping expensive drinks4 ,instinctively one felt the undertow in the very atmosphere4 ,i wondered who they were and where they all came from1 these expensively dressed1 apparently refined though perhaps only veneered girls1 whirling about with the pleasantest looking young men who expertly guided them through the mazes of the fox-trot and the canter waltz and a dozen other steps ,i knew not of4 ,this was one of ,new ,york's latest and most approved devices to beguile the languid afternoons of ladies of leisure4 ,there she is1 pointed out ,kennedy finally4 ,i recognize her from the pictures ,i've seen4 ,i followed the direction of his eyes4 ,the music had started and out on the floor twisting in and out among the crowded couples was one pair that seemed to attract more attention than the rest4 ,they had come from a gay party seated in a little leather cozy corner like several about the room1 evidently reserved for them1 for the cozy corners seemed to be much in demand4 ,gloria was well named4 ,she was a striking girl1 not much over nineteen surely1 tall1 lissome1 precisely the figure that the modern dances must have been especially designed to set off4 ,i watched her attentively4 ,in fact ,i could scarcely believe the impression ,i was gaining of her4 ,already one could actually see on her marks of dissipation4 ,one does not readily think of a girl as sowing her wild oats4 ,yet they often do4 ,this is one of the strange anomalies of the new freedom of woman4 ,a few years ago such a place would have been neither so decent nor attractive4 ,now it was superficially both4 ,to it went those who never would have dared overstep the strictly conventional in the evil days when the reformer was not abroad in the land4 ,i watched ,gloria narrowly4 ,clearly here was an example of a girl attracted by the glamor of the life and flattery of its satellites4 ,what the end of it all might be ,i preferred not to guess4 ,craig was looking about at the variegated crowd4 ,suddenly he jogged my elbow4 ,there1 just around the turn of the railing of the gallery1 sat a young man1 dark of hair and eyes1 of a rather distinguished foreign appearance1 his face set in a scowl as he looked down on the heads of the dancers4 ,one could have followed the tortuous course of ,gloria and her partner by his eyes1 which the man never took off her1 even following her back to the table in the corner when the encore of the dance was finished4 ,the young man's face at least was familiar to me1 though ,i had not met him4 ,it was ,signor ,franconi1 quietly watching ,gloria and her gay party4 ,after a few moments1 ,craig rose1 paid his check1 and moved over to the table where ,franconi was sitting alone4 ,he introduced himself and ,franconi1 with easy politeness1 invited us to join him4 ,i studied the man's face attentively4 ,signor ,franconi was still young1 in spite of the honors that had been showered on him for his many inventions4 ,i had wondered before why such a man would be interested in a girl of ,gloria's evident type4 ,but as ,i studied him ,i fancied ,i understood4 ,to his serious mind it was just the butterfly type that offered the greatest relief4 ,an intellectual woman would have been merely carrying into another sphere the problems with which he was more than capable of wrestling4 ,but there was no line of approval in his fine face of the butterfly and candle-singeing process that was going on here4 ,i must say ,i heartily liked him4 ,what are you working on now8 asked ,kennedy as a preliminary step to drawing him out against the time when we might become better acquainted and put the conversation on a firmer basis4 ,a system of wireless transmission of pictures1 he returned mechanically4 ,i think ,i have vastly improved the system of ,dr4 ,korn4 ,you are familiar with it1 ,i presume8 ,kennedy nodded4 ,i have seen it work1 he said simply4 ,that telephotograph apparatus1 ,i remembered1 depended on the ability of the element selenium to vary the strength of an electric current passing through it in proportion to the brightness with which the selenium is illuminated4 ,that system1 he resumed1 speaking as though his mind was not on the subject particularly just now1 produces positive pictures at one end of the apparatus by the successive transmission of many small parts separately4 ,i have harnessed the alternating current in a brand-new way1 ,i think4 ,instead of prolonging the operation1 ,i do it all at once1 projecting the image on a sheet of tiny selenium cells4 ,my work is done4 ,now the thing to do is to convince the world of that4 ,then you have the telephote in actual operation8 asked ,kennedy4 ,yes1 he replied4 ,i have a little station down on the shore of the south side of the island4 ,he handed us a card on which he wrote the address at ,south ,side ,beach4 ,that will admit you there at any time1 if ,i should not be about4 ,i am testing it out there--have several instruments on transatlantic liners4 ,we think it may be of use in war--sending plans1 photographs of spies--and such things4 ,he stopped suddenly4 ,the music had started again and ,gloria was again out on the dancing floor4 ,it was evident that at this very important time in his career ,franconi's mind was on other things4 ,everyone seems to become easily acquainted with everyone else here1 remarked ,craig1 bending over the rail4 ,i suppose one cannot dance without partners1 returned ,franconi absently4 ,we continued to watch the dancers4 ,i knew enough of these young fellows1 merely by their looks1 to see that most of them were essential replicas of one type4 ,certainly most of them could have qualified as social gangsters1 without scruples1 without visible means of support1 without character or credit1 but not without a certain vicious kind of ambition4 ,they seemed to have an unlimited capacity for dancing1 freak foods1 joy rides1 and clothes4 ,clothes were to them what a jimmy is to a burglar4 ,their ,english coats were so tight that one wondered how they bent and swayed without bursting4 ,smart clothes and smart manners such as they affected were very fascinating to some women4 ,who are they all1 do you suppose8 ,i queried4 ,all sorts and conditions1 returned ,kennedy4 ,wall ,street fellows whose pocketbooks have been thinned by dull times on the ,exchange2 actors out of engagements1 law clerks1 some of them even college students4 ,they seem to be a new class4 ,i don't think of any other way they could pick up a living more easily than by this polite parasitism4 ,none of them have any money4 ,they don't get anything from the owner of the cabaret1 of course1 except perhaps the right to sign checks for a limited amount in the hope that they may attract new business4 ,it's grafting1 pure and simple4 ,the women are their dupes2 they pay the bills--and even now and then something for 'private lessons' in dancing in a 'studio4' ,franconi was dividing his attention between what ,kennedy was saying and watching ,gloria and her partner1 who seemed to be a leader of the type ,i have just described1 tall and spare as must be the successful dancing men of today4 ,there's a fellow named ,du ,mond1 he put in4 ,who is he8 asked ,craig1 as though we had never heard of him4 ,to borrow one of your ,americanisms1 returned ,franconi1 ,i think he's the man who puts the 'tang' in tango4 ,from what ,i hear1 though1 ,i think he borrows the 'fox' from fox-trot and plucks the feathers from the 'lame duck4' ,kennedy smiled1 but immediately became interested in a tall blonde girl who had been talking to ,du ,mond just before the dancing began4 ,i noticed that she was not dancing1 but stood in the background most of the time giving a subtle look of appraisal to the men who sat at tables and the girls who also sat alone4 ,now and then she would move from one table to another with that easy1 graceful glide which showed she had been a dancer from girlhood4 ,always after such an excursion we saw other couples who had been watching in lonely wistfulness1 now made happy by a chance to join the throng4 ,who is that woman8 ,i asked4 ,i believe her name is ,bernice ,bentley1 replied ,franconi4 ,she's the--well1 they call her the official hostess--a sort of introducer4 ,that's the reason why1 as you observed1 there is no lack of friendliness and partners4 ,she just arranges introductions1 very tactfully1 of course1 for she's experienced4 ,i regarded her with astonishment4 ,i had never dreamed that such a thing was possible1 even in cosmopolitan ,new ,york4 ,what could these women be thinking of8 ,some of them looked more than capable of taking care of themselves1 but there must be many1 like ,gloria1 who were not4 ,what did they know of the men1 except their clothes and steps8 ,soft shoe workers1 tango touts1 muttered ,kennedy under his breath4 ,as we watched we saw a slender1 rather refined-looking girl come in and sit quietly at a table in the rear4 ,i wondered what the official introducer would do about her and waited4 ,sure enough1 it was not long before ,miss ,bentley appeared with one of the dancing men in tow4 ,to my surprise the hostess was coldly turned down4 ,what it was that happened ,i did not know1 but it was evident that a change had taken place4 ,unobtrusively ,bernice ,bentley seemed to catch the roving eye of ,du ,mond while he was dancing and direct it toward the little table4 ,i saw his face flush suddenly and a moment later he managed to work ,gloria about to the opposite side of the dancing floor and1 though the music had not stopped1 on some pretext or other to join the party in the corner again4 ,gloria did not want to stop dancing1 but it seemed as if ,du ,mond exercised some sort of influence over her1 for she did just as he wished4 ,was she really afraid of him8 ,who was the little woman who had been like a skeleton at a feast8 ,almost before we knew it1 it seemed that the little party had tired of the ,cabaret ,rouge4 ,of course we could hear nothing1 but it seemed as if ,du ,mond were proposing something and had carried his point4 ,at any rate the waiter was sent on a mysterious excursion and the party made as though they were preparing to leave4 ,little had been said by either ,franconi or ourselves1 but it was by a sort of instinct that we1 too1 paid our check and moved down to the coat room ahead of them4 ,in an angle we waited1 until ,gloria and her party appeared4 ,du ,mond was not with them4 ,we looked out of the door4 ,before the cabaret stood a smart hired limousine which was evidently ,gloria's4 ,she would not have dared use her own motor on such an excursion4 ,they drove off without seeing us and a moment later ,du ,mond and ,bernice ,bentley appeared4 ,thank you for the tip1 ,i heard him whisper4 ,i thought the best thing was to get them away without me4 ,i'll catch them in a taxi later4 ,you're off at seven8 ,ritter will call for you8 ,then we'll wait and all go out together4 ,it's safer out there4 ,just what it all meant ,i could not say1 but it interested me to know that young ,ritter ,smith and ,bernice ,bentley seemed on such good terms4 ,evidently the gay party were transferring the scene of their gayety to the country place of the ,cabaret ,rouge4 ,but why8 ,we parted at the door with ,franconi1 who repeated his invitation to visit his shop down at the beach4 ,i started to follow ,franconi out1 but ,kennedy drew me back4 ,why did you suppose ,i let them go8 he explained under his breath1 as we retreated to the angle again4 ,i wanted to watch that little woman who came in alone4 ,we had not long to wait4 ,scarcely had ,du ,mond disappeared when she came out and stood in the entrance while a boy summoned a taxicab for her4 ,kennedy improved the opportunity by calling another for us and by the time she was ready to drive off we were able to follow her4 ,she drove to the ,prince ,henry ,hotel1 where she dismissed the machine and entered4 ,we did the same4 ,by the way1 asked ,kennedy casually1 sauntering up to the desk after she had stopped to get her keys and a letter1 can you tell me who that woman was8 ,the clerk ran his finger down the names on the register4 ,at last he paused and turned the book around to us4 ,his finger indicated3 ,mrs4 ,katherine ,du ,mond1 ,chicago4 ,kennedy and ,i looked at each other in amazement4 ,du ,mond was married and his wife was in town4 ,she had not made a scene4 ,she had merely watched4 ,what could have been more evident than that she was seeking evidence and such evidence could only have been for a court of law in a divorce suit8 ,the possibilities which the situation opened up for ,gloria seemed frightful4 ,we left the hotel and ,kennedy hurried down ,broadway1 turning off at the office of a young detective1 ,chase1 whom he used often on matters of pure routine for which he had no time4 ,chase1 he instructed1 when we were seated in the office1 you recall that advertisement of the lost necklace in the ,star by ,la ,rue ,co48 ,the young man nodded4 ,everyone knew it4 ,well1 resumed ,kennedy1 ,i want you to search the pawnshops1 particularly those of the ,tenderloin1 for any trace you can find of it4 ,let me know1 if it is only a rumor4 ,there was nothing more that we could do that night1 though ,kennedy found out over the telephone1 by a ruse1 that1 as he suspected1 the country place of the ,cabaret ,rouge was the objective of the gay party which we had seen4 ,,chapter ,,iii ,,the ,,fox ,,hunt ,the next day was that of the hunt and we motored out to the ,north ,shore ,hunt ,club4 ,it was a splendid day and the ride was just enough to put an edge on the meet that was to follow4 ,we pulled up at last before the rambling colonial building which the ,hunt ,club boasted as its home4 ,mrs4 ,brackett was waiting for us already with horses from the ,brackett stables4 ,i'm so glad you came1 she greeted us aside4 ,gloria is here--under protest4 ,that young man over there1 talking to her1 is ,ritter ,smith4 ',rhine' ,brown1 as they call him1 was about a moment ago--oh1 yes1 there he is1 coming over on that chestnut mare to talk to them4 ,i wanted you to see them here4 ,after the hunt1 if you care to1 ,i think you might go over to the ,cabaret ,rouge out here4 ,you might find out something4 ,she was evidently quite proud of her handsome daughter and that anything should come up to smirch her name cut her deeply4 ,the ,hunt ,club was a swagger organization1 even in these degenerate days when farmers will not tolerate broken fences and trampled crops1 and when democratic ideas interfere sadly with the follies of the rich4 ,in a cap with a big peak1 a scarlet hunting coat and white breeches with top boots1 ,brackett himself made a striking figure of ,m4 ,f4 ,h4 ,there were thirty or forty in the field1 the men in silk hats4 ,for the most part one could not see that the men treated ,gloria much differently4 ,but it was evident that the women did4 ,in fact the coldness even extended to her mother1 who would literally have been frozen out if it had not been for her quasi-official position4 ,i could see now that it was also a fight for ,mrs4 ,brackett's social life4 ,as we watched ,gloria1 we could see that ,franconi was hovering around1 unsuccessfully trying to get an opportunity to say a word to her alone4 ,just before we were off a telegram came to her1 which she read and hastily stuffed into a pocket of her riding habit4 ,but that was all that happened and ,i fell to studying the various types of human nature1 from the beginner who rode very hard and very badly and made himself generally odious to the ,m4 ,f4 ,h41 to the old seasoned hunter who talked of the old days of real foxes and how he used to know all the short cuts to the coverts4 ,it was a keen1 crisp day4 ,already a man had been over the field pulling along the ground a little bag of aniseed1 and now the hunt was about to start4 ,noses down1 sterns feathering zigzag over the ground1 sniffing earth and leaves and grass1 the hounds were brought up4 ,one seemed to get a good whiff of the trail and lifted his head with a half yelp1 half whine1 high pitched1 frenzied1 never-to-be-forgotten4 ,others joined in the music4 ,gone away6 sounded a huntsman as if there were a real fox4 ,we were off after them4 ,drag hounds1 however1 for the most part run mute and very fast1 so that that picturesque feature was missing4 ,but the light soil and rail fences of ,long ,island were ideal for drag hunting4 ,nor was it so easy as it seemed to follow4 ,also there was the spice of danger1 risk to the hunters1 the horses and the dogs4 ,we went for four or five miles4 ,then there was a check for the stragglers to come up4 ,some had fresh mounts1 and all of us were glad of the breathing space while the ,m4 ,f4 ,h4 held the hounds4 ,while we waited we saw that ,mrs4 ,brackett was riding about quickly1 as if something were on her mind4 ,a moment she stopped to speak to her husband1 then galloped over to us4 ,her face was almost white4 ,gloria hasn't come up with the rest6 she exclaimed breathlessly4 ,already ,brackett had told those about him and all was confusion4 ,it was only a moment when the members of the hunt were scouring the country over which we had passed1 with something really definite to find4 ,kennedy did not pause4 ,come on1 ,walter1 he shouted1 striking out down the road1 with me hard after him4 ,we pulled up before a road-house of remarkable quaintness and luxury of appointment1 one of the hundreds about ,new ,york which the automobile has recreated4 ,before it swung the weathered sign3 ,cabaret ,rouge4 ,to our hurried inquiries the manager admitted that ,du ,mond had been there1 but alone1 and had left1 also alone4 ,gloria had not come there4 ,a moment later sounds of hoofs on the hard road interrupted us and ,ritter ,smith dashed up4 ,just overtook a farmer down the road1 he panted4 ,says he saw an automobile waiting at the stone bridge and later it passed him with a girl and a man in it4 ,he couldn't recognize them4 ,the top was up and they went so fast4 ,together we retraced the way to the stone bridge4 ,sure enough1 there on the side of the road were marks where a car had pulled up4 ,the grass about was trampled and as we searched ,kennedy reached down and picked up something white4 ,at least it had been white4 ,but now it was spotted with fresh blood1 as though someone had tried to stop a nose-bleed4 ,he looked at it more closely4 ,in the corner was embroidered a little ,g4 ,evidently there had been a struggle and a car had whizzed off4 ,gloria was gone4 ,but with whom8 ,had the message which we had seen her read at the start been from ,du ,mond8 ,was the plan to elope and so avoid his wife8 ,then why the struggle8 ,absolutely nothing more developed from the search4 ,an alarm was at once sent out and the police all over the country notified4 ,there was nothing to do now but wait4 ,mrs4 ,brackett was frantic4 ,but it was not now the scandal that worried her4 ,it was ,gloria's safety4 ,that night1 in the laboratory1 ,kennedy took the handkerchief and with the blood on it made a most peculiar test before a strange-looking little instrument4 ,it seemed to consist of a little cylinder of glass immersed in water kept at the temperature of the body4 ,between two minute wire pincers or serres1 in the cylinder1 was a very small piece of some tissue4 ,to the lower serre was attached a thread4 ,the upper one was attached to a sort of lever ending in a pen that moved over a ruled card4 ,every emotion1 remarked ,kennedy as he watched the movement of the pen in fine zigzag lines over the card1 produces its physiological effect4 ,fear1 rage1 pain1 hunger are primitive experiences1 the most powerful that determine the actions of man4 ,i suppose you have heard of the recent studies of ,dr4 ,walter ,cannon of ,harvard of the group of remarkable alterations in bodily economy under emotion8 ,i nodded and ,kennedy resumed4 ,on the surface one may see the effect of blood vessels contracting1 in pallor2 one may see cold sweat1 or the saliva stop when the tongue cleaves to the roof of the mouth1 or one may see the pupils dilate1 hairs raise1 respiration become quick1 or the beating of the heart1 or trembling of the muscles1 notably the lips4 ,but one cannot see such evidences of emotion if he is not present at the time4 ,how can we reconstruct them8 ,he paused a moment1 then resumed4 ,there are organs hidden deep in the body which do not reveal so easily the emotions4 ,but the effect often outlasts the actual emotion4 ,there are special methods by which one can study the feelings4 ,that is what ,i have been doing here4 ,but how can you8 ,i queried4 ,there is what is called the sympathetic nervous system1 he explained4 ,above the kidney there are also glands called the suprarenal which excrete a substance known as adrenin4 ,in extraordinarily small amounts adrenin affects this sympathetic system4 ,in emotions of various kinds a reflex action is sent to the suprarenal glands which causes a pouring into the blood of adrenin4 ,on the handkerchief of ,gloria ,brackett ,i obtained plenty of comparatively fresh blood4 ,here in this machine ,i have between these two pincers a minute segment of rabbit intestine4 ,he withdrew the solution from the cylinder with a pipette1 then introduced some more of the dissolved blood from the handkerchief4 ,the first effect was a strong contraction of the rabbit intestine1 then in a minute or so the contractions became fairly even with the base line on the card4 ,such tissue1 he remarked1 is noticeably affected by even one part in over a million of adrenin4 ,see4 ,here1 by the writing lever1 the rhythmical contractions are recorded4 ,such a strip of tissue will live for hours1 will contract and relax beautifully with a regular rhythm which1 as you see1 can be graphically recorded4 ,this is my adrenin test4 ,carefully he withdrew the ruled paper with its tracings4 ,it's a very simple test after all1 he said1 laying beside this tracing another which he had made previously4 ,there you see the difference between what ,i may call 'quiet blood' and 'excited blood4' ,i looked at the two sets of tracings4 ,though they were markedly different1 ,i did not1 of course1 understand what they meant4 ,what do they show to an expert8 ,i asked1 perplexed4 ,fear1 he answered laconically4 ,gloria ,brackett did not go voluntarily4 ,she did not elope4 ,she was forced to go6 ,attacked and carried off8 ,i queried4 ,i did not say that1 he replied4 ,perhaps our original theory that her nose was bleeding may be correct4 ,it might have started in the excitement1 the anger and fear at what happened1 whatever it was4 ,certainly the amount of adrenin in her blood shows that she was laboring under strong enough emotion4 ,our telephone rang insistently and ,kennedy answered it4 ,as he talked1 although ,i could hear only one side of the conversation1 ,i knew that the message was from ,chase and that he had found something important about the missing necklace4 ,what was it8 ,i asked eagerly as he hung up the receiver4 ,chase has traced the necklace1 he reported2 that is1 he has discovered the separate stones1 unset1 pawned in several shops4 ,the tickets were issued to a girl whose description exactly fits ,gloria ,brackett4 ,i could only stare at him4 ,what we had all feared had actually taken place4 ,gloria must have taken the necklace herself4 ,though we had feared it and tried to discount it1 nevertheless the certainty came as a shock4 ,why should she have taken it8 ,i considered4 ,for many possible reasons1 returned ,kennedy4 ,you saw the life she was leading4 ,her own income probably went to keeping those harpies going4 ,besides1 her mother had cut her allowance4 ,she may have needed money very badly4 ,perhaps they had run her into debt1 ,i agreed1 though the thought was disagreeable4 ,how about that other little woman we saw8 suggested ,kennedy4 ,you remember how ,gloria seemed to stand in fear of ,du ,mond8 ,who knows but that he made her get it to save her reputation8 ,a girl in ,gloria's position might do many foolish things4 ,but to be named as co-respondent1 that would be fatal4 ,there was not much comfort to be had by either alternative1 and we sat for a moment regarding each other in silence4 ,suddenly the door opened4 ,mrs4 ,brackett entered4 ,never have ,i seen a greater contrast in so short a time than that between the striking society matron who first called on us and the broken woman now before us4 ,she was a pathetic figure as ,kennedy placed an easy chair for her4 ,why1 what's the matter8 asked ,kennedy4 ,have you heard anything new8 ,she did not answer directly1 but silently handed him a yellow slip of paper4 ,on a telegraph blank were written simply the words1 ,don't try to follow me4 ,i've gone to be a war nurse4 ,when ,i make good ,i will let you know4 ,gloria4 ,we looked at each other in blank amazement4 ,that was hardly an easy way to trace her4 ,how could one ever find out now where she was1 in the present state of affairs abroad1 even supposing it were not a ruse to cover up something8 ,somehow ,i felt that the message did not tell the story4 ,where was ,du ,mond8 ,had he fled1 too1--perhaps forced her to go with him when ,mrs4 ,du ,mond appeared8 ,the message did not explain the struggle and the fear4 ,oh1 ,mr4 ,kennedy1 pleaded ,mrs4 ,brackett1 all thought of her former pride gone1 as she actually held out her hands imploringly and almost fell on her knees1 can't you find her--can't you do something8 ,have you a photograph of ,gloria8 he asked hurriedly4 ,yes1 she cried eagerly1 reaching into her mesh bag and drawing one out4 ,i carry it with me always4 ,why8 ,come1 exclaimed ,kennedy1 seizing it4 ,it occurs to me that it is now or never that this device of ,franconi's must prove that it is some good4 ,if she really went1 she wasted no time4 ,there's just a bare chance that the telephote has been placed on some of these vessels that are carrying munitions abroad4 ,franconi says that he has developed it for its war value4 ,as fast as ,mrs4 ,brackett's chauffeur could drive us1 we motored down to ,south ,side ,beach and sought out the little workshop directly on the ocean where ,franconi had told us that we should always be welcome4 ,he was not there1 but an assistant was4 ,kennedy showed him the card that ,franconi had given us4 ,show me how the machine works1 he asked1 while ,mrs4 ,brackett and ,i waited aside1 scarcely able to curb our impatience4 ,well1 began the assistant1 this is a screen of very minute and sensitive selenium cells4 ,i don't know how to describe the process better than to say that the tones of sound1 the human voice1 have hundreds of gradations which are transmitted1 as you know1 by wireless1 now4 ,gradations of light1 which are all that are necessary to produce the illusion of a picture1 are far simpler than those of sound4 ,here1 in this projector-- ,that is the transmitting part of the apparatus8 interrupted ,kennedy brusquely4 ,that holder8 ,yes4 ,you see there are hundreds of alternating conductors and insulators1 all synchronized with hundreds of similar receivers at the-- ,let me see you try this photograph1 interrupted ,kennedy again1 handing over the picture of ,gloria which ,mrs4 ,brackett had given him4 ,signor ,franconi told me he had the telephote on several outgoing liners4 ,let me see if you can transmit it4 ,is there any way of sending a wireless message from this place8 ,the assistant had shoved the photograph into the holder from which each section was projected on the selenium cell screen4 ,i have a fairly powerful plant here1 he replied4 ,quickly ,kennedy wrote out a message1 briefly describing the reason why the picture was transmitted and asking that any station on shipboard that received it would have a careful search made of the passengers for any young woman1 no matter what name was assumed1 who might resemble the photograph4 ,though nothing could be expected immediately at best1 it was at least some satisfaction to know that through the invisible air waves1 wirelessly1 the only means now of identifying ,gloria was being flashed far and wide to all the big ships within a day's distance or less on which ,franconi had established his system as a test4 ,the telephote had finished its work4 ,now there was nothing to do but wait4 ,it was a slender thread on which hung the hope of success4 ,while we waited1 ,mrs4 ,brackett was eating her heart out with anxiety4 ,kennedy took the occasion to call up the ,new ,york police on long distance4 ,they had no clew to ,gloria4 ,nor had they been able to find a trace of ,du ,mond4 ,mrs4 ,du ,mond also had disappeared4 ,at the ,cabaret ,rouge1 ,bernice ,bentley had been held and put through a third degree1 without disclosing a thing1 if indeed she knew anything4 ,i wondered whether1 at such a crisis1 ,du ,mond1 too1 might not have taken the opportunity to flee the country4 ,we had almost given up hope1 when suddenly a little buzzer on the telephote warned the operator that something was coming over it4 ,the ,monfalcone1 he remarked1 interpreting the source of the impulses4 ,we gathered breathlessly about the complicated instrument as1 on a receiving screen composed of innumerable pencils of light polarized and acting on a set of mirrors1 each corresponding to the cells of the selenium screen and tuned to them1 as it were1 a thin film or veil seemed gradually to clear up1 as the telephote slowly got itself into equilibrium at both ends of the air line4 ,gradually the face of a girl appeared4 ,gloria6 gasped ,mrs4 ,brackett in a tone that sounded as if ten years had been added to her life4 ,wait1 cautioned the operator4 ,there is a written message to follow4 ,on the same screen now came in letters that ,mrs4 ,brackett in her joy recognized the message3 ,i couldn't help it4 ,i was blackmailed into taking the necklace4 ,even at the hunt ,i received another demand4 ,i did not mean to go1 but ,i was carried off by force before ,i could pay the second demand4 ,now ,i'm glad of it4 ,forgive us4 ,gloria4 ,us8 repeated ,mrs4 ,brackett1 not comprehending4 ,look--another picture1 pointed ,kennedy4 ,we bent over as the face of a man seemed to dissolve more clearly in place of the writing4 ,thank ,god6 exclaimed ,mrs4 ,brackett fervently1 reading the face by a sort of intuition before it cleared enough for us to recognize4 ,he has saved her from herself6 ,it was ,franconi6 ,slowly it faded and in its place appeared another written message4 ,recalled to ,italy for war service4 ,i took her with me by force4 ,it was the only way4 ,civil ceremony in ,new ,york yesterday4 ,religious will follow at ,rome4 ,,chapter ,,iv ,,the ,,tango ,,thief ,my husband has such a jealous disposition4 ,he will never believe the truth--never6 ,agatha ,seabury moved nervously in the deep easy chair beside ,kennedy's desk1 leaning forward1 uncomfortably1 the tense lines marring the beauty of her fine features4 ,kennedy tilted his desk chair back in order to study her face4 ,you say you have never written a line to the fellow nor he to you8 he asked4 ,not a line1 not a scrap1--until ,i received that typewritten letter about which ,i just told you1 she repeated vehemently1 meeting his penetrating gaze without flinching4 ,why1 ,professor ,kennedy1 as heaven is my witness1 ,i have never done a wrong thing--except to meet him now and then at afternoon dances4 ,i felt that the nerve-racked society woman before us must be either telling the truth or else that she was one of the cleverest actresses ,i had ever seen4 ,have you the letter here8 asked ,craig quickly4 ,mrs4 ,seabury reached into her neat leather party case and pulled out a carefully folded sheet of note paper4 ,it was all typewritten1 down to the very signature itself4 ,evidently the blackmailer had taken every precaution to protect himself1 for even if the typewriting could be studied and identified1 it would be next to impossible to get at the writer through it and locate the machine on which it was written among the thousands in the city4 ,kennedy studied the letter carefully1 then1 with a low exclamation1 handed it over to me1 nodding to ,mrs4 ,seabury that it was all right for me to see it4 ,no ordinary fellow1 ,i'm afraid1 he commented musingly1 adding1 this thief of reputations4 ,i read1 beginning with the insolent familiarity of ,dear ,agatha4 ,i hope you will pardon me for writing to you1 the letter continued1 but ,i find that ,i am in a rather difficult position financially4 ,as you know1 in the present disorganized state of the stock market1 investments which in normal times are good are now almost valueless4 ,still1 ,i must protect those ,i already have without sacrificing them4 ,it is therefore necessary that ,i raise fifty thousand dollars before the end of the week1 and ,i know of no one to appeal to but you--who have shared so many pleasant stolen hours with me4 ,of course1 ,i understand all that you have told me about ,mr4 ,seabury and his violent nature4 ,still1 ,i feel sure that one of your wealth and standing in the community can find a way to avoid all trouble from that quarter4 ,naturally1 ,i should prefer to take every precaution to prevent the fact of our intimacy from coming to ,mr4 ,seabury's knowledge4 ,but ,i am really desperate and feel that you alone can help me4 ,hoping to hear from you soon1 ,i am1 ,your old tango friend1 ,h4 ,,morgan ,,sherburne4 ,i fairly gasped at the thinly veiled threat of exposure at the end of the note from this artistic blackmailer4 ,she was watching our faces anxiously as we read4 ,oh1 she cried wildly1 glancing from one to the other of us1 strangers to whom in her despair she had been forced to bare the secrets of her proud heart1 he's so clever about it1 too4 ,i--,i didn't know what to do4 ,i had only my jewels4 ,i thought of all the schemes ,i had ever read1 of pawning them1 of having paste replicas made1 of trying to collect the burglary insurance1 of-- ,but you didn't do anything like that1 did you8 interrupted ,craig hastily4 ,no1 no1 she cried4 ,i thought if ,i did1 then it wouldn't be long before this ,sherburne would be back again for more4 ,oh1 she almost wailed1 dabbing at the genuine tears with her dainty lace handkerchief while her shoulders trembled with a repressed convulsive sob1 ,i--,i am utterly wretched--crushed4 ,the scoundrel6 ,i muttered4 ,kennedy shook his head at me slowly4 ,calling names won't help matters now1 he remarked tersely4 ,then in an encouraging tone he added1 ,you have done just the right thing1 ,mrs4 ,seabury1 in not starting to pay the blackmail4 ,the secret of the success of these fellows is that their victims prefer losing jewelry and money to going to the police and having a lot of unpleasant notoriety4 ,yes1 ,i know that1 she agreed hastily1 but--my husband6 ,if he hears1 he will believe the worst1 and--,i--,i really love and respect ,judson--though1 she added1 he might have seen that ,i liked dancing and--innocent amusements of the sort still4 ,i am not an old woman4 ,i could not help wondering if the whole truth were told in her rather plaintive remark1 or whether she was overplaying what was really a minor complaint4 ,judson ,seabury1 ,i knew from hearsay1 was a man of middle age to whom1 as to so many1 business and the making of money had loomed as large as life itself4 ,competitors had even accused him of being ruthless when he was convinced that he was right1 and ,i could well imagine that ,mrs4 ,seabury was right in her judgment of the nature of the man if he became convinced for any reason that someone had crossed his path in his relations with his wife4 ,where did you usually--er--meet ,sherburne8 asked ,craig1 casually guiding the conversation4 ,why--at the ,vanderveer--always1 she replied4 ,would you mind meeting him there again this afternoon so that ,i could see him8 asked ,kennedy4 ,perhaps it would be best1 anyhow1 to let him think that you are going to do as he demands1 so that we can gain a little time4 ,she looked up1 startled4 ,yes--,i can do that--but don't you think it is risky8 ,do you think there is any way ,i can get free from him8 ,suppose he makes a new demand4 ,what shall ,i do8 ,oh1 ,professor ,kennedy1 you do not1 you cannot know what ,i am going through--how ,i hate and fear him4 ,mrs4 ,seabury1 reassured ,craig earnestly1 ,i'll take up your case4 ,clever as the man is1 there must be some way to get at him4 ,sherburne must have exercised a sort of fascination over her1 for the look of relief that crossed her face as ,kennedy promised to aid her was almost painful4 ,as often before1 ,i could scarcely envy ,kennedy in his ready assumption of another's problems that seemed so baffling4 ,it meant little1 perhaps1 to us whether we succeeded4 ,but to her it meant happiness1 perhaps honor itself4 ,it was as though she were catching at a life line in the swirling current of events that had engulfed her4 ,she hesitated no longer4 ,i'll be there--,i'll meet him--at four1 she murmured1 as she rose and made a hurried departure4 ,for some time after she had gone1 ,kennedy sat considering what she had told us4 ,as for myself1 ,i cannot say that ,i was thoroughly satisfied that she had told all4 ,it was not to be expected4 ,how do you figure that woman out8 ,i queried at length4 ,kennedy looked at me keenly from under knitted brows4 ,you mean1 do ,i believe her story--of her relations with this fellow1 ,sherbourne8 he returned1 thoughtfully4 ,exactly1 ,i assented1 and what she said about her regard for her husband1 too4 ,kennedy did not reply for a few minutes4 ,evidently the same question had been in his own mind and he had not reasoned out the answer4 ,before he could reply the door buzzer sounded and the colored boy from the lower hall handed a card to ,craig1 with an apology about the house telephone switchboard being out of order4 ,as ,kennedy laid the card on the table before us1 with a curt ,show the gentleman in1 to the boy1 ,i looked at it in blank amazement4 ,it read1 ,judson ,seabury4 ,before ,i could utter a word of comment on the strange coincidence1 the husband was sitting in the same chair in which his wife had sat less than half an hour before4 ,judson ,seabury was a rather distinguished looking man of the solid1 business type4 ,merely to meet his steel gray eye was enough to tell one that this man would brook no rivalry in anything he undertook4 ,i foresaw trouble1 even though ,i could not define its nature4 ,craig twirled the card in his fingers1 as if to refresh his mind on a name otherwise unfamiliar4 ,i was wondering whether ,seabury might not have trailed his wife to our office and have come to demand an explanation4 ,it was with some relief that ,i found he had not4 ,professor ,kennedy1 he began nervously1 hitching his chair closer1 without further introduction1 in the manner of a man who was accustomed to having his own way in any matter he undertook1 ,i am in a most peculiar situation4 ,seabury paused a moment1 ,kennedy nodded acquiescence1 and the man suddenly blurted out1 ,i--,i don't know whether ,i'm being slowly poisoned or not6 ,the revelation was startling enough in itself1 but doubly so after the interview that had just preceded4 ,i covered my own surprise by a quick glance at ,craig4 ,his face was impassive as he narrowly searched ,seabury's4 ,i knew1 though1 that back of his assumed calm1 ,craig was doing some rapid thinking about the ethics of listening to both parties in the case4 ,however1 he said nothing4 ,indeed1 ,seabury1 once started1 hurried on1 scarcely giving him a chance to interrupt4 ,i may as well tell you1 he proceeded1 with the air of a man who for the first time is relieving his mind of something that has been weighing heavily on him1 that for some time ,i have not been exactly--er--easy in my mind about the actions of my wife4 ,evidently he had arrived at the conclusion to tell what worried him1 and must say it1 for he continued immediately3 ,it's not that ,i actually know anything about any indiscretions on ,agatha's part1 but1--well1 there have been little things--hints that she was going frequently to thes dansants1 and that sort of thing1 you know4 ,lately1 too1 ,i have seen a change in her manner toward me1 ,i fancy4 ,sometimes ,i think she seems to avoid me1 especially during the last few days4 ,then again1 as this morning1 she seems to be--er--too solicitous4 ,he passed his hand over his forehead1 as if to clear it4 ,for once he did not seem to be the self-confident man who had at first entered our apartment4 ,i noticed that he had a peculiar look1 a feeble state of the body which he was at times at pains to conceal1 a look which the doctors call1 ,i believe1 cachectic4 ,i mean1 he added hastily1 as if it might as well be said first as last1 that she seems to be much concerned about my health1 my food-- ,just what is it that you actually know1 not what you fear8 interrupted ,kennedy1 perhaps a little brusquely1 at last having seen a chance to insert a word edgewise into the flow of ,seabury's troubles1 real or imaginary4 ,seabury paused a moment1 then resumed with a description of his health1 which1 to tell the truth1 was by no means reassuring4 ,well1 he answered slowly1 ,i suffer a good deal from such terrible dyspepsia1 ,professor ,kennedy4 ,my stomach and digestion are all upset--bad health and growing weakness--pain1 discomfort--vomiting after meals1 even bleeding4 ,i've tried all sorts of cures1 but still ,i can feel that ,i am still losing health and strength1 and1 so far1 at least1 the doctors don't seem to be doing me much good4 ,i have begun to wonder whether it is a case for the doctors1 after all4 ,why1 the whole thing is getting on my nerves so that ,i'm almost afraid to eat1 he concluded4 ,you have eaten nothing today1 then1 ,i am to understand8 asked ,craig when ,seabury had finished with his minute and puzzling account of his troubles4 ,not even breakfast this morning1 he replied4 ,mrs4 ,seabury urged me to eat1 but--,i--,i couldn't4 ,good6 exclaimed ,kennedy1 much to our surprise4 ,that will make it just so much easier to use a test ,i have in mind to determine whether there is anything in your suspicions4 ,he had risen and gone over to a cabinet4 ,would you mind baring your arm a moment8 he asked ,seabury4 ,with a sharp little instrument1 carefully sterilized1 ,craig pricked a vein in the man's arm4 ,slowly a few drops of darkened venous blood welled out4 ,a moment later ,kennedy caught them in a sterile test tube and sealed the tube4 ,before our second visitor could start again in retailing his suspicions which now seemed definitely1 in his own mind at least1 directed in some way against ,mrs4 ,seabury1 ,kennedy skillfully closed the interview4 ,i feel sure that the test ,i shall make will tell me positively1 soon1 whether your fears are well grounded or not1 ,mr4 ,seabury1 he concluded briefly1 as he accompanied the man out into the hall to shake hands farewell with him at the elevator door4 ,i'll let you know as soon as anything develops1 but until we have something tangible there is no use wasting our energies4 ,,chapter ,v ,,the ,,the ,,dansant ,i felt1 however1 that ,seabury accepted this conclusion reluctantly1 in fact with a sort of mental reservation not to cease activity himself4 ,the remainder of the forenoon1 and for some time during the early afternoon1 ,craig plunged into one of his periods of intense work and abstraction at the laboratory4 ,it was1 indeed1 a most unusual and delicate test which he was making4 ,for one thing1 ,i noticed that he had1 in a sterilizer1 some peculiar granular tissue that had been sent to him from a hospital4 ,this tissue he was very careful to cleanse of blood and then by repeated boilings prepare for whatever use he had in mind4 ,as for myself1 ,i could only stand aside and watch his preparations in silence4 ,among the many peculiar pieces of apparatus which he had1 ,i recall one that consisted of a glass cylinder with a siphon tube running into it halfway up the outside4 ,inside was another1 smaller cylinder4 ,all about him as he proceeded were glass containers1 capillary pipettes1 test tubes1 ,bunsen burners1 and dialyzers of porous parchment paper whose wrappers described them as permeable for peptones1 but not for albumins4 ,carefully set aside was the blood which he had drawn from ,seabury's veins1 allowed to stand till the serum separated out from the clot4 ,next he pipetted it into a centrifuge tube and centrifuged it at high speed1 some sixteen thousand revolutions1 until the serum was perfectly clear1 with no trace of a reddish tint1 nor even cloudy4 ,after that he drew off the serum into a little tube1 covered it with a layer of a substance called toluol from another sterile pipette1 and finally placed it in an incubator at a temperature of about ninety-eight4 ,it was well along toward four o'clock when he paused as if some mental alarm clock had awakened him to another part of the plan of action he had laid out4 ,walter1 he remarked1 hastily doffing his stained old laboratory coat1 ,i think we'd better drop around to the ,vanderveer4 ,curious as ,i had been at the preparations he was making in the laboratory1 ,i was still glad at even the suggestion of something that my less learned mind could understand and it was not many seconds before we were on our way4 ,through the lobby of the famous new hostelry we slowly lounged along1 then down a passage into the tea room1 where1 in the center of a circle of quaint little wicker chairs and tables1 was a glossy dancing floor4 ,kennedy selected a table not in the circle1 but around an ,l1 inconspicuously located so that we could watch the dancing without ourselves being watched4 ,at one end of the room an excellent orchestra was playing4 ,i gazed about1 fascinated4 ,at the dancing tea was represented1 apparently1 much wealth--women whose throats and fingers glittered with gold and gems1 men whose very air exuded prosperity--or at least its veneer4 ,about it all was the glamor of the risque4 ,one felt a sort of compromising familiarity in this breaking down of old social restraints through the insidious influence of the tea room1 with its accompaniments of music and dancing4 ,i suppose1 remarked ,craig after we had for some time settled ourselves and watched the brilliant scene1 that1 like many others1 ,walter1 you have often wondered whether these modern dances are actually as stimulating as they seem4 ,i shrugged my shoulders non-committally4 ,well1 there is what psychologists might call a real dance neurosis1 he went on1 contemplatively1 toying with a glass4 ,in fact few persons can withstand the physical effect of the peculiar rhythm1 the close contact1 and the sinuous movements--at least where1 so to speak1 the surroundings are suggestive and the dance becomes less restrained and more sensuous1 as it does often in circumstances like these1 often among strangers4 ,the music had started again and one after another couples seemed to float past in unhesitating hesitation--dowager and debutante1 dandy and doddering octogenarian4 ,why1 he exclaimed1 looking out at the whirling kaleidoscope1 here in the most advanced epoch1 people of culture and intelligence frankly say they are 'wild' for something primitive4 ,still1 ,i objected1 dancing even in the wild1 stimulating emotional manner you see here need not be merely an incitement to love1 need it8 ,may it not be a normal gratification of the love instinct--eroticism translated into rhythm8 ,perhaps it may represent sex1 but not necessarily badly4 ,kennedy nodded4 ,undoubtedly the effect of the dances is in direct ratio to the sexual temperament of the dancer1 he admitted4 ,he paused and again watched the whirl4 ,does ,mrs4 ,seabury herself understand it8 he mused1 only half speaking to me4 ,i'm sure that this ,sherburne is clever enough to do so1 at any rate4 ,a hearty round of applause came from the dancers as the music ceased4 ,none left the floor1 however1 but remained waiting for the encore eagerly1 scarcely changing the positions in which they had stopped4 ,to my mind1 ,kennedy resumed1 with the music1 several things seem significant4 ,many people have noticed that after marriage women generally lose much of their ardor for dancing4 ,i feel that it is an unsafe matter on which to generalize1 but--well--,mrs4 ,seabury seems not to have lost it4 ,then1 ,i inquired quickly1 you imply that--she is not really as much in love with her husband as she would have us think--or1 perhaps1 herself believes8 ,not quite that1 he replied doubtfully4 ,but ,i am wondering whether there is such a factor that must be considered4 ,before ,i could answer ,kennedy touched my arm4 ,instinctively ,i followed the direction of his eye and saw ,mrs4 ,seabury step out on the floor across from us4 ,without a word from ,craig1 ,i realized that the man with her must be ,sherburne1 our tango thief4 ,fashionably dressed1 affable1 seemingly superficially1 at least1 well educated1 tall1 graceful1 with easy manners1 ,i could not help seeing at a glance that he was one of the most erotic dancers on the little floor4 ,as they passed near us1 ,mrs4 ,seabury caught ,kennedy's eye in momentary recognition4 ,her face1 flushed with the dance1 colored perhaps a shade deeper1 but not noticeably to her partner1 who was devoting himself wholly and skillfully to leading her in a manner that one could see called forth frequent comment from others1 less favored4 ,as they sat down after this dance and the encore1 ,craig motioned to the waiter at our table and whispered to him4 ,a few moments later1 a man whom ,i had seen around the hotel on my infrequent visits1 but did not know1 slipped quietly into a seat beside ,kennedy1 even deeper in the shadow of the recess in which we were sitting4 ,walter1 ,i'd like to have you meet ,mr4 ,dunn1 the house detective1 whispered ,kennedy under his breath4 ,the usual interchange of remarks followed1 during which ,dunn was evidently waiting for ,kennedy to reveal the real purpose of our visit4 ,by the way1 ,dunn1 remarked ,craig at length1 who is that fellow--over there with the woman in blue--the fellow with the heavy braided coat8 ,dunn craned his neck cautiously1 then shrugged his shoulders4 ,i've seen him here with her before1 he remarked4 ,i don't know him1 though4 ,why8 ,briefly ,kennedy sketched such facts of a supposedly hypothetical case as would be likely to secure an opinion from the house man4 ,dunn narrowed his eyes thoughtfully4 ,that's rather a ticklish situation1 ,kennedy1 ,dunn remarked when ,craig had stated the case1 omitting all reference to ,seabury's name as well as his suspicions4 ,of course1 he went on1 ,i know we've got to protect the name of the hotel4 ,and ,i know we can't have men meeting our women patrons1 doing a gavotte or two--and then fox-trotting them into blackmail4 ,dunn stroked his chin thoughtfully4 ,you see1 we can do a great deal to suppress card sharps1 agents for fake mining stocks1 passers of worthless checks1 and confidence men of that sort4 ,but it is not so simple to thwart the vultures who prey on the gullibility and passions of the so-called idle rich4 ,there must be something you can do to get it on this fellow1 though1 persisted ,craig4 ,well1 considered the house man1 we have what might be called our hotel secret service--several men and women operating entirely apart from the hotel force of detectives who1 like myself1 are too well known to clever crooks4 ,nobody knows them1 except myself4 ,there's one--that girl over there dancing with that middle-aged man who has mail sent here but doesn't live here4 ,could they be of use8 ,just the thing1 exclaimed ,craig enthusiastically4 ,can't you have her get acquainted--just as a precaution--with that man8 ,his name1 by the way1 ,i understand is ,sherburne4 ,i'll do it1 agreed ,dunn1 rising unostentatiously4 ,just then ,i happened to glance across the floor and over the heads of those seated at the tables at a door opposite us4 ,it was my turn hastily to seize ,kennedy's elbow4 ,good ,god6 ,i exclaimed involuntarily4 ,there1 in the further doorway of the tea room1 stood ,judson ,seabury himself6 ,without a word1 ,craig rose and quickly crossed the dancing floor1 stopping before ,mrs4 ,seabury's table4 ,instead of waiting to be introduced1 he sat down deliberately1 as though he had been there all the time and had just gone out of the room and come back4 ,he did it all so quickly that he was able in a perfectly natural way to turn and see that ,seabury himself had been watching and now was advancing slowly1 picking his way among the crowded tables4 ,from around my corner ,i saw ,craig whisper a word or two to ,mrs4 ,seabury1 then rise and meet ,seabury less than halfway from the door by which he had been standing4 ,the tension of the situation was too much for ,mrs4 ,seabury4 ,confounded and bewildered1 she fled precipitately1 passing within a few feet of my table4 ,her face was positively ghastly4 ,as for ,sherburne1 he merely sat a moment and surveyed the irate husband with calm and studied insolence at a safe distance4 ,then he1 too1 rose and turned deliberately on his heel4 ,curious to know how ,craig would meet the dilemma1 ,i watched eagerly and was surprised to see ,seabury1 after a moment's whispered talk1 turn and leave the tea room by the same door through which he had entered4 ,what did you do8 ,i asked1 as ,craig rejoined me a few moments later4 ,what did you say8 ,my hat's off to you1 ,i added in admiration4 ,told him ,i had trailed her here with one of my operatives1 but was convinced there was nothing wrong1 after all1 he returned4 ,you mean1 ,i asked as the result of ,craig's quick thinking dawned on me1 that you told him ,sherburne was your operative8 ,kennedy nodded4 ,i want to see him1 now1 if ,i can1 he said simply4 ,,chapter ,,vi ,,the ,,serum ,,diagnosis ,we paid our check and ,kennedy and ,i sauntered in the direction ,sherburne had taken1 finding him ultimately in the cafe1 alone4 ,without further introduction ,kennedy approached him4 ,so--you are a detective8 sneered ,sherburne superciliously1 elevating his eyebrows just the fraction of an inch4 ,not exactly1 parried ,kennedy1 seating himself beside ,sherburne4 ,then in a tone as if he were willing to get down1 without further preliminary1 to business1 seemingly negotiating1 he asked3 ,mr4 ,sherburne1 may ,i ask just what it is on which you base your claim on ,mrs4 ,seabury8 ,is it merely meeting her here8 ,if that is so you must know that it amounts to nothing--now4 ,the two men faced each other1 each taking the other's measure4 ,nothing8 coolly retorted ,sherburne4 ,perhaps not--in itself4 ,but--suppose--,i--had-- ,he said the words slowly1 as he fumbled in his fob pocket1 then cut them short as he found what he was looking for4 ,safely1 in the palm of his hand1 he displayed a latch-key1 momentarily1 then with a taunting smile dropped it back again into the fob pocket4 ,perhaps she gave it to me--perhaps ,i was a welcome visitor in her apartment1 he insinuated4 ,how would she relish having that told to ,mr4 ,seabury--backed up by the possession of the key8 ,i could not help feeling that for the moment ,kennedy was checkmated4 ,sherburne was playing a desperate game and apparently held the key1 however he got it1 as a trump card4 ,thank you1 was all that ,kennedy said1 as he rose4 ,i wanted to know how far you could go4 ,perhaps we can meet you halfway4 ,sherburne smiled cynically4 ,all the way1 he said quietly1 as we left the cafe4 ,in silence ,kennedy left the hotel and jumped into a cab1 directing the driver to the laboratory1 where he had asked ,mrs4 ,seabury to wait for him4 ,we found her there1 still much agitated4 ,hastily ,craig explained to her how he had saved the situation1 but her mind was too occupied over something else to pay much attention4 ,i--,i can't blame you1 ,professor ,kennedy1 she cried1 choking down a sob in her voice1 but ,i have just discovered--he has told me that it is even worse than ,i had anticipated4 ,we were both following her closely1 the incident of the latch-key still fresh in mind4 ,some time ago1 she hurried on1 ,i missed my latch-key4 ,i thought nothing of it at the time--thought perhaps ,i had mislaid it4 ,but today he told me--just after the dance1 even while ,i was making him think ,i would pay him the money1 because--because ,i liked him--he told me he had it4 ,the brute6 ,he must have picked my handbag6 ,her eyes were blazing now with indignation4 ,yet as she looked at us both1 evidently the recollection of what had just happened came flooding over her mind1 and she dropped her head in her hands in helpless dismay at the new development4 ,craig pulled out his watch hastily4 ,it is about six1 ,mrs4 ,seabury1 he reassured4 ,can you be here at1 say1 eight8 ,i will be here1 she murmured pliantly1 realizing her own helplessness4 ,she had scarcely closed the door when ,craig seized the telephone1 and hurriedly tried to locate ,seabury himself4 ,apparently no trace of him yet1 he fumed1 as he hung up the receiver4 ,the first problem is how to get that key4 ,instantly ,i thought of ,dunn's secret service girl4 ,kennedy shook his head doubtfully4 ,i'm afraid there is no time for that1 he answered4 ,but will you attend to that end of the affair for me1 ,walter8 ,i have just a little more work here at the laboratory before ,i am ready4 ,i don't care how you do it1 but ,i want you to convey to ,sherburne the welcome news that ,mrs4 ,seabury is prepared to give in1 in any way he may see fit1 if he will call her up here at eight o'clock4 ,kennedy had already plunged back among his beakers and test tubes1 and with these slender instructions ,i sallied forth in my quest of ,sherburne4 ,i had little difficulty in locating him and delivering my message1 which he received with a satisfaction that invited assault and battery and mayhem4 ,however1 ,i managed to restrain myself and rejoin ,craig in the laboratory1 shortly after seven o'clock4 ,i had scarcely had time to assure ,kennedy of the success of my mission1 when we were surprised to see the door open and ,seabury himself appear4 ,his face was actually haggard4 ,whether or not he had believed the hastily concocted story of ,kennedy at the ,vanderveer1 his mind had not ceased to work on the other fears that had prompted his coming to us in the first place4 ,i've been trying to locate you all over1 greeted ,craig4 ,seabury heaved a sigh and passed his hand1 with its familiar motion1 over his forehead4 ,i thought perhaps you might be able to find out something from this stuff1 he answered1 unwrapping a package which he was carrying4 ,some samples of the food ,i've been getting4 ,if you don't find anything in this1 ,i've others ,i want tested4 ,as ,i looked at the man's drawn face1 ,i wondered whether in fact there might be something in his fears4 ,on the surface1 the thing did indeed seem to place ,agatha ,seabury in a bad light4 ,at the sight of the key in ,sherburne's possession ,i had grasped at the straw that he might have conceived some diabolical plan to get rid of ,seabury for purposes of his own4 ,but then1 ,i reasoned1 would he have been so free in showing the key if he had realized that it might cast suspicion on himself8 ,i was forced to ask myself again whether she might1 in her hysterical fear of exposure by the adroit blackmailer1 have really attempted to poison her husband4 ,it was a desperate situation4 ,but ,kennedy was apparently ready to meet it1 though he seemed to take no great interest in the food samples ,seabury had just brought4 ,instead he seemed to rely wholly on the tests he had already begun with the peculiar tissue ,i had seen him boiling and the blood serum derived from ,seabury himself4 ,without a word he took three tubes from the incubator1 in which ,i had seen him place them some time before1 and1 as they stood in a rack1 indicated them lightly with his finger4 ,i think ,i can clear part of this mystery up immediately1 he began1 speaking more to himself than to ,seabury and myself4 ,here ,i have a tested dialyzer in which has been placed a half cubic centimeter of pure clear serum4 ,here is another dialyzer with the same amount of serum1 but no tissue1 such as ,mr4 ,jameson has seen me place in this first one4 ,here is still another with the tissue in distilled water1 but no blood serum4 ,i have placed all the dialyzers in tubes of distilled water and all are covered with a substance known as toluol and corked to keep them from contamination4 ,kennedy held up before us the three tubes and ,seabury gazed on them with a sort of fascination1 scarcely believing that in them in some way might be contained the verdict on the momentous problem that troubled his mind and might perhaps mean life or death to him4 ,carefully ,kennedy took from each tube a few cubic centimeters of the dialyzate and into each he poured a little liquid from a tiny vial which ,i noticed was labelled ,ninhydrin4 ,this1 he explained as he set down the vial1 is a substance which gives a colorless solution with water1 but when mixed with albumins1 peptones1 or amino-acids becomes violet on boiling4 ,tube number three must remain colorless4 ,number two may be violet4 ,number one may approximate number two or be more deeply colored4 ,if one and two are about the same ,i call my test negative4 ,but if one is more deeply colored than two1 then it is positive4 ,the other tube is the control4 ,impatiently we waited as the three tubes simmered over the heat4 ,what would they show8 ,seabury's eyes were glued on them1 his hand trembling in the presence of some unknown danger4 ,slowly the liquid in the second tube turned to violet4 ,but more rapidly and more deeply appeared the violet in number one4 ,the test was positive4 ,what is it8 gasped ,seabury hoarsely1 leaning over close4 ,this1 exclaimed ,kennedy1 is the famous ,abderhalden test--serum-diagnosis--discovered by ,professor ,emile ,abderhalden of ,halle4 ,it rests on the fact that when a foreign substance comes into the blood1 the blood reacts1 with the formation of a protective ferment produced as a result of physiologic and pathologic conditions4 ,for instance1 he went on1 a certain albumin always produces a certain ferment4 ,presence in the blood stream of blood-foreign substances calls forth a ferment that will digest them and split them into molecules4 ,the forces of nature form and mobilize directly in the blood serum4 ,let me get this clearly4 ,albumin cannot pass through the pores of an animal membrane1 since the individual molecules are too large4 ,if1 however1 the albumin is broken up by a ferment-action1 then the molecules become small enough to pass through4 ,seabury was listening like a man on whom a stunning blow was about to descend4 ,thus we can tell1 proceeded ,kennedy1 whether there is such a ferment in blood serum as would be produced by a certain condition1 for when the ferment is there blood from the individual possessing it will digest a similar proteid in a dialyzing thimble kept at body temperature4 ,why1 cried ,kennedy1 swept along by the wonder of the thing1 this test opens up a vista of alluring and extensive possibilities4 ,the human organism actually diagnoses its own illnesses automatically4 ,it is infinitely more exact1 more rapid1 and more certain than all that human art can attain4 ,each organ contains special ferments in its cells in the most subtle way attuned to the molecular condition of the particular cell substance and with complete indifference to other cells4 ,don't you see8 ,it diagnoses at the very first stage4 ,you take a small quantity of blood1 derive the serum1 then introduce a piece of tissue such as you wish to find out whether it is diseased or not4 ,the thing is of overwhelming importance4 ,one can discover a condition even before the organ itself shows it outwardly4 ,it means a new epoch in medicine4 ,as for me1 ,i call it the new 'police service' of the organism--working with perfect1 scientific accuracy4 ,wh-what do you find8 reiterated ,seabury4 ,i have made tests for about everything ,i can suspect1 returned ,kennedy1 taking the tubes and pouring the liquid from number two into number one until they were equalized in color1 thus testing them1 while we watched every action closely4 ,you see1 he digressed1 to get the two the same shade ,i have to dilute the first by the second4 ,now1 the dialyzers are not permeable to albumin4 ,therefore the violet color indicates that the blood serum in this case contains ferments which the body is making to split up some foreign substance in the blood1 such as ,i suspected and obtained from the hospital4 ,the test is positive4 ,mr4 ,seabury1 how long have you felt as you say that you do8 ,several weeks1 the man returned weakly4 ,that is fortunate1 cried ,kennedy1 fortunate that it has not been several months4 ,he paused1 then added the startling statement1 ,mr4 ,seabury1 ,i can find no evidence here of poison4 ,as a matter of fact1 the wonderful ,abderhalden test shows me that you have one of the most common forms of internal disease that occur for the most part in persons at or after middle life1 about the age of fifty1 more common in men than in women--a disease which taken in time1 as it has been revealed by this wonderful test1 may be cured and you may be saved--an incipient cancer of the stomach4 ,kennedy paused a moment and listened4 ,i fancied ,i heard someone in the hall4 ,but he went on1 ,the person whom you suspect of poisoning you-- ,there came a suppressed scream from the door1 as it was flung open and ,agatha ,seabury stood there1 staring with fixed1 set eyes at ,kennedy1 then at her husband4 ,mechanically ,i looked at my watch4 ,it was precisely eight4 ,kennedy had evidently prolonged the test for a purpose4 ,the person whom you suspected1 he repeated firmly1 is innocent6 ,a moment ,agatha stood there1 then as the thing dawned on her1 she uttered one cry1 ,judson6 ,she reeled as ,kennedy with a quick step or two caught her4 ,seabury himself seemed dazed4 ,and ,i have-- he ejaculated1 then stopped4 ,kennedy raised his hand4 ,just a moment1 please1 he interrupted1 as he placed ,mrs4 ,seabury in a chair1 then glanced hastily at his watch4 ,she saw the motion and seemed suddenly to realize that it was nearing the time for ,sherburne to call up4 ,with a mighty effort she seemed to grip herself4 ,she had just been shocked to know that she was charged unjustly4 ,but had she been cleared from one peril only to fall a victim to another--the one she already feared8 ,was ,sherburne to escape1 after all1 and ruin her8 ,the telephone tinkled insistently4 ,kennedy seized the receiver4 ,who is it8 we heard him ask4 ,mr4 ,sherburne--oh yes4 ,mrs4 ,seabury paled at the name4 ,i saw her shoot a covert glance at her husband1 and was relieved to see that his face betrayed as yet no recognition of the name4 ,she turned and listened to ,kennedy1 straining her ears to catch every syllable and interpret every scrap of the one-sided conversation4 ,quickly ,craig had jammed the receiver down on a little metal base which we had not noticed near the instrument4 ,three prongs reaching upward from the base engaged the receiver tightly1 fitting closely about it4 ,then he took up a watch-case receiver to listen through1 in place of the regular receiver4 ,sherburne1 you say8 he repeated4 ,h4 ,morgan ,sherburne8 ,apparently the voice at the other end of the wire replied rather peevishly1 for ,kennedy endeavored to smooth over the delay4 ,we waited impatiently as he reiterated the name4 ,why was he so careful about it8 ,the moments were speeding fast and ,mrs4 ,seabury found the suspense terrific4 ,must pay--we'll never get anything on you8 ,craig repeated after a few moments further parley4 ,very well4 ,i am commissioned to meet you there in ten minutes and settle the thing up on those terms1 he concluded as he clapped the regular receiver back on its hook with a hasty good-by and faced us triumphantly4 ,the deuce ,i won't get anything4 ,i've got it6 he exclaimed4 ,judson ,seabury was too stunned by the revelation that he had a cancer to follow clearly the maze of events4 ,that1 cried ,kennedy1 rising quickly1 is what is known as the telescribe--a new invention of ,edison that records on a specially prepared phonograph cylinder all that is said--both ways--over a telephone wire4 ,come6 ,ten minutes later1 in a cab that had been waiting at the door1 we pulled up at the ,vanderveer4 ,without a word1 leaving ,judson ,seabury and his wife in the waiting cab1 ,craig sprang out1 followed by me1 as he signaled4 ,there was ,sherburne1 brazen and insolent1 in the cafe as we entered1 from a rear door1 and came upon him before he knew it1 our friend1 ,dunn1 whom we had met in the lobby1 hovering concealed outside1 ready to come to our assistance4 ,in a moment ,kennedy was at ,sherburne's elbow1 pinching it in the manner familiar to international crooks4 ,will you tell me what your precise business is in this hotel8 shot out ,craig before ,sherburne could recover from his surprise4 ,sherburne flushed and flared--then became pale with rage4 ,none of your damned insolence6 he ground out1 then paused1 cutting the next remark short as he gritted1 ,what do you mean8 ,shall ,i send a wax impression of that key-- ,kennedy had quickly flashed the cylinder of the telescribe before his eyes and instinctively ,sherburne seemed to realize that with all his care in using typewriters and telephones1 some kind of record of his extortion had been obtained4 ,for a moment he crumpled up4 ,then ,kennedy seized him by the elbow1 dragging him toward a side door opposite that at which our cab was standing4 ,i mean1 he muttered1 that ,i have the goods on you at last and you'll get the limit for blackmail through this little wax cylinder if you so much as show your face in ,new ,york again4 ,i don't care where you go1 but it must be by the first train4 ,understand8 ,a moment later we returned to the cab1 where it had pulled up in the shadow1 away from the carriage entrance4 ,you--you'll forgive me--for my--unjust suspicions--,agatha8 we heard a voice from the depths of the cab say4 ,kennedy pulled me back in time not to interrupt a muffled ,yes4 ,craig coughed4 ,as he reached a hand in through the cab door to bid good-night to the reunited couple1 ,i saw ,mrs4 ,seabury start1 then turn and drop into her handbag the key which ,kennedy had extracted from ,sherburne's pocket in the melee and now conveyed back to her in the handshake4 ,,chapter ,,vii ,,the ,,diamond ,,queen ,meet ,sylvania ,quarantine midnight4 ,strange death ,rawaruska4 ,retain you in interest steamship company4 ,thompson1 ,purser4 ,kennedy had torn open the envelope of a wireless message that had come from somewhere out in the ,atlantic and had just been delivered to him at dinner one evening4 ,he read it quickly and tossed it over to me4 ,rawaruska1 ,i repeated4 ,do you suppose that means the clever little ,russian dancer who was in the ',revue' last year8 ,there could hardly be two of that unusual name who would be referred to so familiarly1 returned ,craig4 ,curious that we've had nothing in the wireless news about it4 ,perhaps it has been delayed1 ,i suggested4 ,let me ring up the ,star4 ,they may have something now4 ,a few minutes later ,i rejoined ,craig at the table4 ,a report had just been received that ,rawaruska had been discovered1 late the night before1 unconscious in her room on the ,sylvania4 ,the ship's surgeon had been summoned1 but before he was able to do anything for her she died4 ,that was all the report said4 ,it was meager1 but it served to excite our interest4 ,renee ,rawaruska1 ,i knew1 was a popular little ,russian dancer abroad who had come to ,america the season previous and had made a big hit on ,broadway4 ,beautiful1 strange1 fiery1 she incarnated the mysterious ,slav4 ,i knew her to be one of those ,russian dancers before whose performances ,parisian audiences had gone wild with admiration1 one who had carried her art beyond anything known in other countries1 fascinating1 subtle4 ,hastily over the telephone ,kennedy made arrangements to go down to ,quarantine on a revenue tug that was leaving to meet the ,sylvania4 ,it was a weird trip through the choppy winter seas of the upper bay and the ,narrows1 in the dark1 with the wind cold and bleak4 ,the tug had scarcely cast off from the ,battery1 where we met it1 when a man1 who had been watching us from a crevice of his turned-up ulster collar1 quietly edged over4 ,you are ,professor ,kennedy1 the detective8 he began1 more as if asserting it than asking the question4 ,craig eyed him a moment1 but said nothing4 ,i understand1 he went on1 not waiting for a reply1 that you are interested in the case of that little ,russian actress1 ,rawaruska8 ,still ,kennedy said nothing4 ,my name is ,wade--of the ,customs ,service1 pursued the man1 nothing abashed4 ,sticking his head forward between the corners of his high collar he added1 in a lowered voice1 ,you have heard1 ,i suppose1 of the great amber diamond1 ',the ,invincible'8 ,kennedy nodded and ,i thought hurriedly of all the big stones ,i had ever heard--the ,pitt1 the ,orloff1 the ,koh-i-noor1 the ,star of the ,south1 the ,cullinan1 and others4 ,the ,invincible1 you know1 he added1 is the largest amber diamond in the world1 almost the size of the famous ,cullinan1 over three hundred carats4 ,it was found in the dry diggings of the ,vaal ,river1 a few miles from ,kimberley4 ,the dry diggings are independent of the ,de ,beers combine1 of course4 ,well1 its owner has always been in the position of ,mark ,twain's man with the million-dollar bank-note who found it too large to cash4 ,no one knows just what an amber diamond of that size is really worth4 ,this one is almost perfect1 resembles the huge top of a decanter stopper4 ,it's a beautiful orange color and has been estimated at--well1 as high as close to a quarter of a million1 though1 as ,i said1 that is all guesswork4 ,yes8 remarked ,kennedy1 more for politeness than anything else4 ,wade leaned over closer4 ,the ,invincible1 he whispered1 shielding his lips from the keen1 biting gale1 was last known to belong to the ,de ,guerres1 of ,antwerp4 ,one of my special agents abroad has cabled me to look out for it4 ,he thinks there is reason to believe it will be smuggled into ,america for safe keeping during the troubles in ,belgium4 ,it seemed to make no difference to the customs man that ,kennedy did not exactly welcome him with open arms4 ,the ,de ,guerres are well-known dealers in diamonds1 one of the leading houses in the 'city of diamonds1' as ,antwerp has been called4 ,one of the ,de ,guerres is on the ,sylvania1 the junior partner-- he paused1 then added1--the husband1 ,i believe1 of ,rawaruska4 ,i thought perhaps you might be willing to try to help me4 ,i should be glad to1 replied ,kennedy tersely1 pondering what the officer had told us4 ,nothing more was said on the trip and at last we came to the ,sylvania1 lying grim and dark of hull off the little cluster of ,quarantine buildings1 with myriads of twinkling lights on her1 far above but scarcely relieving the blackness of the leviathan form4 ,thompson1 the purser1 a quiet1 unexcitable ,englishman1 met us as we came over the side1 and for the moment we lost sight of our new-found friend1 ,wade4 ,perhaps you didn't know it1 informed ,thompson as we made our way through the ship1 but ,rawaruska was married--had been for some time4 ,who was her husband8 queried ,kennedy1 seeking confirmation of what we had already heard4 ,armand ,de ,guerre1 a ,belgian1 of ,antwerp1 was the reply1 one of the partners in a famous old diamond-cutting firm of that city4 ,kennedy looked at the purser keenly for a moment1 then asked1 ,were they traveling together8 ,oh1 yes1--that is1 he had engaged a room1 but you know how crowded the boats are with refugees fleeing to ,america from the war4 ,he gave up his room1 or rather his share of it1 to a woman1 a professional saleswoman1 well known1 ,i believe1 in ,antwerp as well as the ,rue de la ,paix in ,paris and ,maiden ,lane and ,fifth ,avenue of your city1 a ,miss ,hoffman--,elsa ,hoffman4 ,she shared the room with ,rawaruska1 while ,de ,guerre took his chances in the steerage4 ,as we walked down one of the main corridors we noticed ahead of us a seemingly very nervous and excited gentleman engaged apparently in a heated conversation with another4 ,monsieur ,de ,guerre1 whispered ,thompson as we approached4 ,the two seemed to be just on the point of parting1 as we neared them1 and1 ,i think1 our approach hastened them4 ,i could not hear what one of them said1 but ,i heard ,de ,guerre almost hiss1 as he turned on his heel1 ,well1 sir1 you were the last one seen with her alive4 ,a moment later the purser introduced us to ,de ,guerre4 ,there was something about him which ,i can hardly express on paper1 a sort of hypnotic fascination4 ,i felt instinctively that such a man would wield a powerful influence over some women4 ,was it in his eyes1 or was it merely his ardent foreign grace8 ,you must find out the truth1 he cried eagerly4 ,already they are saying that it was suicide4 ,but ,i cannot believe it4 ,it cannot be4 ,no1--she was murdered6 ,kennedy ventured no opinion1 but now1 more than ever1 hastened to signify to the purser that he wanted to look over the ground as quickly as possible before the ship docked4 ,rawaruska1 we found1 had occupied ,room #ahf1 on the port side of one of the lower decks4 ,kennedy seemed to be keenly interested1 as we approached the room in which the body still lay1 awaiting arrival at the pier a few hours later4 ,the stateroom1 apparently1 ran to the very skin of the vessel and the ports opened directly on the water1 not upon an outside deck1 as with the rooms above it4 ,it was an outside room at the end of a sort of cross alleyway1 and it was impossible that anyone could have reached it except through the corridors4 ,attached to it was a little bath and directly across from the bath1 on the other side1 was another small room which was occupied by her maid1 ,cecilie1 a ,french girl4 ,in the main bedroom was a double bed1 a couch1 a wardrobe1 and a small1 thin-legged writing or dressing table4 ,on the white bed lay the now cold and marble figure of the once vivacious little dancer who had enchanted thousands in life--petite1 brunette1 voluptuous4 ,rawaruska was beautiful1 even in death4 ,her finely chiseled features1 lacking that heaviness which often characterizes ,european women1 were1 however1 terribly drawn and her perfect complexion on which she had prided herself was now all mottled and bluish4 ,as ,kennedy examined the body1 ,i could not help observing that there seemed to be every evidence that the girl had been asphyxiated in some strange manner4 ,had it been by a deft touch on a nerve of her beautiful1 soft neck that had constricted the throat and cut off her breath8 ,i had heard of such things4 ,or had it been asphyxiation due to a poison that had paralyzed the chest muscles8 ,the purser1 as soon as we came aboard1 had summoned the ship's surgeon1 and we had scarcely arrived at ,rawaruska's room when he joined us4 ,he was one of those solid1 reliable doctors1 not brilliant1 but one in whom you might place great confidence1 a ,dr4 ,sanderson1 educated in ,edinburgh1 and long a follower of the sea4 ,was there any evidence of a struggle8 asked ,kennedy4 ,no1 none whatever1 replied the doctor4 ,no peculiar odor1 no receptacle of any kind near her that might have held poison8 ,no1 nothing that could have been used to hold poison or a drug4 ,kennedy was regarding the face of the little dancer attentively4 ,most extraordinary1 he remarked slowly1 that congested look she has4 ,yes1 agreed ,dr4 ,sanderson1 her face was flushed and blue when ,i got to her--cyanotic1 ,i should say4 ,there seemed to be a great dryness of her throat and the muscles of her throat were paretic4 ,her pupils were dilated1 too1 and her pulse was rapid1 as if from a greatly increased blood pressure4 ,was she conscious8 asked ,kennedy1 almost reverently turning over her rigid body and looking at the back of her neck and the upper spine4 ,did she recognize anything1 say anything8 ,she seemed to be in a state of amnesia1 replied ,sanderson slowly4 ,evidently if she had seen anything she had forgotten or wouldn't tell1 he added cautiously4 ,who found her8 asked ,craig4 ,how was she discovered8 ,why1 ,miss ,hoffman found her1 replied the purser quickly4 ,she called one of the stewards4 ,she had been sitting in the library reading until quite late and ,rawaruska had retired early1 for she was not a good sailor1 they tell me4 ,it must have been nearly midnight when ,de ,guerre and a friend1 pausing at the library door on their way from the smoking room1 saw ,miss ,hoffman1 and all three stopped in the ,ritz restaurant for a bite to eat4 ,de ,guerre walked down the corridor with ,miss ,hoffman afterwards1 he continued1 and left her as she went into the room with his wife4 ,perhaps a minute later--long enough anyway so that he had reached the other end of the corridor--she screamed4 ,she had turned on the light and had found ,rawaruska lying half across the bed1 unconscious4 ,miss ,hoffman called to the steward to summon ,dr4 ,preston1 but he came to me first1 instead4 ,dr4 ,preston8 repeated ,kennedy4 ,yes1 a young ,american physician1 the friend who had been with ,de ,guerre in the smoking room part of the evening1 and later made up the party in the restaurant1 vouchsafed ,sanderson4 ,the man ,de ,guerre was talking to as we came down the hall1 put in ,thompson4 ,h'm1 mused ,kennedy1 evidently thinking of the remark we had overheard4 ,i've talked with him now and then myself1 admitted ,sanderson2 a bright fellow who has been studying abroad and after many adventures succeeded in getting across the border into ,holland and thence to ,england4 ,he managed to squeeze into the steerage of the ,sylvania1 though1 of course1 like ,de ,guerre1 he was classed as a first-cabin passenger4 ,he had become very friendly with ,rawaruska and her party while they were waiting for bookings in ,london4 ,thompson leaned over4 ,the steward in the corridor tells me1 he said in a low tone1 that early in the evening ,dr4 ,preston and ,rawaruska were on the promenade deck together4 ,i tried vaguely to piece together the scraps of information which we had gleaned4 ,kennedy1 however1 said nothing1 but was now leaning over the body of the little dancer1 looking at the upper region of her spine attentively4 ,quietly1 from a group of three or four little red marks on her back he squeezed out several drops of liquid1 absorbing them on a piece of sterile gauze4 ,a moment later1 ,de ,guerre1 who had quietly slipped away during the examination1 as if unable to bear the sight of the tragedy1 returned1 and with him was a young woman4 ,miss ,elsa ,hoffman1 he introduced4 ,elsa ,hoffman was of a fascinating type1 tall1 finely gowned1 of superb poise1 physically perfect4 ,one could not help admiring her deep blue eyes and blonde radiance4 ,indeed1 ,i felt that one must rely much on her attractions in pursuit of her business of selling gems to wealthy men and women4 ,still1 in spite of her evident poise1 the tragedy seemed to have oppressed and unnerved her4 ,she did not seem to be able to add much to the scanty stock of facts we had1 even after repeating the story of her discovery of ,rawaruska1 which was substantially as the purser had already told it4 ,i--,i think perhaps ,mr4 ,kennedy ought to question ,cecilie1 she suggested finally1 turning toward ,de ,guerre1 who nodded his assent4 ,a sudden movement in the passageway followed1 and the door opened quietly4 ,a man entered1 a youngish fellow of fine physique and attractive face4 ,i recognized him immediately as ,dr4 ,preston4 ,his apparently usually debonair manner was visibly subdued by the presence of death4 ,evidently he had just heard that someone was investigating the tragedy and had hastened to be present4 ,both ,de ,guerre and ,elsa nodded to him1 a trifle coldly4 ,only a moment did he pause to look at the drawn face on the pillow1 then stood apart1 ill at ease until ,kennedy had finished his minute examination4 ,as ,kennedy moved away from the bed1 ,dr4 ,preston contrived to place himself near him and apart from the rest4 ,mr4 ,kennedy1 he began in a husky undertone1 they tell me you have been engaged to investigate this--this awful affair4 ,kennedy assented4 ,if there is anything ,i can do to help you1 ,preston added anxiously1 ,i hope you will command me4 ,in fact1 he added as ,kennedy nodded while ,preston glanced covertly at ,de ,guerre and ,miss ,hoffman1 ,i hope you'll get at the truth4 ,thank you1 responded ,kennedy1 meeting his eye squarely this time2 ,i shall be glad to call on you if occasion arises4 ,i watched ,preston closely1 not quite making out just what he was driving at1 nor the reason for the strained relations that now seemed to exist among the former friends4 ,still following ,kennedy's every motion1 ,preston retired to the position of a more than interested spectator4 ,,chapter ,,viii ,,the ,,anesthetic ,,vaporizer ,craig had completed a hasty search of the room1 with its little dressing table1 two trunks1 and a cabinet4 ,everything seemed to have been kept in a most neat and orderly manner by the attentive ,cecilie1 who was apparently a model servant4 ,the little white bathroom was equally immaculate1 and ,kennedy passed next to an examination of the little room of the ,french maid4 ,cecilie was a pretty1 dark little being1 with snapping black eyes1 the type of winsome ,french maid that one would naturally have expected ,rawaruska1 with her artist's love of the beautiful1 to have picked out to serve her dainty self4 ,as ,i ran my eye over the group that was now intently watching ,kennedy at work1 ,i fancied ,i caught ,elsa ,hoffman eyeing ,cecilie sharply1 and ,i am sure that once at least those black eyes snapped back a wireless message of defiance at the penetrating eyes of blue4 ,i could feel instinctively the atmosphere of hostility between the two women4 ,the door was not locked1 you say8 repeated ,craig1 following up one of the first of his own questions to ,cecilie1 which had resulted in unearthing this new fact4 ,non1 monsieur1 replied ,cecilie in accented ,english which was charming4 ,mam'selle--we all called her that1 her stage name1--used to leave it open in case of fire or accident4 ,she had a terrible fear of drowning4 ,you know there have been some awful wrecks lately1 and she was1 oh1 so nervous4 ,but her valuables8 prompted ,craig quickly1 watching the effect of his question4 ,all in the ship's safe1 in care of the purser1 replied ,cecilie4 ,so were ,miss ,hoffman's4 ,yes1 corroborated ,thompson1 and1 besides1 the corridors and passageways are well patrolled by stewards at all times4 ,the search of ,cecilie's room1 which was smaller and more scantily furnished1 took only a few minutes4 ,a suppressed exclamation from ,craig served to divert my attention from the study of those around me to the study of ,kennedy himself1 and what he had discovered4 ,hidden away in the back of a drawer in a small chiffonier1 he had come across several articles that aroused interest if they did not whet the blade of suspicion4 ,mon ,dieu6 exclaimed the maid as ,kennedy suppressed a smile of gratification at the outcome of the search4 ,but that is not mine6 ,kennedy drew out from the back of the drawer1 where it had been tucked1 a little silken bag4 ,he opened it4 ,on the surface it seemed that the bag was empty4 ,but as he brought it cautiously closer to his face to peer in1 ,i could see that just a whiff of its contents was enough4 ,what have you there8 ,i asked ,kennedy1 careful that no one else could overhear us4 ,cayenne pepper1 snuff1 and some other chemical1 sneezed ,craig4 ,very effective to throw into the face of anyone1 he commented1 closing quickly the bag by its loose drawing strings1 that is1 if you merely want to blind him and put him out temporarily4 ,i did not pay much attention to the protests of the maid1 nor the look of triumph that crossed the face of ,elsa ,hoffman and surprise exhibited by ,dr4 ,preston4 ,for ,kennedy had picked up from the same drawer a little toilet vaporizer1 too1 and was examining it minutely4 ,as he held it up1 ,i could see1 or rather ,i fancied that it was empty4 ,he pressed the bulb lightly1 then seemed to start back quickly4 ,what's that8 ,i queried1 mystified at his actions4 ,something the ,french secret service spies call the 'bad perfume1' he returned frankly1 an anesthetic so incredibly rapid and violent that the spies1 usually women1 who use it wear a filter veil over their own mouths and noses to protect themselves4 ,the whole thing was so queer that ,i could only wonder what might be the explanation4 ,cecilie was protesting volubly1 now in fair ,english1 now in liquid ,french1 that she knew absolutely nothing of the articles4 ,i wondered whether ,rawaruska herself might not have placed them there4 ,might she not have been a spy1 one of those clever little dancers who had wormed themselves by their graceful agility into the good graces of some of the world's leading men and made ,russia a recognized diplomatic power8 ,something like the same idea must have been suggested to ,dr4 ,sanderson1 who was standing next me1 for he bent over and remarked to me in an undertone1 with a significant glance at what ,kennedy had discovered1 ,i suppose you realize that the position of the ,russian government has undergone a marked change since the ,russian dancers have won international popularity8 ,i had not thought much about it before1 but now that he mentioned it1 ,i could not help a nod of assent4 ,why1 ,i have heard1 he continued with the air of a man who is imparting a big piece of information1 that the beautiful young women of the imperial ballet mingle in the society of the capitals of the world1 make friends with politicians1 social leaders1 high officials1 and exert a great influence in favor of their own country wherever they go4 ,no doubt1 he added1 they sometimes convey valuable information to the ,foreign ,office which could not be obtained in any other way4 ,i was not paying much attention to him1 but still the doctor rattled on in an undertone1 ,some of these dancers are past masters in the art of intrigue4 ,do you suppose ,rawaruska and the rest have had the task set for them to win back the public opinion of your country1 which departed from its traditional policy of friendliness during the ,japanese war8 ,i made no answer4 ,i was engrossed in considering the primary question4 ,could it have been a suicide1 after all8 ,surely she had removed the evidences of it much better than in any other case ,i had ever seen4 ,or1 had there been a triangle1 perhaps a quadrangle here8 ,i could not persuade myself that ,de ,guerre cared greatly for his wife1 except perhaps to be jealous of anyone else having her4 ,he was too attentive to ,elsa ,hoffman1 and she1 in turn1 was not of the type to care much for anyone4 ,as for ,dr4 ,preston1 although he seemed to have had a friendship for ,rawaruska1 ,i could not exactly fit him into the scheme of things4 ,we proceeded up the bay on the ,sylvania1 but were able to discover nothing further that night4 ,as we left the ship at the dock in the morning we ran across ,wade1 who was quietly directing a dozen or so of his men4 ,any trace yet of the ,invincible8 asked ,craig1 stopping in an unostentatious corner4 ,the customs man shook his head gravely4 ,not yet1 he replied4 ,but ,i'm not discouraged4 ,if we miss it here in the customs inspection it will be sure to turn up later4 ,there's a shady jeweler on ,fifth ,avenue1 ,margot1 who knows these ,antwerp people pretty well4 ,i have a man working there1 a diamond cutter1 and other agents in the trade4 ,oh1 ,i'll hear about it soon enough1 if it is here4 ,only ,i'd like to have done something spectacular1 something that would count for me at ,washington4 ,have you found out anything8 ,briefly ,kennedy told him some of the scattered facts we had discovered1 just enough to satisfy him without taking him into our confidence4 ,i'm going to be busy in the laboratory1 ,walter1 remarked ,kennedy as our taxicab extricated itself from the ruck of the river-front streets4 ,i don't know that there is anything that you can do--except--well1 yes4 ,i wish you'd try to keep an eye on some of these people--that maid1 ,cecilie1 especially4 ,we had learned that ,de ,guerre was to stop at the ,vanderveer and1 later in the morning1 ,i dropped into the hotel and glanced over the register4 ,de ,guerre was registered there and ,cecilie had a little room1 also1 pending the disposal he would make of her4 ,miss ,hoffman had rooms of her own1 which she had evidently re-engaged1 with a family in a residential street not far from the hotel4 ,the clerk told me that ,de ,guerre was out1 but that the maid had returned after having been out alone1 for a short time1 also4 ,the lobby of the ,vanderveer was fairly crowded with people by this time1 and ,i found no difficulty in keeping in the background and still seeing pretty much everything that went on4 ,it was rather tame1 however1 and ,i was still debating whether ,i should not do something active1 when ,i happened to glance up and catch sight of a familiar face4 ,it was ,dr4 ,preston making inquiries for someone of the room clerk4 ,i dodged back of a pillar and waited1 covering myself with an early morning war extra that repeated the news of the night before4 ,a few moments later1 ,preston1 who had received an answer from whomever he was calling1 edged his way toward one of the deserted little reception rooms near a side carriage entrance4 ,carefully1 ,i trailed him4 ,it was some minutes before ,i could make up my mind to risk passing the door of the little parlor and being discovered1 but ,i was growing impatient4 ,as ,i glanced in ,i was astonished to see him talking earnestly to ,cecilie4 ,i did not dare stop1 for fear one or the other might look up1 but ,i could see that ,preston was eagerly questioning her4 ,her face was averted from me and ,i could not read even her expression4 ,the passageway was deserted1 and if ,i paused ,i would inevitably attract attention4 ,so ,i kept on1 turning instinctively in the labyrinth and coming back to the lobby1 where ,i found a position near the telephone booths which gave me a concealed view at least of the door of the parlor around an angle4 ,i waited4 ,perhaps five minutes passed4 ,then ,cecilie and ,dr4 ,preston suddenly emerged from the reception room4 ,evidently the maid was anxious to get away1 perhaps afraid to be seen with him4 ,with a word1 she almost ran down the corridor in the direction of the rear elevators1 and ,preston1 with a queer look on his face1 came slowly toward me4 ,instinctively ,i drew back into a telephone booth2 then it occurred to me that if ,i emerged just as he passed he would not be likely to suspect anything1 and ,i might have a chance to study him4 ,i did so1 and was quite amused at the look of surprise on his face as ,i greeted him4 ,still1 ,i do not think he thought ,i was shadowing him4 ,we paused for a moment on the street1 after a conventional exchange of remarks about the tragedy to poor little ,rawaruska4 ,that ,miss ,hoffman seems to be a very capable woman1 ,i remarked1 by way of dragging the conversation into channels into which it seemed unlikely to drift naturally4 ,y-yes1 he agreed1 as ,i caught a sidelong glance from the corner of his eye4 ,i believe she has had a rather checkered career4 ,i understand that she was a nurse1 a trained nurse1 once4 ,there was something about the remark that impressed me4 ,it was made deliberately1 ,i fancied4 ,what his purpose was1 ,i could not fathom1 but ,i felt that in the instant while he had hesitated he had debated and made up his mind to say it4 ,my face betraying nothing to his searching glance1 he pulled hastily at his watch4 ,i'm going downtown on the subway--to clear up some of the muss that this ,european business has got me in with my bankers1 he said quickly4 ,i'd be glad to have you call on me at any time at the ,charlton1 just up the avenue a bit4 ,good-day1 sir4 ,i'm glad to have met you4 ,drop in on me4 ,he was gone1 scarcely waiting for me to reply1 leaving me to wonder what was the cause of his strange actions4 ,mechanically ,i looked at my own watch and decided that ,i had left ,craig undisturbed long enough4 ,,chapter ,,ix ,,the ,,twilight ,,sleep ,as ,i entered the laboratory ,i saw before him a peculiar1 telescope-like instrument1 at one end of which1 in a jar of oxygen1 something was burning with a brilliant1 penetrating flame4 ,he paused in his work and ,i hastened to tell him of the peculiar experience ,i had had in the forenoon4 ,but he said nothing1 even at the significant actions of ,dr4 ,preston4 ,how about those things you found in the maid's room8 ,i asked at length4 ,do they explain ,rawaruska's death8 ,the trouble with them1 he replied1 thoughtfully shaking his head1 is that the effects of such things last only for a short time4 ,they might have been used at first--but there was something used afterward4 ,something afterward8 ,i repeated1 keenly interested1 and fingering the telescope-like arrangement curiously4 ,what's this8 ,one of the new quartz lens spectroscopes used by ,dr4 ,dobbie of the ,english ,government laboratories1 he answered briefly4 ,i think chemists1 police officials1 coroners and physicians are going to find it most valuable4 ,you see1 by throwing the ultra-violet part of the spectrum from a source of light as ,i obtain from the sparking of iron in oxygen through the lenses of a quartz spectroscope1 the lines of many dangerous drugs1 especially of the alkaloids1 can be distinctly and quickly located in the spectrum4 ,each drug produces a characteristic kind of line4 ,we use a quartz lens because glass cuts off the ultra-violet rays4 ,why1 even the most minute particle of poison can be detected in this revolutionary fashion4 ,he had resumed squinting through the spectroscope4 ,well1 ,i asked1 do you find anything there8 ,he had evidently been using the piece of gauze on which he had preserved the liquid from the peculiar little marks on ,rawaruska's spine4 ,narcophin1 he muttered1 still squinting4 ,narcophin8 ,i repeated4 ,what is that8 ,a derivative of opium--morphine4 ,there's another poison here1 too1 he added4 ,what is it8 ,scopolamine1 he answered tersely1 scopolamine hydrobromide4 ,why1 ,i exclaimed1 that is the drug they use in this new 'twilight sleep1' as they call it4 ,exactly1 he replied1 the daemmerschlaf4 ,i suspected something of the kind when ,i saw those little punctures on her back4 ,some people show a marked susceptibility to it2 others just the reverse4 ,evidently she was one of those who go under it quietly and quickly4 ,i looked at ,kennedy in amazement4 ,you can see1 he went on1 catching the expression on my face1 if it could be used for medical science1 it could also be used for crime4 ,that's the way ,i reasoned1 the way someone else must have reasoned4 ,he paused1 then went on4 ,someone thought out this plan of using narcophin and scopolamine to cause the twilight sleep1 to keep ,rawaruska just on the borderland of unconsciousness1 destroying her memory and producing forgetfulness4 ,that is the daemmerschlaf2 perception is retained but memory lost4 ,you are acquainted with the test8 ,they show an object to a patient and ask her if she sees it4 ,say1 half an hour later1 it is shown again4 ,if she remembers it1 it is a sign that a new injection is necessary4 ,only in this case the criminal went too far1 disregarded the danger of the thing4 ,scopolamine in too great a quantity causes death by paralysis of respiration--a paralysis1 by the way1 against which artificial respiration and all means of stimulating are ineffective because of the rigidity of the muscles4 ,and so1 you see1 in this case ,rawaruska died4 ,i could not help thinking of ,preston1 the young doctor who had been studying in ,germany4 ,more than likely he had heard of and had investigated the ,frieberg twilight sleep treatment4 ,we had made some progress1 even though we did not know why or by whom the drugs had been administered4 ,wade1 of the ,customs ,service1 had1 as ,i have said1 told us that he had several secret agents about in the trade1 constantly picking up bits of information that might interest the ,treasury ,department4 ,it did not surprise ,kennedy1 therefore1 late in the forenoon1 to have ,wade call up and tell him that among the early callers at ,margot's1 the jeweler1 was the maid ,cecilie4 ,that was where she must have been before ,i reached the ,vanderveer1 ,i exclaimed4 ,kennedy nodded4 ,but why did she go there8 he asked4 ,and why was she talking with ,preston8 ,inasmuch as ,i couldn't answer the questions ,i didn't try1 but waited while ,craig reasoned out some method of attack on them4 ,since it's known that we're working on the case of ,rawaruska1 he ruminated half an hour later over an untasted lunch1 we might just as well take the risk of seeing ,margot himself4 ,let's go down and look his shop over4 ,so in the middle of the afternoon1 when ,fifth ,avenue was crowded with shoppers1 we paused before ,margot's window1 looking over the entrancing display of precious stones gleaming out from the rich black velvet background1 and then sauntered in1 like any other customers4 ,kennedy engaged the salesman in talk about necklaces and lavallieres1 always leading the conversation around to the largest stones that he saw1 and dwelling particularly on those that were colored4 ,as ,i listened1 trying to throw in a word now and then that would not sound absolutely foolish1 ,i was impressed by a feeling that ,margot's1 even though it was such a fashionable place1 was what might be called only a high-class shyster's4 ,in fact1 ,i recalled having heard that ,margot had engineered several rather questionable transactions in gems4 ,i'm much interested in orange stones1 remarked ,kennedy1 casually turning up a flawless white diamond and discarding it as if it did not interest him4 ,once when ,i was abroad ,i saw the famous ,invincible1 and a handsomer gem than it is ,i never hope to see4 ,the clerk1 ever obliging1 replaced the tray before us in the safe and retired toward the back of the shop4 ,he suspects nothing1 at least1 whispered ,kennedy4 ,a moment later he returned4 ,i'm sorry1 he reported1 but we haven't any such stones in the house4 ,but ,i believe we expect some in a few days4 ,if you could-- ,i shall remember it2 thank you1 interrupted ,kennedy brusquely1 as ,i caught a momentary gleam of satisfaction in his eye4 ,that's most fortunate4 ,i'll be in again4 ,thank you4 ,we turned toward the door4 ,in an instant it flashed over me that perhaps they were recutting the big ,invincible4 ,just a moment1 please1 gentlemen1 interrupted a voice behind us4 ,a short1 stocky man had come up behind us4 ,i thought you did not look like purchasers1 nor yet like crooks1 he said defiantly4 ,did ,i hear you refer to the ,invincible8 ,it was ,margot himself1 who had been hovering about behind us4 ,kennedy said nothing4 ,yes1 he went on1 ,i am cutting a large diamond1 but it is not like the ,invincible4 ,it is much handsomer--one that was discovered right here in this country in the new diamond fields of ,arkansas4 ,the diamond itself is already sold4 ,and you would nevair guess the buyer1 oh1 nevair6 ,no8 queried ,kennedy4 ,nevair6 reiterated ,margot4 ,it could not be delivered to a woman who was once the maid of ,rawaruska1 the ,russian dancer8 ,craig asked abruptly4 ,margot shot a quick and suspicious glance at us4 ,then you are1 as ,i suspected1 a detectif8 he cried4 ,kennedy eyed him sharply without admitting the heinous charge4 ,margot returned his look and ,i felt that of all sayings that about a dishonest man not being able to look you in the eye was itself the least credible4 ,he laughed daringly4 ,well1 perhaps you are right1 he said4 ,but whoever it is1 he is lucky to have bought a stone like it so cheaply6 ,the man was baffling4 ,i could not figure it out4 ,had ,margot been simply a high-class fence for the disposal and convenient reappearance of stolen goods8 ,we returned uptown to our apartment to find that in the meantime ,wade had called up again4 ,kennedy got him on the wire4 ,it seemed that shortly after we left ,margot's ,cecilie had called again and had gone off with a small1 carefully wrapped package4 ,a strange case1 pondered ,kennedy1 as he hung up the receiver4 ,first there is a murder that looks like a suicide1 then the sale of a diamond that looks like a fake4 ,he paused a moment4 ,they have worked quickly to cover it up2 we must work with equal quickness if we are to uncover them4 ,with almost lightning rapidity he had seized the telephone again and had our old friend ,first ,deputy ,o',connor on the wire4 ,briefly he explained the case1 and arranged for the necessary arrests that would bring the principal actors in the little drama to the laboratory that night4 ,then he fell to work on a little delicate electrical instrument consisting1 outwardly at least1 of a dial with a pointer and several little carbon handles attached to wires1 as well as a switchboard4 ,i know that ,kennedy did not relish having his hand forced in this manner1 but nevertheless he was equal to the emergency and when1 after dinner1 those whom ,o',connor had rounded up began to appear at the laboratory1 no one would ever have imagined that he had not the entire case on the very tip of his tongue1 almost bursting forth an accusation4 ,de ,guerre had complied with the police order by sending ,cecilie alone in a cab1 and later he drove up with ,miss ,hoffman4 ,dr4 ,preston came in shortly afterward1 shooting a keen glance at ,cecilie1 and avoiding more than a nod to ,de ,guerre4 ,margot himself was the last to arrive1 protesting volubly4 ,wade1 of course1 was already there4 ,i really must beg your pardon1 began ,kennedy1 as he ignored the querulousness of ,margot1 the late arrival1 adding significantly1 that is1 of all of you except one1 for monopolizing the evening4 ,whatever might have been in their minds to say1 no one ventured a word4 ,kennedy's tone when he said1 ,of all of you except one1 was too tense and serious4 ,it demanded attention1 and he got it4 ,i am going to put to you first a hypothetical case1 he continued quietly4 ,let us say that the ,de ,guerres of ,antwerp decided to smuggle a great jewel into ,america for safe keeping1 perhaps for sale1 during the troublous times in their own country4 ,now1 any man would know1 he went on1 that he had a pretty slim chance when it came to smuggling in a diamond4 ,besides1 everyone knew that the ,de ,guerres owned this particular stone1 of which ,i shall speak later4 ,but a woman8 ,smuggling is second nature to some women4 ,quickly he ran over the strange facts that had been unearthed regarding the death of the dainty ,russian dancer4 ,you were right1 ,monsieur ,de ,guerre1 he concluded1 turning to the diamond merchant2 it was no suicide4 ,your wife was killed--unintentionally1 it is true1--but killed in an attempt to steal a great diamond from her while she was smuggling it4 ,de ,guerre made no answer1 save a hasty glance at ,wade that did not carry with it an admission of smuggling4 ,you mean to say1 then1 ,mr4 ,kennedy1 ,margot demanded1 that while ,rawaruska was smuggling in the big diamond of which you speak someone heard of it and deliberately murdered her8 ,not too fast1 cautioned ,craig4 ,think again before you use those words1 'deliberately murdered4' ,if it had been murder that was intended1 how much more surely it might have been accomplished by more brutal methods--or by more scientific4 ,no1 murder was never deliberately intended4 ,he stopped1 as if to emphasize the point1 then slowly began to distribute to each of us one of the carbon handles ,i had seen him adjusting to the peculiar little electrical instrument4 ,let me reconstruct the case1 he hurried on1 giving a final twist or two to the instrument itself1 now placed before him on a table1 with its dial face away from us4 ,rawaruska had retired for the night4 ,where had she placed the diamond8 ,it would probably take a long search to find it4 ,well1 the twilight sleep was chosen because it was supposed to be a safe and sure means to the end4 ,even if she retained some degree of consciousness1 she would forget what happened4 ,that is partly the reason for the treatment1 anyhow1--the loss of memory4 ,someone believed this was a safe and sure anesthetic4 ,first perhaps a whiff of the secret service 'bad perfume' to insure that she would not cry out--then an injection of narcophin and scopolamine--another--and the twilight sleep4 ,a few minutes1 and ,rawaruska was unconscious4 ,then came the search4 ,perhaps she was restless4 ,another injection settled that4 ,at last the great diamond was found4 ,but the twilight sleep meant not forgetfulness but death to ,rawaruska6 ,craig paused4 ,it was almost as if one could see the word picture of the scene as he painted it4 ,what was to be done8 ,the diamond must be recut--anything to hide its identity1 at once1 and at any cost4 ,and ,margot8 ,the story of the ,arkansas diamond and the sale is a blind4 ,the case is perfect6 ,kennedy raised his eyes for the first time from the study of the little electrical machine before him1 and caught the eye of ,cecilie1 holding it1 unwilling4 ,did you ever hear of the great diamond1 the ,invincible8 ,kennedy smashed out4 ,i felt that it might not have been exactly chivalrous1 but it was necessary4 ,cecilie's breast1 which had showed a wildly beating heart as ,kennedy told of how her mistress had died1 was calmer now4 ,her air of surprise at the mention of the diamond was perfect4 ,elsa ,hoffman was gazing at her1 too1 in tense interest4 ,de ,guerre was outwardly cool1 ,margot openly cynical1 ,preston leaning forward in ill-suppressed excitement4 ,for a moment ,kennedy paused again1 as if allowing all to collect themselves before he took them by assault4 ,i have lately been studying1 he remarked casually1 the experiments of ,dr4 ,von ,pfungen of ,vienna showing the protective resistance of the human skin against an electric current4 ,normally1 this resistance averages from seventy to eighty thousand ohms4 ,in the morning1 owing to the accumulation of waste products1 the resistance may mount to almost double4 ,in persons suffering from nervous anxiety1 it decreases to five thousand and even down to a thousand ohms in cases of hysteria4 ,von ,pfungen has also measured a human being's emotional feelings by the electric current4 ,i have a copy of his instrument here4 ,there is one person who sits gripping the carbon electric handle connected with this galvanometer who1 to begin with1 had a resistance of over sixty thousand4 ,but when ,i began to tell of how ,rawaruska met her death1 of the hypothetical case ,i have built up by my observations and experiments here in this very laboratory1 the needle of the galvanometer started to oscillate downward4 ,it went down until it reached thirty-eight thousand at the mention of murder4 ,when ,i said the case was perfect1 it had got as low as under twenty thousand1 swinging lower and lower as the person saw hope depart6 ,kennedy was no longer paying any attention to the little instrument4 ,as ,i followed him1 ,i became more and more impatient4 ,what was it he had discovered8 ,who was it8 ,preston1 cried ,kennedy1 suddenly wheeling on the young doctor1 through your regard--honorable1 ,i am sure--for ,rawaruska you have let yourself be drawn into doing a little amateur detective work4 ,let me warn you4 ,instead of clearing up the case1 you merely laid yourself open to suspicion4 ,fortunately the galvanometer absolves you4 ,you should have known that ,cecilie was only a tool4 ,de ,guerre1 your black wallet1 that all diamond dealers carry--thank you1 ,wade--that's it4 ,kennedy had turned from ,preston to ,cecilie1 then to ,de ,guerre so suddenly that no one was prepared for the signal he gave to the customs officer4 ,wade had covered the surprised dealer and was now emptying out the contents of the wallet4 ,there1 on the table1 gleaming in the light of the laboratory1 lay a wonderful brilliant1 some three hundred carats--perfect in its blazing crystalline orange beauty4 ,there it lay1 a jewel which might charm and arouse the cupidity of two hemispheres4 ,it shone like a thing of life4 ,yet back of its orange fire lay a black tragedy4 ,margot was on his feet instantly4 ,that is not the-- ,just a moment1 ,mr4 ,margot1 interrupted ,kennedy4 ,i think ,mr4 ,wade will be able to show that it is the ,invincible when he matches up the parts that have been hurriedly cut from--from the wonderful ,arkansas diamond1 ,craig added sarcastically4 ,miss ,hoffman1 ,dr4 ,preston tells us that before you were a diamond saleswoman you had been a trained nurse6 ,the look ,elsa ,hoffman flashed1 as her calm exterior refused to conceal her emotions longer1 was venomous4 ,kennedy was the calmest one of us all as he tapped the little galvanometer significantly with his index finger4 ,de ,guerre1 he exclaimed1 leaning forward slightly1 you and your lover1 ,elsa ,hoffman1 planned cunningly to rob your own brothers4 ,but1 instead of robbers merely1 he ground out1 you are murderers6 ,,chapter ,x ,,the ,,sixth ,,sense ,i suppose you have read in the papers of the mysterious burning of our country house at ,oceanhurst1 on the south shore of ,long ,island8 ,it had been about the middle of the afternoon that a huge automobile of the latest design drew up at ,kennedy's laboratory and a stylishly dressed woman1 accompanied by a very attentive young man1 alighted4 ,they had entered and the man1 with a deep bow1 presented two cards bearing the names of the ,count and ,countess ,alessandro ,rovigno4 ,julia ,rovigno1 ,i knew1 was the daughter of ,roger ,gaskell1 the retired banker4 ,she had recently married ,count ,rovigno1 a young foreigner whose family had large shipping interests in ,america and at ,trieste in the ,adriatic4 ,yes1 indeed1 ,i have read about it1 nodded ,craig4 ,you see1 she hurried on a little nervously1 it was a wedding present to us from my father4 ,giulia1 put in the young man quickly1 giving her name an accent that was not1 however1 quite ,italian1 thinks the fire was started by an incendiary4 ,rovigno was a tall1 rather boyish-looking man of thirty-two or thirty-three1 with light brown hair1 light brown beard and mustache4 ,his eyes and forehead spoke of intelligence1 but ,i had never heard that he cared much about practical business affairs4 ,in fact1 to ,american society ,rovigno was known chiefly as one of the most daring of motor-boat enthusiasts4 ,it may have been the work of an incendiary1 he continued thoughtfully1 or it may not4 ,i don't know4 ,but there has been an epidemic of fires among the large houses out on ,long ,island lately4 ,i nodded to ,kennedy1 for ,i had myself compiled a list for the ,star1 which showed that considerably over a million dollars' worth of show places had been destroyed4 ,at any rate1 added the ,countess1 we are burned out1 and are staying in town now--at my father's house4 ,i wish you would come around there4 ,perhaps father can help you4 ,he knows all about the country out that way1 for his own place isn't a quarter of a mile away4 ,i shall be glad to drop around1 if ,i can be of any assistance1 agreed ,kennedy as the young couple left us4 ,the ,rovignos had scarcely gone when a woman appeared at the laboratory door4 ,she was well dressed1 pretty1 but looked pale and haggard4 ,my name is ,mrs4 ,bettina ,petzka1 she began1 singling out ,kennedy4 ,you do not know me1 but my husband1 ,nikola1 was one of the first students you taught1 ,professor4 ,yes1 yes1 ,i recall him very well1 replied ,craig4 ,he was a brilliant student1 too--very promising4 ,what can ,i do for you8 ,why1 ,professor ,kennedy1 she cried1 no longer able to control her feelings1 he has suddenly disappeared4 ,what line of work had he taken up8 asked ,craig1 interested4 ,he was a wireless operator--had been employed on a liner that runs to the ,adriatic from ,new ,york4 ,but he was out of work4 ,someone has told me that he thought he saw ,nikola in ,hoboken around the docks where a number of the liners that go to blockaded ports are laid up waiting the end of the war4 ,she paused4 ,i see1 remarked ,kennedy1 pursing up his lips thoughtfully4 ,your husband was not a reservist of any of the countries at war1 was he8 ,no--he was first of all a scientist4 ,i don't think he had any interest in the war--at least he never talked much about it4 ,i know1 persisted ,craig1 but had he taken out his naturalization papers here8 ,he had applied for them4 ,when did he disappear8 ,i haven't seen him for two nights1 she sobbed4 ,it flashed over me that it was now two nights since the fire that had burned ,rovigno's house1 although there was no reason for connecting the events1 at least yet4 ,the young woman was plainly wild with anxiety4 ,oh1 can't you help me find ,nikola8 she pleaded4 ,i'll try my best1 reassured ,kennedy1 taking down on a card her address and bowing her out4 ,it was late in the afternoon before we had an opportunity to call at the ,gaskell town house where the ,rovignos were staying4 ,the ,count was not at home1 but the ,countess welcomed us and led us directly into a large library4 ,i'd like to have you meet my father1 she introduced4 ,father1 this is ,professor ,kennedy1 whom ,alex and ,i have engaged to look into the burning of our house4 ,old ,roger ,gaskell received us1 ,i thought1 with a curious mixture of restraint and eagerness4 ,i hope you'll excuse me8 asked the ,countess a moment later4 ,i really must dress for dinner4 ,but ,i think ,i've told you all ,i can4 ,i wanted you to talk to my father4 ,i've heard of the epidemic of fires from my friend ,mr4 ,jameson here1 on the ,star1 remarked ,kennedy when we were alone4 ,some1 ,i understand1 have attributed the fires to incendiaries1 others have said they were the work of disgruntled servants1 others of an architect or contractor who hasn't shared in the work and thinks he may later4 ,i've even heard it said that an insurance man may be responsible--hoping to get new business1 you know4 ,gaskell looked at us keenly4 ,then he rose and approached us1 raising his finger as though cautioning silence4 ,do you know1 he whispered so faintly that it was almost lost1 sometimes ,i think there is a plot against me8 ,against you8 whispered back ,kennedy4 ,why1 what do you mean8 ,i can't tell you--here1 he replied4 ,but1 ,i believe there are detectaphones hidden about this house6 ,have you searched8 asked ,kennedy keenly4 ,yes1 but ,i've found nothing4 ,i've gone over all the furniture and such things4 ,still1 they might be inside the walls1 mightn't they8 ,kennedy nodded4 ,could you discover them if they were8 asked ,gaskell4 ,i think ,i could1 replied ,craig confidently4 ,then there's another peculiar thing1 resumed ,gaskell1 a little more freely1 yet still whispering4 ,i suppose you know that ,i have a country estate not far from my daughter8 ,he paused4 ,of course ,i know1 he went on1 watching ,kennedy's face1 that sparks are sometimes struck by horses' shoes when they hit stones4 ,but the shoes of my horses1 for instance1 out there lately have been giving forth sparks even in the stable4 ,my groom called my attention to it1 and ,i saw it myself4 ,he continued looking searchingly at ,kennedy4 ,you are a scientist1 he said at length4 ,can you tell me why8 ,kennedy was thinking deeply4 ,i can't1 offhand1 he replied frankly4 ,but ,i should like to have a chance to investigate4 ,there may be some connection with the fire1 hinted ,gaskell anxiously as he accompanied us to the door4 ,at our own apartment1 when we returned1 we found our friend1 ,burke1 of the ,secret ,service1 waiting for us4 ,just had a hurry call to come to ,new ,york1 he explained1 and thought ,i'd like to drop in on you first4 ,what's the trouble8 asked ,kennedy4 ,why1 there's been a mysterious yacht lurking about the mouth of the harbor for several days and they want to look into it4 ,whose yacht do they think it is8 ,they don't know1 but it is said to resemble one that belongs to a man named ,gaskell4 ,gaskell8 repeated ,craig1 turning suddenly4 ,yes1--the ,furious--a fast1 floating palace--one of these new power yachts1 run by a gas engine--built for speed4 ,why1 do you know anything about it8 ,kennedy said nothing4 ,the revenue cutter ,uncas has been assigned to me1 went on ,burke4 ,if you have nothing better to do1 ,i'd like to have you give me a hand in the case4 ,you might find it a little different from the ordinary run4 ,i shall be glad to go with you1 replied ,craig cordially4 ,only1 just now ,i've got a particular case of my own4 ,i'll see you tomorrow at the ,customs ,house1 though1 if ,i can4 ,good6 exclaimed ,burke4 ,i don't think either of you1 particularly ,jameson1 will regret it4 ,it promises to be a good story4 ,burke had scarcely left us when ,kennedy decided on his next move4 ,we went directly over to the ,long ,island ,railroad station and caught the next train out to ,oceanhurst1 not a long run from the city4 ,thus1 early in the evening1 ,kennedy was able to begin1 under cover1 his investigation of the neighborhood of the ,rovigno and ,gaskell houses4 ,we entered the ,gaskell estate and looked it over as we made our way toward the stable to find the groom4 ,out on the bay we could see the ,furious at anchor4 ,nearer in shore were a couple of ,count ,rovigno's speedy racing motor-boats4 ,along the shore1 we saw a basin for yachts1 capable even of holding the ,furious4 ,the groom proved to be a rather dull-witted fellow1 and left us pretty much to our own devices4 ,ya-as--sparks--,i saw 'em1 he drawled in answer to ,kennedy's question4 ,so did ,mr4 ,gaskell4 ,naw--,i don't know nawthin' about 'em4 ,he had lumbered out into another part of the stable when ,i heard a low exclamation from ,craig1 of ,look1 ,walter6 ,i did look in amazement4 ,there were indeed little sparks1 in fact a small burst of them in all directions1 where there were metal surfaces in close proximity to one another4 ,kennedy had brought along with him a strange instrument and he was now looking attentively at it4 ,what is that8 ,i asked4 ,the bolometer1 he replied1 invented by ,professor ,langley4 ,and what does it do8 ,detects waves1 he replied1 rays that are invisible to the eye4 ,for instance1 just now it tells me that shooting through the darkness are invisible waves1 perhaps infra-red rays4 ,he paused1 and ,i looked at him inquiringly4 ,you know1 he explained1 the infra-red rays are closer to the heat rays than those of the upper end of the spectrum and beyond1 the ultra-violet rays1 with which we have already had some experience4 ,kennedy continued to look at his bolometer4 ,yes1 he remarked thoughtfully1 half to himself1 somewhere around here there is a generator of infra-red rays and a projector of those rays4 ,it reminds me of those so-called ,f-rays of ,ulivi--or at least of a very powerful wireless4 ,i was startled at the speculations that his words conjured up in my mind4 ,was the evil eye of superstition a scientific fact8 ,was there a baneful beam that could be directed at will--one that could not be seen or felt until it worked its havoc8 ,was there a power that steel walls could not hold1 which1 in fact1 was the more surely transmitted by them8 ,somehow1 the fact of the strange disappearance of ,petzka1 the wireless operator1 kept bobbing up in my mind4 ,i could not help wondering whether1 perhaps1 he had found this strange power and was using it for some nefarious purpose4 ,could it have been ,petzka who was responsible for the fires8 ,but1 why8 ,i could not figure it out4 ,early the next morning we called at the ,gaskell town house again4 ,kennedy had brought with him a small piece of apparatus which seemed to consist of two sets of coils placed on ends of a magnet bar4 ,to them was attached a long flexible wire which he screwed into an electric light bulb socket4 ,then he placed a peculiar telephone-like apparatus1 attached to the other end1 to his ears4 ,he adjusted the magnets and carried the thing carefully about the room4 ,at one point he stopped and moved the thing vertically up along the wall1 from floor to ceiling4 ,that's a gas pipe1 he said simply4 ,what's the instrument8 ,i asked4 ,a new apparatus for finding pipes electrically1 which ,i think can be just as well applied to finding other things concealed in walls under plaster and paper4 ,he paused to adjust the thing4 ,the electrical method1 he went on1 is a special application of well-known induction balance principles4 ,you see one set of coils receives an alternating or vibrating current4 ,the other is connected with this telephone4 ,first ,i established a balance so that there was no sound in the telephone4 ,he moved the thing about4 ,now1 when the device comes near metal-piping1 for example1 or a wire1 the balance is disturbed and ,i hear a sound4 ,that was the gas pipe4 ,it is easy to find its exact location4 ,hulloa-- ,he paused again in a corner1 back of ,gaskell's desk and appeared to be listening intently4 ,a moment later he was ruthlessly breaking through the plaster of the beautifully decorated wall4 ,sure enough1 in there was a detectaphone1 concealed only a fraction of an inch beneath the paper1 with wires leading down inside the partition in the direction of the cellar4 ,,chapter ,,xi ,,the ,,infernal ,,machines ,he ripped the little mechanical eavesdropper out1 wires and all1 but he did not disconnect the wires1 yet4 ,we traced it out1 and down into the cellar the wires led1 directly1 and then across1 through a small opening in the foundations into the next cellar of an apartment house1 ending in a bin or storeroom4 ,in itself the thing1 so far1 gave no clew as to who was using it or the purpose for which it had been installed4 ,but it was strange4 ,someone was evidently trying to get something from you1 ,mr4 ,gaskell1 remarked ,craig pointedly1 after we returned to the ,gaskell library4 ,why do you suppose he went to all that trouble8 ,gaskell shrugged his shoulders and averted his eyes4 ,i've heard of a yacht outside ,new ,york harbor1 added ,craig casually4 ,a yacht8 ,yes1 he said nonchalantly1 the ,furious4 ,gaskell met ,kennedy's eye and looked at him as though ,craig had some occult power of divination4 ,then he moved over closer to us4 ,is that detectaphone thing out of business now8 he asked1 hoarsely4 ,yes4 ,absolutely8 ,absolutely4 ,gaskell leaned over4 ,then ,i don't mind telling you1 ,professor ,kennedy1 he said in a low tone1 that ,i am letting a friend of mine from ,london use that yacht to supply some allied warships on the ,atlantic with news1 supplies and ammunition1 such as can be carried4 ,kennedy looked at him keenly1 but for some moments did not answer4 ,i knew he was debating on how he might properly dove-tail this with ,burke's case1 ethically4 ,someone is trying to find out from eavesdropping just what your plans are1 then1 remarked ,craig thoughtfully1 with a significant tap on the detectaphone4 ,a moment later he turned his back to us and knelt down4 ,he seemed to be wrapping the detectaphone up in a small package which he put in his pocket and closing the hole in the wall as best he could where he had ripped the paper4 ,all ,i ask of you1 concluded ,gaskell1 as we left a few minutes later1 is to keep your hands off that phase of things4 ,find the incendiary--yes2 but this other matter that you have forced out of me--well--hands off6 ,on our way downtown to keep the appointment ,kennedy had made with ,burke the night before1 he stopped at the laboratory to get a heavy parcel which he carried along4 ,we found ,burke waiting for us1 impatiently1 at the ,customs ,house4 ,we've just discovered that the liners over at ,hoboken have had steam up for a couple of days1 he said excitedly4 ,evidently they are waiting to make a break for the ocean--perhaps in concert with a sortie of the fleets over in ,europe4 ,h-m1 mused ,kennedy1 looking fixedly at ,burke1 that complicates matters1 doesn't it8 ,we must preserve ,american neutrality4 ,he thought a moment4 ,i should like to go aboard the revenue cutter4 ,may ,i8 ,surely1 agreed ,burke4 ,a few moments later we were on the ,uncas1 ,kennedy and ,burke in earnest conversation in low tones which ,i did not overhear4 ,evidently ,craig was telling him just enough of what he had himself discovered so as to enlist ,burke's services4 ,the captain in charge of the ,uncas joined the conversation a few moments later1 and then ,kennedy took the heavy package down below4 ,for some time he was at work in one of the forward tanks that was full of water1 attaching the thing1 whatever it was1 in such a way that it seemed to form part of the skin of the ship4 ,another brief talk with ,burke and the captain followed1 and then the three returned to the deck4 ,oh1 by the way1 remarked ,burke1 as he and ,kennedy came back to me1 ,i forgot to tell you that ,i have had some of my men working on the case and one of them has just learned that a fellow named ,petzka1 one of the best wireless operators1--a ,hungarian or something--has been engaged to go on that yacht4 ,petzka8 ,i repeated involuntarily4 ,yes1 said ,burke1 in surprise1 do you know anything about him8 ,i turned to ,kennedy4 ,not much1 replied ,craig4 ,but you can find out about him1 ,i think1 through his wife4 ,he used to be one of my students4 ,here's her address4 ,she's very anxious to hear from him4 ,i'm sure that if you have any news she will be only too glad to receive it4 ,burke took the address and a little while later we went ashore4 ,i was not surprised when ,kennedy proposed1 as the next move1 to revisit the cellar in the apartment next to ,gaskell's house4 ,but ,i was surprised at what he said1 after we had reached the place4 ,all along ,i had supposed that he was planning to wait there in hope of catching the person who had installed the detectaphone4 ,that1 of course1 was a possibility1 still4 ,but in reality he had another purpose1 also4 ,we had scarcely secreted ourselves in the cellar storeroom1 which was in a dark corner where one might remain unobserved even if the janitor entered the cellar1 provided he did not search that part1 when ,kennedy took the receiving headpiece of the detectaphone and placed it over his head1 quite as if nothing had happened4 ,what's the use of that8 ,i queried4 ,you ripped the transmitter out up above4 ,he smiled quietly4 ,while my back was turned toward you1 so that you couldn't see1 he said1 ,i slipped the thing back again1 only down further where ,gaskell wouldn't be likely to find it1 even if he looked4 ,i don't know whether he was frank with us1 so ,i thought ,i'd try the eavesdropping game myself1 in place of the man who put this thing in in the first place1 whoever he was4 ,we took turns listening1 but could hear not a sound4 ,nor did anyone come into the cellar4 ,so a good part of the afternoon passed1 apparently fruitless4 ,my patience was thoroughly exhausted when1 suddenly1 a motion from ,craig revived my flagging interest4 ,i waited impatiently for him to tell me what it was that he heard4 ,what was it8 ,i asked finally as he pulled the receivers off his head and stood for a moment1 considering4 ,at first ,i heard the sound of voices1 he answered quickly4 ,one was the voice of a woman1 which ,i recognized4 ,it was the ,countess4 ,the other was the ,count4 ',giulia1' ,i heard him say1 as they entered the room1 ',i don't see why you should want to go4 ,it's dangerous4 ,and besides1 it's none of our business if your father lets his yacht be used for such a purpose4' ',but ,i want to go1 ,alex1' she said4 ',i will go4 ,i'm a good sailor4 ,it's father's yacht4 ,he won't care4' ',but what's the use8' he expostulated4 ',besides--think of the danger4 ,if it was our business1 it might be different4' ',i should think you'd want to go4' ',not ,i4 ,i can get all the excitement ,i want in a motor-boat race without risking my precious neck pulling the chestnuts out of the fire for someone else4' ',well1 ,i want the adventure1' she persisted1 petulantly4 ',but1 ,giulia1 if you go tonight1 think of the risk--' ,that was the last ,i heard as they left the room1 still arguing4 ,evidently1 someone is going to pull off something tonight4 ,it did not take ,kennedy long to make up his mind what to do next4 ,he left the cellar hurriedly and in the laboratory hastily fixed up a second heavy and bulky package similar to that which he had taken down to the revenue cutter earlier in the day1 making it into two parcels so as to distribute the burden between us4 ,that night we journeyed out to ,oceanhurst again4 ,avoiding the regular road1 we made our way from the station to the ,gaskell place by a roundabout path and it was quite dark by the time we got there4 ,as we approached the basin we saw that there were several men about4 ,they appeared to be on guard1 but since ,oceanhurst at that season of the year was pretty deserted and the ,gaskell estate was out of the town1 they were not especially vigilant4 ,dark and grim1 with only one light showing weakly1 lay the yacht1 having been run into the basin1 now4 ,a hawser had been stretched across the mouth of the basin4 ,outside was a little tender1 while a searchlight was playing over the water all the time4 ,evidently whatever interference was feared was expected from the water rather than from the land4 ,we slunk into the shadow of a row of bath-houses1 in order to get our bearings4 ,on the opposite side from the road that led down from the house1 it was not so likely that anyone would suspect that interlopers were hiding there4 ,still1 they were not neglecting that side of the basin1 at least in a perfunctory sort of way4 ,kennedy drew me back into the shadow1 deeper1 at the sound of footsteps on the boardwalk leading in front of the bath-houses4 ,from our hiding place we could now hear two voices1 apparently of sailors4 ,do you know the new wireless operator who goes with us tonight8 asked one4 ,no4 ,they've been very careful of him4 ,i guess they were afraid that someone might get wise4 ,but there couldn't very well be any leak1 there4 ,one of those ,englishmen has been with him every minute since he was engaged4 ,they say he's pretty good4 ,who is he8 ,a ,servian1 he says1 and his name sounds as if it might be so4 ,the voices trailed off4 ,it was only a scrap of conversation1 but ,kennedy had not missed a word of it4 ,that means ,petzka1 he nodded to me4 ,what is he--a ,hungarian or a ,servian8 ,i asked quickly4 ,kennedy had craned his neck out beyond the corner of the bath-houses and was looking at the ,furious in the basin4 ,come on1 ,walter1 he whispered1 not taking time to answer my question4 ,those fellows have gone4 ,there's no one at all on this side of the basin and ,i just saw the men on deck go up the gangplank to the boat-house4 ,they can't do any more than put us off1 anyhow4 ,he had watched his chance well4 ,as quickly as we could1 burdened down by our two heavy packages1 we managed to slip across the boardwalk to the piling that formed that side of the basin4 ,the ,furious had swung over with the tide nearer our side than the other4 ,it was a daring leap1 but he made it as lightly as a cat1 landing on the deck4 ,i passed over the packages to him and followed4 ,kennedy scarcely paused to glance about4 ,he had chosen a moment when no one was looking1 and1 bending down under the weight of the packages we dodged back of a cabin4 ,a dim light shining into the hold told us that no one was there and we dived down4 ,it was the work of a moment to secrete ourselves in the blank darkness behind a pile of boxes1 aft4 ,a noise startled us4 ,someone was coming down the steep1 ladder-like stairs4 ,a moment later we heard another noise4 ,there were two of them1 moving about among the boxes4 ,from our hiding place we could overhear them talking in hoarse whispers1 but could not see them4 ,where did you put them8 asked a voice4 ,in every package of explosives and in as many of the boxes of canned goods as ,i had time4 ,there wasn't much opportunity except while the stuff was in the boat-house4 ,i looked at ,kennedy1 wild-eyed4 ,was there treachery in the crew8 ,he was leaning forward as much as our cramped quarters would permit1 so as not to miss a word4 ,all right1 said the other voice4 ,no one suspects8 ,no4 ,but the ,secret ,service has been pretty busy4 ,they suspect something--but not this4 ,good4 ,you are sure that you can detonate them when the time comes8 ,positive4 ,everything is working fine4 ,i've done my part of it4 ,changing wireless operators gave me just the chance ,i wanted4 ,all right4 ,i guess ,i'll go now4 ,remember the signal4 ,as soon as the things are detonated ,i will get off1 some way1 by wireless the ,s ,o ,s--as if it came from the fleet1 you understand8 ,yes--that will be the signal for the dash4 ,good luck--,i'm going ashore now4 ,as they passed up the ladder1 ,i could no longer restrain myself4 ,craig1 ,i cried1 this is devilish6 ,i thought ,i saw it all now4 ,in the cases of goods on the ,furious were some terrible infernal machines which had been hidden1 to be detonated by these deadly rays of wireless4 ,kennedy was busy1 working quickly putting together the parts he had taken from the two packages we had carried4 ,as ,i watched him1 ,i realized that the burning of the ,rovigno house was not the action of an incendiary1 after all4 ,it had been done by these deadly rays1 probably by mere accident4 ,as nearly as ,i could make it out1 there was a counterplot against the ,furious4 ,somewhere was an infernal workshop1 possibly hedged about by doors of steel which ordinary force would find hard to penetrate1 but from which1 any moment1 this super-criminal might send out his deadly power4 ,the more ,i considered it1 while ,kennedy worked1 the more uncanny it seemed4 ,this man had rendered the mere possession of explosives more dangerous to the possessor than to the enemy4 ,archimedes had been outdone6 ,the problem before us now was not only the preservation of ,american neutrality1 but the actual safety of life4 ,through the open hatch ,i could now hear voices on the deck4 ,one was that of a woman1 which ,i recognized quickly4 ,it was ,julia ,rovigno4 ,i'll be just as quiet as a mouse1 she was saying4 ,i'll stay in the cabin--,i won't be in the way4 ,i could not hear the man's voice in reply1 but it did not sound like ,rovigno's4 ,it was rather like ,gaskell's4 ,still1 we had heard enough to know that ,julia ,rovigno was on the yacht1 had insisted on going on the expedition for the excitement of the thing1 just as we had heard over the detectaphone4 ,hadn't we better warn her8 ,i asked ,craig1 who had paused in his work at the sound of voices4 ,before he could answer we were plunged in sudden darkness4 ,someone had switched out the light that had been shining down through the hatchway4 ,before we knew it the opening to the hatchway had been closed4 ,,chapter ,,xii ,,the ,,submarine ,,bell ,kennedy groped about for a light1 stumbling over boxes and bags4 ,for heaven's sake1 ,craig1 ,i entreated4 ,be careful4 ,those packages are full of the devilish things6 ,he said nothing4 ,at least we had a little more freedom to move and ,i managed to find my way over to a little round porthole and open it4 ,as ,i looked out1 ,i almost fainted at the realization4 ,the ,furious was under way6 ,we were locked in the hold--virtual prisoners--our only company those dastardly infernal machines1 whose very nature we did not know6 ,helplessly ,i gazed around me4 ,there seemed to be only this one porthole1 open1 looking out over the dark and turbulent water1 which slipped ominously past as we gained speed4 ,why had ,kennedy not foreseen this risk8 ,i glanced at him4 ,he had found an electric light1 connected with the yacht's dynamo1 and1 before turning it on1 closed and covered the port so that it threw no reflection out4 ,far from being disconcerted1 on the contrary1 he seemed rather pleased than otherwise at the unexpected turn of events4 ,as ,i looked at our scant and cramped quarters ,i could see absolutely no way of getting word to anyone off the ,furious who might help us4 ,what he was working on ,i did not know1 but if it was some sort of wireless1 even if we were able to send a message1 what hope was there that it would get past the delicate wireless detector which this criminal must have somewhere near for tapping messages that were being flashed through the air8 ,had we not heard him say that the signal was to be an ,s ,o ,s sent1 as it were1 from the fleet far out on the ocean8 ,i could well have believed that ,kennedy could rig up some means of communication4 ,but1 if the possessor of this terrible infra-red ray1 or wireless wave1 secret should learn that we1 too1 knew it1 the only result that he would accomplish would be to insure our destruction immediately4 ,it was a foggy night and a drizzle had set in4 ,the ,furious could not under such circumstances make such good speed as she was accustomed to make4 ,fortunately1 also1 the waves were not running high4 ,craig had taken a desperate chance4 ,how would he meet it8 ,i watched him at work1 fascinated by our peril4 ,finishing as quickly as he could1 he put out our sole electric light1 unscrewed the bulb and attached to the socket a wire which he had connected with the instrument over which he had spent so many precious moments4 ,through the little porthole he cast a peculiar disk1 heavy1 such as ,i had seen him place so carefully aboard the ,uncas4 ,it sank in the water with a splash and trailed along beside the yacht1 held by a wire1 submerged1 perhaps1 ten or twelve feet4 ,he made a final inspection of the thing as well as he could by the light of a match1 then pressed a key which seemed to close a circuit4 ,i could feel a dull1 metallic vibration1 as it were4 ,what are you doing8 ,i asked1 looking curiously also at an arrangement1 like a microphone1 which he had placed over his ears4 ,it works6 he cried excitedly4 ,what works8 ,i reiterated4 ,this ,fessenden oscillator1 he explained4 ,it's a system for the employment of sound for submarine signals4 ,i don't know whether you realize it1 but great advance has been made recently since it was suggested to use water instead of air as the medium for transmitting signals4 ,i can't stop to explain this apparatus just now1 but it is composed of a ring magnet1 a copper tube which lies in an air gap of a magnetic field1 and a stationary central armature4 ,the magnetic field is much stronger than that in the ordinary dynamo4 ,the copper tube1 which has an alternating current induced in it1 is attached to solid disks of steel which in turn are attached to a steel diaphragm an inch thick4 ,in the ,uncas ,i had a chance to make that diaphragm practically a part of the side of the ship4 ,here ,i have had to hang it overboard1 with a large water-tight diaphragm attached to the oscillator4 ,i listened eagerly1 even if ,i were not an electrical engineer4 ,the same oscillator1 he went on1 is used for sending and receiving1 for1 like the ordinary electric motor it is also capable of acting as a generator1 and a very efficient one1 too4 ,all ,i have to do is to throw a switch in one direction when ,i want to telegraph or telephone under water1 and in the other direction when ,i want to listen in4 ,i could scarcely credit what ,i heard4 ,craig had circumvented even the spectacular wireless4 ,he was actually talking through water4 ,craig had virtually endowed himself with a sixth sense6 ,i watched him spellbound4 ,would he succeed in whatever it was that he was planning8 ,i waited anxiously4 ,there's the answer6 he exclaimed in sudden exultation4 ,burke is on the ,uncas4 ,he tells me that he went to see ,mrs4 ,petzka and she is with him--insisted on going1 when she heard that her husband had been engaged by the ,furious4 ,he waited a moment4 ,you see1 ,walter1 he resumed1 what ,i am doing is to send out signals by which the ,uncas can locate and follow us4 ,she is fast1 but1 thank heaven1 this yacht has to go slow tonight4 ,sound travels in water at a velocity of about four thousand feet a second4 ,for instance1 ,i find that ,i get an echo in about one-twentieth of a second4 ,that is the reflected sound wave from the bottom1 and indicates that we are in water of about one hundred feet depth4 ,then ,i get another echo in something over two seconds4 ,that is the waves reflected from the ,uncas1 which has been hovering about1 waiting for something to happen4 ,they can't be much more than a mile and a half away1 now4 ,i had expected to signal them from the shore1 a dock or something of the sort1 using this oscillator to get around that fellow's wireless4 ,but we're much better off on the boat4 ,i looked at him in amazement4 ,surrounded by all this junk that may blow us to kingdom come any second8 ,i demanded4 ,burke says steam is still up on all the ships tied up in the harbor so that they can make a dash for it4 ,they are evidently waiting for that ,s ,o ,s signal4 ,that's all right1 ,i said in desperation1 ,but suppose they blow us up1 first8 ,blow us up first8 he repeated4 ,why1 don't you understand8 ,it is not the ,furious that they are after4 ,the whole war fleet that is hanging around in this part of the ,atlantic is to be blown up in mid-ocean1 as part of the plan to aid the escape of the interned ships in ,new ,york4 ,oh1 ,i breathed1 with a sigh of relief1 that's it1 is it8 ,yes4 ,we'll get in bad all around if we can't stop it--,burke with the ,secret ,service and ourselves with ,gaskell1 who doesn't dream that his yacht is being used for the exact opposite of the purpose for which he thinks he has lent it--to say nothing of the mess that our government will have to face for letting these precious schemers play ducks and drakes with our neutrality4 ,we waited eagerly1 ,kennedy sending out and receiving the submarine signals1 and ,i peering out anxiously into the almost impenetrable fog4 ,suddenly1 apparently from nowhere in the shifting mist1 lights seemed to loom up4 ,instead of stopping1 however1 the ,furious put on a sudden burst of reckless speed4 ,the ,uncas was no match for her at that game4 ,would she escape finally1 after all8 ,a sharp report rang out4 ,the ,uncas had sent a shot across our bows1 so dangerously close that it snapped one of the cables that held the mast4 ,the vibration of our engine slowed1 and ceased1 and we lay1 idly wallowing in the waves as the revenue cutter1 bearing our friend ,burke and help1 came up4 ,a couple of boats put out from the cutter and in almost no time we could hear the tread of feet and the exchange of harsh words as the government officers swarmed up the ladder to our deck4 ,it was only a moment later that the hatch was broken open and we heard the welcome brogue of ,burke1 calling1 ,kennedy--are you and ,jameson all right8 ,right here1 sang out ,craig1 detaching the oscillator and replacing the electric bulb1 which he lighted4 ,the commotion on deck was too great for anyone to make much of finding us1 two stowaways4 ,the ,countess was surprised1 however1 and1 ,i felt1 rather glad to see us at a time when we might1 possibly exert some influence in her favor if matters came to a more serious pass4 ,there was scarcely time for a word4 ,burke's men were working quickly4 ,they had entered the hold1 after a word from ,kennedy1 and far out into the ocean they were casting the boxes and bags overboard1 one at a time1 as fast as they could4 ,they worked feverishly1 as ,burke spurred them on1 and ,i must say that it was with the utmost relief that ,i saw the things thrown over4 ,the boxes sank1 but rose again and floated1 bobbing up and down1 at least some of them1 perhaps a third above water and two-thirds below4 ,it was not for several minutes that ,i noticed that with those who had come aboard the ,furious from the cutter stood ,bettina ,petzka4 ,a moment later she caught sight of ,kennedy4 ,where is my husband8 she demanded1 running to him4 ,kennedy had no chance to reply4 ,suddenly a series of flashes shattered the darkness4 ,a terrific roar seemed to rise from the very ocean1 while a rain of sparks lighted up great spurts of water and then fell back1 to perish in the dark waves4 ,the ,furious trembled from end to end4 ,we looked1 startled1 at each other4 ,but we were all safe4 ,the things had been detonated in the water4 ,only the fact that he would have blown himself up prevented him from blowing up the yacht and all the evidence against him1 now that we have discovered his plot1 cried ,burke1 excitedly1 dashing down the deck4 ,recovered scarcely from our surprise at the explosion and the queer actions of the ,secret ,service man1 we rushed after him as best we could1 ,craig leading4 ,he led the way to the little wireless room4 ,the door was bolted on the inside1 but we managed soon to burst it open4 ,i shall never forget the surprise which greeted us4 ,in a chair1 bound and gagged1 as though he had been overcome only after a struggle1 sat ,petzka4 ,mrs4 ,petzka threw herself frantically on him1 tearing at the stout cords that held him4 ,nikola--what is the matter8 she cried4 ,what has happened8 ,through his gag1 which she had loosened a bit1 he made a peculiar1 gurgling noise4 ,as nearly as ,i could make out1 he was struggling to say1 ,he came in--surprised me--seized me--locked the door4 ,julia ,rovigno stood rooted to the spot--utterly speechless4 ,there1 surrounded by electric batteries1 condensers1 projectors1 regulators1 resonators1 reflectors1 voltmeters1 and ammeters1 queer apparatus which he had smuggled secretly on the ,furious1 before a strange sort of device1 with a wireless headgear still over his ears1 stood the owner of at least two of the liners of the belligerents which were to have made the dash for the ocean after he had succeeded by his new wireless ray device in removing the hostile fleet--,count ,rovigno himself4 ,,chapter ,,xiii ,,the ,,super-,,toxin ,i've got to make good in this ,delaney case1 ,kennedy1 appealed our old friend1 ,dr4 ,leslie1 the coroner1 one evening when he had dropped unexpectedly into the laboratory1 looking particularly fagged and discouraged4 ,you know1 he added1 they've been investigating my office--and now1 here comes a case which1 ,i must confess1 completely baffles us again4 ,delaney1 mused ,craig4 ,let me see4 ,that's the rich ,texas rancher who has been blazing a trail through the white lights of ,broadway--with that ,baroness ,von ,dorf and---- ,and other war brokers1 interrupted ,leslie4 ,war brokers8 queried ,craig4 ,yes4 ,that's what they call them4 ,they're a new class--people with something to sell to or with commissions to buy for belligerent governments4 ,in ,delaney's case it was fifty thousand or so head of cattle and horses1 controlled by a syndicate of which he was the promoter4 ,that's why he came to ,new ,york1 you know1--to sell them at a high price to any ,european power4 ,the syndicate stands to make a small fortune4 ,i understand1 nodded ,kennedy1 interested4 ,just as though there wasn't mystery enough about ,delaney's sudden death1 ,leslie hurried on1 here's a letter that came to him today--too late4 ,kennedy took the note ,leslie handed him4 ,it was postmarked ,washington1 and read3 ,,dear ,,daley3 ,i intended writing to you sooner but haven't felt well enough since ,i came here4 ,the strangest thing about it is that the doctors ,i have consulted seem to be unable to tell me definitely what is the matter4 ,i can tell you ,i have been badly frightened4 ,i seemed to have a lot of little boils on my face and new ones kept coming4 ,i felt weak and chilly and had headaches that almost drove me crazy4 ,perhaps the thing1 whatever it is1 has made me insane1 but ,i cannot help wondering whether there may not be something back of it all4 ,do you suppose someone could have poisoned me1 hoping to ruin my beauty1 on which1 to a great measure1 depends my success in my mission to ,america during the war8 ,since ,i came here ,i have been wondering1 too1 how you are4 ,if there should be anything in my suspicions1 perhaps it would be safest for you to leave ,new ,york4 ,there is nothing more ,i can say1 but if you feel the least bit unwell1 do not disregard this warning4 ,if you will meet me here1 we can arrange the deal with those ,i represent at almost any price you name4 ,try hard to get here4 ,as ever1 ,,louise4 ,craig looked up quickly4 ,have you communicated with the ,baroness8 he asked4 ,dr4 ,leslie leaned forward in his chair4 ,the fact is1 he replied slowly1 the woman who calls herself the ,baroness ,von ,dorf has suddenly disappeared1 even in ,washington4 ,we can find no trace of her whatever4 ,indeed1 the embassy down there does not even admit that she is a war buyer4 ,oh1 the newspapers haven't got the whole ,delaney story--yet4 ,but when they do get it--he paused and glanced significantly at me--there's going to be some sensation4 ,i recalled now that there had been an air of mystery surrounding the sudden death of ,daley ,delaney the day before4 ,at least one of the papers had called it the purple death--whatever that might mean4 ,i had thought it due to the wild career of the ranchman1 perhaps a plain case of apoplexy1 around which the bright young reporters had woven a slender thread of romance4 ,kennedy1 however1 thought otherwise4 ,the purple death1 he ruminated1 turning the case over in his mind4 ,have you any idea what the papers mean by that8 ,why1 it's one of the most grewsome things you ever heard of1 went on ,leslie eagerly1 encouraged4 ,in some incomprehensible way the hand of fate seems to have suddenly descended on the whole ,delaney entourage4 ,first his ,japanese servant fell a victim to this 'purple death1' as they call it4 ,he had scarcely been removed to a hospital where1 after fighting a brave fight1 he succumbed to the unknown peril1 when the butler was stricken4 ,delaney himself packed up1 to leave1 in panic1 when suddenly1 apparently without warning1 the purple death carried him off4 ,in three days three of them have died suddenly4 ,then came this letter from the ,baroness4 ,it set me thinking4 ,perhaps it was poison--,i don't know4 ,craig read the letter of the ,baroness again4 ,most interesting1 he exclaimed energetically as ,dr4 ,leslie finished4 ,i shall be only too glad to help you if ,i can4 ,could you take us up to ,delaney's rooms8 ,is the body still there8 ,no1 it has been removed to a private undertaking establishment and the apartment is guarded by police4 ,we can stop at the undertaker's on the way over to the apartment4 ,there could be no doubt that ,leslie was considerably relieved to think that ,craig would consent to take the case4 ,as for ,kennedy1 ,i could see that the affair aroused his interest to the keenest point4 ,was anyone associated with ,delaney in the syndicate here8 inquired ,craig as we settled ourselves in ,dr4 ,leslie's car4 ,yes1 answered the coroner1 hurrying us along1 another member of the syndicate was his friend1 ,dr4 ,harris ,haynes4 ,who is he8 asked ,kennedy4 ,haynes has been a veterinary1 but found that there was more money in the cattle business than in practicing his profession4 ,the needs of ,european war seemed to offer just the opportunity they needed to reap a quick fortune4 ,i've heard1 nodded ,craig1 that conditions abroad have led to a great influx of adventurers with other people's money4 ,yes4 ,according to all accounts1 ,delaney and ,haynes have been leading a rather rapid existence since they came to ,new ,york4 ,it's quite right4 ,the city is full of queer and mysterious characters1 both men and women1 who profess to be agents for various foreign governments1 often unnamed4 ,delaney and ,haynes have met about all of this curious army1 ,i suppose4 ,i see1 prompted ,craig4 ,among them1 ,i take it1 was this stunning woman who calls herself the ,baroness ,louise ,von ,dorf4 ,how friendly were they8 ,well1 she spent a great deal of time1 when she was in the city1 up at the apartment ,delaney had rented4 ,leslie and ,kennedy exchanged a significant glance4 ,who is she8 asked ,craig4 ,do you know8 ,no one seems to know4 ,yet she is always plentifully supplied with money and they tell me she talks glibly of those whose 'influence' she can command in ,washington4 ,but she has disappeared1 mused ,kennedy4 ,were there any others8 ,haynes hasn't been proof against their wiles1 answered the coroner4 ,i have found out that he was introduced by one of the 'war brokers' to a ,madame ,daphne ,dupres4 ,and she8 ,leslie shook his head4 ,i don't know anything about her1 except that she lives at the ,hotel ,st4 ,quentin--the same place1 by the way1 where ,haynes makes his headquarters4 ,our car pulled up at the private morgue of the burial company to which ,delaney's body had been taken4 ,we entered1 and ,kennedy wasted no time in making a careful examination of the remains of the unfortunate victim4 ,i couldn't make anything out of it1 even after an autopsy1 confessed ,dr4 ,leslie4 ,it seemed as though it were something that had been conveyed by the blood all over the body1 something that blocked the capillaries and caused innumerable hemorrhages into organs and tissues1 and especially nerve centers4 ,the body seemed to be discolored and variegated in color1 with here and there little marks of boils or vesicles4 ,it looks like something that has depleted the red corpuscles of oxygen1 continued ,leslie1 noticing that ,kennedy had drawn off a little of the body fluids1 evidently for future study4 ,as nearly as ,i could make out there had been a cyanosis in a marked degree4 ,he had all the appearance of having been asphyxiated4 ,which seems to have been enough to suggest to some imaginative mind the 'purple death1' remarked ,kennedy dryly4 ,still1 ,i could not help noticing that it was really no exaggeration to call it the purple death4 ,one of the morgue attendants had called ,dr4 ,leslie aside and a moment later he rejoined us4 ,they tell me ,haynes has been here1 he reported4 ,i left word that any visitors were to be carefully watched4 ,strange1 muttered ,kennedy1 absorbing ,dr4 ,leslie's latest information and then looking back at the body1 puzzled4 ,very strange4 ,let us go up to the apartment right away4 ,kennedy stowed the little tube in which he had placed the body fluid safely in his pocket and led the way out again to our waiting car4 ,delaney had picked out a fashionable neighborhood in which to live4 ,as we entered the bronze grilled door and rode up in the elevator1 ,kennedy handed each of us a cigar and lighted one himself4 ,i lighted up1 too1 thinking that perhaps there might be some virtue in tobacco to ward off the unseen perils into which we were going4 ,the wealthy ranchman1 evidently1 on his arrival in ,new ,york had rented an apartment1 furnished1 from a lawyer1 ,ashby ,ames1 who had gone south on account of his health4 ,we entered and found that it was a very attractive place that ,ames had fitted up4 ,at one side of a library or drawing-room opened out a little glass sun-parlor or conservatory on a balcony4 ,into it a dining-room opened also4 ,in fact1 the living rooms of the whole suite could be thrown into one1 with this sun-parlor as a center4 ,everything about the apartment was quite up-to-date1 also4 ,for instance1 ,i noticed that the little conservatory was lighted brilliantly by a mercury vapor tube that ran around it in a huge rectangle of light4 ,dr4 ,leslie and the police had already ransacked the place and there did not seem to be much likelihood that anything could have escaped them4 ,still1 ,kennedy began a searching examination after his own methods1 while we waited1 gazing at him curiously4 ,by the frown on his forehead ,i gathered that he was not meeting with much encouragement1 when1 suddenly1 he withdrew the cigar from his mouth1 looked at it critically1 puffed again1 then moved his lips and tongue as if trying to taste something4 ,mechanically ,i did the same4 ,the cigar had a peculiar flavor4 ,i should have flung it away if ,kennedy himself had not given it to me4 ,it was not mere imagination1 either4 ,surely there had been none of that sweetishness about the fragrant ,havana when ,i lighted it on the way up4 ,what is the matter8 ,i asked4 ,there's cyanogen in this room1 ,craig remarked keenly1 still tasting1 as he stood near the sun-parlor4 ,cyanogen8 ,i repeated4 ,yes1 there are artificial aids to the senses that make them much keener than nature has done for us4 ,for instance1 if air contains the merest traces of the deadly cyanogen gas--prussic acid1 you know--cigar smoke acquires a peculiar taste which furnishes an efficient alarm signal4 ,dr4 ,leslie's face brightened as ,kennedy proceeded4 ,that is something like my idea1 he exclaimed4 ,i have thought all along that it looked very much like a poisoning case4 ,in fact1 the very first impression ,i had was that it might have been due to a cyanide--or at least some gas like cyanogen4 ,kennedy said nothing1 and the coroner proceeded4 ,and the body looked cyanotic1 too1 you recall4 ,but the autopsy revealed nothing further4 ,i have even examined the food1 as far as ,i can1 but ,i can't find anything wrong with it4 ,there was a noise at the door1 outside in the hall1 and ,dr4 ,leslie opened it4 ,dr4 ,haynes1 he introduced1 a moment later4 ,haynes was a large man1 good-looking1 even striking1 with a self-assertive manner4 ,we shook hands1 and taking our cue from ,craig1 waited for him to speak4 ,it's very strange what could have carried ,delaney off so suddenly1 ventured ,haynes a moment later4 ,i've been trying to figure it out myself4 ,but ,i must admit that so far it has completely stumped me4 ,he was pacing up and down the room and ,i watched him more or less suspiciously4 ,somehow ,i could not get the idea out of my head that he had been listening to us outside4 ,now and then1 ,i fancied1 he shot a glance at us1 as if he were watching us4 ,they tell me at the burial company that you were there today1 put in ,dr4 ,leslie1 his eyes fixed on ,haynes' face4 ,haynes met his gaze squarely1 without flinching4 ,yes4 ,i got thinking over what the papers said about the 'purple death1' and ,i thought perhaps ,i might have overlooked something4 ,but there wasn't-- ,the telephone rang4 ,haynes seized the receiver before any of the rest of us could get to it4 ,that must be for me1 he said with a brusque apology4 ,why--yes1 ,i am here4 ,dr4 ,leslie and ,professor ,kennedy are up here4 ,no--we haven't discovered anything new4 ,yes--,i shall keep the appointment4 ,good-by4 ,the conversation had been short1 but1 to me at least1 it seemed that he had contrived to convey a warning without seeming to do so4 ,,chapter ,,xiv ,,the ,,secret ,,agents ,dr4 ,leslie looked at ,haynes searchingly4 ,who was it8 he asked4 ,madame ,dupres8 ,haynes did not hesitate4 ,yes1 he nodded4 ,i had an appointment with her and told her that if ,i was late it would probably be that ,i had stopped here4 ,the answer came so readily that ,i must confess that ,i was suspicious of it4 ,did ,madame ,dupres know the ,baroness ,von ,dorf8 asked ,craig quickly4 ,yes1 indeed1 returned ,haynes1 then stopped suddenly4 ,but they didn't travel in the same circle1 did they8 asked ,dr4 ,leslie1 with the air of the cross-examiner who wished to place on record a fact that might later prove damaging4 ,not exactly1 answered ,haynes1 with some hesitation4 ,you knew her1 of course8 added ,craig4 ,haynes nodded4 ,i wonder if you could locate the ,baroness1 pursued ,kennedy4 ,haynes seemed to express no surprise at the obvious implication that she was missing4 ,i have no objection to trying1 he answered simply2 then1 with a glance at his watch1 he reached for his hat and stick and excused himself4 ,i'm afraid ,i must go4 ,if ,i can be of any assistance1 he added1 don't hesitate to call on me4 ,delaney and ,i were pretty closely associated in this deal and ,i feel that nothing is too much to ask of me if it is possible to clear up the mystery of his death1 if there is any4 ,he departed as quickly as he had come4 ,i wonder what he dropped in for8 ,i remarked4 ,whatever it was1 he didn't get it1 returned ,leslie4 ,i'm not so sure of that1 ,i said1 remembering the brief telephone conversation with ,madame ,dupres4 ,kennedy did not appear to be bothering much about the question one way or the other4 ,he had let his cigar go out during ,haynes' visit1 but now that we were alone again he continued his minute search of the premises4 ,he opened a closet which evidently contained nothing but household utensils and was about to shut the door when an idea occurred to him4 ,a moment later he pulled from the mystic depths an electric vacuum cleaner and dragged it over to the sun-parlor4 ,without a word we watched him as he ran it over the floor and walls1 even over the wicker stands on which the plants stood1 and then over the floor coverings and furniture of the other rooms that opened into the conservatory4 ,what he was after ,i could not imagine1 but ,i knew it was useless to ask him until he had found it or had some reason for telling it4 ,carefully he removed the dust and dirt from the machine and wrapped it up tightly in a package4 ,we parted from ,dr4 ,leslie at the door of the apartment1 promising to keep in touch with him and let him know the moment anything happened4 ,at the first telegraph office ,kennedy entered and sent off a long message to our friend ,burke of the ,secret ,service in ,washington1 asking him to locate the ,baroness1 if possible1 in that city1 and to give any information he might have about either ,haynes or ,madame ,dupres4 ,it's still early in the evening1 remarked ,kennedy as we left the telegraph office4 ,suppose we drop around to the ,st4 ,quentin4 ,perhaps we may run into our friends there4 ,the ,st4 ,quentin was a favorite resort of foreigners in ,new ,york1 and ,i1 at least1 entered prepared to suspect everyone4 ,not all these mysterious-looking men and women1 laughed ,kennedy1 noticing me as we walked through the lobby1 are secret agents of foreign governments4 ,still they look as if they might give you the 'high sign1' ,i replied1 particularly if you flashed a bankroll4 ,i don't doubt it1 he agreed1 his eye roving over the throng4 ,i suspect that ,scotland ,yard and the ,palais de ,justice might be quite pleased to see some faces here rather than on the other side of the ,atlantic4 ,he drew me into an angle and for some moments we studied the passing crowd of diplomats and near-diplomats4 ,a moment later ,i saw ,kennedy bow and1 following the direction of his eyes1 looked up to a sort of mezzanine gallery4 ,there were ,haynes and a most attractive woman1 talking earnestly4 ,madame ,dupres1 ,craig whispered to me1 aside4 ,she was tall1 slender1 gowned in the most modish manner1 and had a foreign way about her that would have fascinated one even more cosmopolitan than a ,texas veterinary4 ,now and then someone would stop and chat with them and it seemed that they were on very good terms1 at least with a certain group at the ,st4 ,quentin4 ,kennedy moved out further into the lobby where he was more noticeable2 then1 with a sudden resolution1 mounted the steps to the mezzanine floor and approached ,haynes4 ,let me introduce ,professor ,kennedy1 ,madame ,dupres1 presented ,haynes4 ,kennedy bowed4 ,whatever one's opinion of madame1 he was forced to admit that she was clever4 ,it was evident1 also1 that she and ,haynes were on very intimate terms1 also4 ,i hope that you will be able to clear up the mystery that the newspapers have found in ,mr4 ,delaney's death1 she remarked4 ,mr4 ,haynes has told me that he met you tonight with ,dr4 ,leslie4 ,by the way1 has he told you his own theory8 she asked4 ,we shall do our best1 replied ,kennedy1 meeting her eye in as impersonal a manner as it was possible1 for it is always difficult to dissociate a beautiful woman from a case like this and judge her not as a beautiful woman but on the merits of the case4 ,no1 ,mr4 ,haynes has not told me his theory--yet4 ,i'm very glad to have met you1 she added1 extending her daintily gloved hand to ,kennedy1 and you may be sure that if there is any way in which ,i can be of service ,i shall expect you to call on me4 ,just now ,i hope you will excuse me4 ,i have some letters to get off--and ,i will leave you men to discuss ,mr4 ,haynes' theory without being hampered by a mere woman4 ,never mind1 ,harris1 she added as ,haynes made as if to escort her to the ladies' writing room4 ,as ,madame ,dupres passed down the steps there was no denying that she made a splendid impression4 ,haynes watched her with a glance that was almost ravenous4 ,there could be no doubt of her influence over him4 ,as she passed through the lobby she paused at the telegraph desk a moment1 then went into the writing room4 ,yes1 ,i think ,i have an explanation1 began ,haynes1 when she was out of sight4 ,i've been trying to figure out what could have killed ,delaney4 ,of course ,i can only guess1 but ,i don't think it is such a bad guess4 ,what is it8 asked ,craig4 ,you remember the mercury vapor light8 ,kennedy nodded4 ,mercury vapor lights of that sort are a pretty good source of ultra-violet rays sometimes1 went on ,haynes4 ,well1 doubtless you know that various plants belonging to different families produce free prussic acid4 ,they are really cyanogenetic plants4 ,light and the assimilation processes depending on light exert a favorable influence on cyanogenesis4 ,for instance1 a mixture of citric acid with a much smaller amount of potassium nitrite and a trace of bicarbonate of iron1 if exposed to light1 will generate hydrocyanic acid4 ,that1 ,i believe1 is what actually happens in some plant tissues4 ,animals rarely touch such plants4 ,i believe that such a process might be aided rather than retarded by ultra-violet rays4 ,what do you think of it8 ,craig was following ,dr4 ,haynes keenly4 ,as for me1 ,i was astounded by his frankness4 ,i recalled what ,kennedy had already said up in ,delaney's apartment1 and watched his face covertly4 ,your explanation is plausible1 was all that ,craig said4 ,by the way1 have you found out anything about the ,baroness8 ,not a word1 yet1 replied ,haynes unhesitatingly4 ,she seems to be out of town4 ,and madame--has she any idea where she is8 ,haynes shook his head4 ,you may rest assured1 replied ,haynes in a tone that was meant to carry conviction1 that if we can find out we shall be only too happy to do so--ourselves4 ,there was nothing to be gained by further inquiry here1 and ,i could imagine that ,kennedy was burning with anxiety to get at work on his own line of inquiry at the laboratory4 ,after a few minutes of conversation we excused ourselves and left the hotel4 ,craig's air of abstraction was not such as to invite further questioning1 and ,i left him an hour or so later in the laboratory surrounded by his microscopes1 slides1 and innumerable test-tubes which he had prepared for some exceedingly minute investigation in which his exact soul delighted4 ,how late he worked ,i do not know1 for ,i did not hear him come into our apartment4 ,but he was up very early1 in fact woke me up stirring around the living room4 ,i had scarcely completed dressing1 while he scanned the morning papers in a vain hope that some stray news item might shed some light on the mystery in which we were now involved1 when the whirr of our door buzzer announced that we had an unusually early caller4 ,kennedy opened the door and admitted a stranger4 ,he was one of those well-groomed middle-aged men whose appearance denotes with what care they seek by every means to retain youth that is fast passing4 ,i could imagine him calmly calculating even his vices4 ,my name is ,ames--,ashby ,ames1 he introduced4 ,dr4 ,leslie1 the coroner1 has suggested that ,i see you4 ,ames looked as if he had been traveling all night and had not had a chance to freshen himself up in his haste4 ,i've just heard about that trouble down at my apartment1 he continued1 and1 though ,i had planned a trip for my health to the southern resorts1 ,i thought it best for me to come right back to ,new ,york4 ,it's a beastly mess4 ,he had thrown his hat vindictively on the table1 though his manner to us was rather that of one seeking advice4 ,why1 he stormed1 this affair is the limit6 ,i rent my apartment to an apparently reputable person4 ,and what do ,i find8 ,it is not even a mere scandal4 ,it is worse4 ,the place is closed and guarded--quarantined1 as it were4 ,i can't get back into my own rooms6 ,kennedy smiled4 ,i can't blame you for feeling vexed1 ,mr4 ,ames1 he soothed1 but ,i'm sure ,i don't know what ,i can do for you more than ,i am doing4 ,we are making every effort to clear the thing up--and ,i have been on the case1 you must remember1 less than twelve hours4 ,oh1 ,i've no criticism of you1 rejoined ,ames1 somewhat mollified4 ,i didn't come here to criticise4 ,i came only because ,i thought you might like to know that ,i was back in town1 and because ,dr4 ,leslie mentioned your name4 ,no1 indeed--no criticism4 ,only1 he added1 now that my vacation is spoiled and ,i am back in town1 there is going to be some action--that's all4 ,it can't come too swiftly for me1 encouraged ,craig4 ,i'm going to jump right into this beastly row1 pursued ,ames aggressively4 ,this morning ,i'm going to look these people up4 ,they tell me that ,baroness has been spending a good deal of time at my place4 ,pine business--eh8 ,she's disappeared4 ,but ,i'll get after that ,haynes and the ,madame ,dupres they tell me about--and ,i'll let you know if ,i find out anything4 ,he had not given ,kennedy a chance to say anything1 and in fact ,kennedy did not seem to want to say anything yet4 ,just thought ,i'd drop in1 concluded ,ames1 who hadn't taken a chair1 but now extended his hand to us2 ,i think ,i'll drop into a ,turkish bath and freshen up a bit4 ,keep in touch with me4 ,we shook hands and ,ames departed1 bustling out as he had bustled in4 ,kennedy looked at me and laughed as the door closed4 ,if we have many more people co-operating with us1 he exclaimed1 we may resign and let this case solve itself4 ,i don't think that is likely1 ,i replied4 ,not unless we hear from ,burke1 he agreed4 ,there is plenty for me to do in the laboratory--but ,i do wish ,burke would wire4 ,the morning passed1 and still there was no word from ,burke4 ,i think we might drop around to the ,st4 ,quentin for lunch1 suggested ,kennedy in the forenoon4 ,we might pick up some news there4 ,we had scarcely entered when we met ,haynes pacing up and down the lobby furiously4 ,what's the matter8 inquired ,craig1 eyeing him searchingly4 ,why1 he replied nervously1 sticking his thumbs into his waistcoat pockets and then plunging them into his trousers pockets as if it was with the utmost difficulty he controlled those unruly members from doing violence to somebody1 that fellow ,ames from whom ,delaney hired the apartment had just returned suddenly to town4 ,i saw him talking to ,madame ,dupres in the hotel parlor4 ,she seemed a bit nervous1 so ,i went in to speak to her4 ,but she said everything was all right and that she'd meet me out here in a few minutes4 ,it's quarter of an hour now4 ,i think he's threatening her with something4 ,haynes was evidently worried4 ,i wondered whether he was afraid that ,ames might worm from her some secret common to the two1 for ,i did not doubt that ,ames was a clever and subtle attorney and capable of obtaining a great deal of information by his kind of kid-glove third degree4 ,i should like to see both of them1 decided ,craig quickly4 ,before ,haynes could say anything more1 he strode into the hotel parlor4 ,haynes and ,i followed a short distance behind4 ,there was an air of tense1 suppressed excitement in the group1 but of all of us1 ,i felt that ,madame ,dupres was the coolest4 ,i see you've lost no time in getting busy1 nodded ,craig to ,ames4 ,no1 he replied easily4 ,this is certainly a very interesting situation which madame here has just outlined to me4 ,haynes came up just in time to catch the last words4 ,i say1 ,ames1 he almost roared1 you may be a clever lawyer1 but you must remember that you are also expected to be a gentleman4 ,there are limits to questioning a woman when she has not the advantage of having a friend to advise her4 ,for a moment ,i thought there was going to be a fight1 but ,kennedy moved unobtrusively between the two men4 ,as for ,madame ,dupres1 ,i felt that really she was a match for both of them4 ,instead of getting mad1 however1 ,ames merely laughed4 ,why1 ,haynes1 he said quietly1 ,i don't think you ought to complain4 ,i understand that you1 now representing ,delaney's ,texas syndicate1 have already signed the final contract for the deal with those whom ,madame ,dupres represents and have received a certified check from them as a first payment to bind the bargain4 ,haynes turned almost livid1 then recovering himself1 glanced at ,madame ,dupres4 ,why1 ,harris1 ,i didn't think there was any secrecy about it now1 she said1 seeing the change in him4 ,if there is1 ,i'm sorry4 ,there isn't1 replied ,haynes1 quickly recovering his composure4 ,only ,i just didn't like to see a lawyer1 an outsider1 quizzing you1 that's all4 ,jealousy was stamped in every line of ,haynes' face4 ,ames said nothing1 but it was impossible to escape the look of gratification which he shot at ,kennedy as he brought out the startling new development4 ,madame ,dupres was clever enough to see that no good could come of prolonging an interview for which now there was an excuse to break up4 ,take me in to lunch1 ,harris1 she said1 slipping her arm familiarly into his4 ,good-morning1 gentlemen4 ,somehow ,i felt that she would have liked to add1 ,and if you see the ,baroness1 tell her ,i have beaten her to it4 ,ames watched them depart with an air of cynical satisfaction1 paused a moment1 then in turn excused himself from us4 ,what did it mean8 ,what was behind all this intrigue4 ,was it merely to get this cattle contract1 big as that was8 ,we lunched together at the ,st4 ,quentin1 and it was evident that ,madame ,dupres was doing her best to smooth over the ruffled feelings of her lover4 ,luncheon over1 ,kennedy plunged with redoubled energy into his laboratory investigation4 ,he said little1 but ,i could tell from his manner that he had found something that was very fascinating to him4 ,,chapter ,,xv ,,the ,,germ ,,of ,,anthrax ,it was not until the middle of the afternoon that there came a sudden1 brief message from the ,secret ,service in ,washington3 ,mr4 ,craig ,kennedy1 ,new ,york4 ,i have located the ,baroness ,von ,dorf in a private sanitarium here and will have her in ,new ,york tonight by eight o'clock4 ,,burke4 ,in a private sanitarium--will have her in ,new ,york tonight1 reread ,craig1 studying the message4 ,then it wouldn't seem that there could be much the matter with her4 ,for a few moments he paced the laboratory floor1 alternately studying the boards and the yellow telegram4 ,at last1 his face seemed to light up as if he had reasoned something out to his satisfaction4 ,quickly he reached for the telephone and called ,dr4 ,leslie4 ,i shall have the ,baroness here tonight at eight1 ,leslie1 ,i heard him say4 ,don't tell a soul about it4 ,but ,i'd like to have you make all the arrangements to secure the attendance of ,haynes1 ,ames1 and ,madame ,dupres here just a bit ahead of that time4 ,there was nothing that ,i could do to aid ,craig more in the hours that remained than to efface myself1 and ,i did it in the most effectual way ,i could think of1 compatible with my interest in the case4 ,i rode down to ,dr4 ,leslie's office and dined hurriedly with him4 ,the only new information ,i gleaned was that ,haynes had visited him during the afternoon and had outlined his theory of cyanogen1 which certainly seemed to me to fit in quite readily with the facts4 ,when we reached the laboratory1 early1 ,kennedy was still absorbed in studying his microscope4 ,he said nothing1 but apparently had gained an air of confidence which he lacked the night before4 ,the ,baroness had not yet arrived1 but a few minutes after us came ,ashby ,ames1 still complaining about the closing of his apartment and the inconvenience the whole affair had put him to4 ,haynes arrived and ,ames cut short his tirade1 glancing resentfully at the veterinary as though in some way he were responsible for his troubles4 ,madame ,dupres arrived shortly1 and ,i could not help noticing that ,haynes was patently jealous of even the nod of recognition she gave to ,ames4 ,i don't think ,i need say that this is one of the most baffling cases that we have ever had1 began ,kennedy1 with a glance at ,dr4 ,leslie4 ,it certainly is1 chimed in the coroner1 as though he had been appealed to for corroboration4 ,in the first place1 resumed ,kennedy1 ,i discovered in the air up there in ,delaney's room just a trace of cyanogen4 ,haynes nodded approvingly1 glancing from one to the other of us4 ,but1 added ,craig1 as if he had built up a house of cards merely to demolish it1 ,i don't think that cyanogen was the cause of ,delaney's death--although it furnished the clew4 ,what could it have been1 then8 demanded ,haynes1 his face clouding4 ,kennedy looked at him calmly4 ,you've heard of anthrax8 he asked simply4 ,y-yes1 replied ,haynes1 meeting his eye fixedly4 ,murrain--the cattle disease4 ,that is so deadly to human beings sometimes1 added ,craig4 ,well1 ,i've found something very much like anthrax germs in the sweepings that ,i took up with the vacuum cleaner up there4 ,dr4 ,leslie was listening intently4 ,i can't see how it could have been anthrax1 he put in1 slowly shaking his head4 ,why1 ,kennedy1 the symptoms were entirely different4 ,no1 this was a poisoning of some kind1 added ,dr4 ,haynes4 ,dr4 ,leslie himself tells me that you found traces of cyanogen in the air--and you have just said so1 too4 ,kennedy indicated the microscope4 ,take a look at that slide under the lens1 he said simply4 ,i was nearest and as he evidently meant each of us to look1 ,i did so4 ,under the high-power lens ,i could see some little roundish dots moving slowly through the field4 ,haynes looked next4 ,but1 ,professor ,kennedy1 he objected1 almost as soon as he had time for a good look1 the bacilli of anthrax have normally the form of straight bars strung together in a row4 ,yes1 rod bacilli1 added ,dr4 ,leslie1 also looking4 ,like long rows of hyphens1 slender cylindric1 non-motile chains joined end to end4 ,we looked at ,craig inquiringly4 ,like that1 he indicated1 substituting another slide4 ,we looked again4 ,the field had somewhat the appearance of an exaggerated war map with dark units of supposed troops4 ,that's it1 nodded ,haynes4 ,kennedy removed the slide4 ,those are some anthrax germs ,i obtained here in the city from a pathologist1 he said1 turning a switch that threw on in a lamp a peculiar1 purplish light4 ,this is a machine for the propagation of ultra-violet rays4 ,he placed the second slide1 with its germs of anthrax1 in the light1 allowing it to play over the slide4 ,now look1 he said4 ,we did4 ,something had evidently happened4 ,the chains were broken and smaller units were moving4 ,if anthrax germs are exposed for a few seconds1 even1 to ultra-violet light1 they change more or less1 ,kennedy proceeded4 ,these new forms are not stable4 ,they quickly change back again into their original form4 ,for about ten minutes we sat in silence while the weird light played as if with ghostly fingers on the deadly invisible peril on the little glass microscope slide4 ,but if the action of the ultra-violet rays is continued1 went on ,craig1 the microbe changes into a coccus1 and then into a filiform bacillus4 ,this form is stable4 ,and the germ is changed in other respects than mere shape4 ,it has entirely new characteristics4 ,it is a true mutation4 ,it produces a disease entirely different from that of the anthrax bacillus from which it is derived4 ,i have tried it on a guinea pig--and it has died in forty-eight hours4 ,startled as ,i was by this remarkable discovery1 ,i yet had time to watch ,haynes4 ,he had not taken his eyes off ,kennedy once since he began to speak4 ,in anthrax1 continued ,craig1 an autopsy reveals an enormous serous swelling1 about the point of inoculation1 with a large gathering of microbes which are formed in the blood and spleen4 ,death seems to be due to septic poisoning4 ,but this new microbe--super-toxicus1 ,i think it might well be named--produces no swelling and scarcely any microbes are to be found in the blood4 ,the lungs are inflamed1 with innumerable small abscesses4 ,that is the internal form of the disease from breathing in the spores of these microbes4 ,it has an external form1 also1 but that is by no means so deadly4 ,one would say that death from the internal form of the disease was due to poisoning4 ,the toxin of this microbe produces a sort of asphyxiation1 cutting off and eating up the supply of oxygen4 ,such a condition is called cyanosis4 ,that is why in ,delaney it had the appearance of cyanogen poisoning4 ,the effect was the same4 ,but the trace of cyanogen in the air was merely a coincidence1 ,haynes4 ,it wasn't cyanogen that killed4 ,but it was something quite as deadly--and far harder to trace--a new germ6 ,we listened1 fascinated4 ,a ,french scientist1 a woman1 ,madame ,victor ,henri1 a student at the ,pasteur ,institute in ,paris1 has shown that a new microbe can actually be created from anthrax germs by the use of ultra-violet rays4 ,it is not like anthrax1 but may be quite as deadly1 perhaps more so4 ,this discovery1 he added earnestly1 proves for the first time that a living organism can be changed suddenly and artificially into an organism of a new and entirely different species4 ,one can scarcely appreciate the importance of it4 ,if the germs of different diseases can be transformed1 the germ of one being changed into the germ of another1 it will be a first step toward finding a way to change deadly germs into others that will be quite innocuous4 ,kennedy paused impressively to let the horror of the thing impress itself on our minds4 ,but this criminal has been working for evil purposes in the wrong direction--creating a disease in order to cover up his tracks6 ,one could almost feel the net closing4 ,delaney has fallen a victim to a new germ of which someone learned in ,paris1 ,craig raced on1 inexorably1 a germ that would never1 in all probability1 be discovered by ,american doctors1 a germ that poisoned safely1 surely1 and swiftly by its deadly super-toxin4 ,a few moments before there had been a noise of a car outside the laboratory window1 but in the excitement of ,craig's startling revelation we had paid no attention4 ,a hasty tap at the door interrupted him4 ,before he could open it a very beautiful woman burst in1 followed by a thick-set ,irishman4 ,it was the ,baroness ,von ,dorf and our friend ,burke4 ,for a moment the two women fairly glared at each other4 ,i've heard what ,professor ,kennedy just said1 cried the ,baroness1 her eyes snapping fire4 ,fortunately1 ,i had to go to ,washington and was able to protect myself by seeming to disappear4 ,if ,i had stayed in ,new ,york another day1 there is no telling what might have happened to me4 ,probably ,i should have got this disease internally instead of externally4 ,as it was1 ,i thought it would come near ruining my beauty4 ,burke tossed a yellow slip of paper on the table near ,kennedy4 ,that is something one of our special agents found and brought me today1 he exclaimed4 ,kennedy picked it up and read it1 while ,burke faced us4 ,the ,secret ,service man fixed his eyes on ,madame ,dupres4 ,as for you1 my dear lady1 he challenged1 how do you happen to be in ,new ,york with one of the greatest international crooks that ever troubled the police of five continents8 ,i--in ,new ,york8 she shrugged coolly4 ,monte ,carlo1 ,paris1 ,vienna1 ,london--all were dead4 ,i had to come here to make a living4 ,the ,baroness drew herself up as if to speak4 ,you scoundrel--you will give my apartment a bad name with your dirty cattle plague--will you6 ground out a voice harshly at my side4 ,i turned quickly4 ,ames had clutched ,haynes by the throat4 ,we were all on our feet in a moment1 but there was no need of separating them4 ,the veterinary was more than a match for the hot-headed little lawyer4 ,someone1 shot out ,kennedy1 wheeling quickly1 figured that the cattle deal could be brought about quite naturally if ,delaney were dead and the ,baroness out of the way4 ,later he could reap the profit and carry off ,madame ,dupres into the bargain4 ,and if anything were ever discovered1 what more natural than to throw the suspicion on a veterinary who was supposed to know all about anthrax8 ,just then a half circle of nickled steel gleamed momentarily in ,kennedy's hands4 ,i recognized it as a pair of the new handcuffs that uncoiled automatically1 gripping at a mere touch4 ,i saw it all in a flash1 as ,i picked up the paper that ,burke had tossed to ,kennedy4 ,it was a telegram1 and read3 ,a4 ,a41 ,the ,new ,stratfield1 ,washington4 ,return immediately4 ,coroner has ,craig ,kennedy on case4 ,d4 ,d4 ,it was a devilish scheme1 snapped ,kennedy1 as the handcuffs circled the fake lawyer's wrists1 but it didn't work1 ,ames4 ,,chapter ,,xvi ,,the ,,sleepmaker ,perhaps race-horses may be a little out of your line1 ,mr4 ,kennedy1 but ,i think you will find the case sufficiently interesting to warrant you in taking it up4 ,our visitor was a young man1 one of the most carefully groomed and correctly dressed ,i have ever met4 ,his card told us that we were honored by a visit from ,montague ,broadhurst1 a noted society whip1 who had lavished many thousands of dollars on his racing-stable out on ,long ,island4 ,you see1 he went on hurriedly1 there have been a good many strange things that have happened to my horses lately4 ,he paused a moment1 then continued3 ,they have been losing consistently4 ,take my favorite1 ,lady ,lee1 for instance4 ,do you think they have been doped8 asked ,kennedy quickly1 eager to get down to the point at issue1 for ,i had never known ,craig to be interested in racing4 ,i don't know1 replied the young millionaire1 drawing his eyelids together reflectively4 ,i've had the best veterinary in the country to look my stable over1 and even he can't seem to find a thing that's wrong4 ,perhaps a visit out there might show us something1 cut in ,kennedy1 as though he were rather favorably impressed1 after all1 by the novelty of the case4 ,broadhurst's face brightened4 ,then you will take it up--you are interested8 he queried1 adding1 ,my car is outside4 ,i'm interested in anything that promises a new experience1 returned ,craig1 and ,i think this affair may be of that sort4 ,broadhurst's stable was out on central ,long ,island1 not far from the pretty and fashionable town of ,northbury4 ,as we passed down the main street1 ,i could see that ,broadhurst was easily the most popular of the wealthy residents of the neighborhood4 ,in fact1 the ,broadhurst racing stables were a sort of local industry1 one of the show-places of ,northbury4 ,as we swung out again into the country1 we could see ahead of us some stable-boys working out several fine thoroughbreds on ,broadhurst's private track1 while a group of grooms and rubbers watched them4 ,the stable itself was a circular affair of frame1 painted dark red1 which contrasted sharply with the green of the early summer trees4 ,broadhurst's car pulled up before a large office and lounging-room at one end1 above which ,murchie1 his manager and trainer1 had his suite of rooms4 ,the office into which ,broadhurst led us was decidedly horsey4 ,about the place were handsomely mounted saddles1 bridles1 and whips1 more for exhibition than for use4 ,in velvet-lined cases were scores of glittering bits4 ,all the appointments were brass-mounted4 ,sporting prints1 trophies1 and ,mission easy chairs made the room most attractive4 ,before a desk sat ,murchie4 ,as ,i looked at him1 ,i thought that he had a cruel expression about his eyes1 a predatory mouth and chin4 ,he rose quickly at the sight of ,broadhurst4 ,murchie1 ,i would like to have you meet my friends1 ,mr4 ,kennedy and ,mr4 ,jameson1 introduced ,broadhurst4 ,they are very much interested in horses1 and ,i want you to show them about the place and let them see everything4 ,we chatted a moment1 and then went out to look at the horses4 ,in the center of the circular group of stalls was a lawn4 ,the stalls of the racers in training were large box stalls4 ,you have certainly trained a great horse in ,lady ,lee1 remarked ,kennedy casually1 as we made our way around the ring of stalls4 ,murchie looked up at him quickly4 ,until the last few races1 ,i thought so1 he replied1 stopping before the stall of the famous racer and opening the door4 ,lady ,lee was a splendid three-year-old bay1 a quivering1 sensitive1 high-strung animal4 ,murchie looked at her a moment1 then at us4 ,a horse1 you know1 he said reflectively1 is just as ambitious to win a race as you are to win success1 but must have hard training4 ,i keep horses in training eight or nine months out of the year4 ,i get them into shape in the early spring and am very careful what they eat4 ,if they get a vacation1 they may eat green foods1 carrots1 and grass in open field2 but when we prepare them for the ring or a race1 they must have grain1 bran1 and soft foods4 ,they must have careful grooming to put the coats in first-class condition1 must be kept exquisitely clean1 with the best ventilation4 ,how about exercise8 asked ,kennedy4 ,well1 replied ,murchie1 ,i work out horses according to age1 with the distance for fast work gradually increased4 ,our trip through the wonderful stable over1 we returned to the office1 ,murchie walking ahead with ,broadhurst4 ,as we reached the door1 ,broadhurst turned to us4 ,i hope you will pardon me1 he said1 but there is some business up at the house that ,i must attend to4 ,oh1 ,mr4 ,broadhurst1 interjected ,murchie1 before you go back to town1 ,i want to talk over with you some of the changes that ought to be made about the boys here1 as well as their food and quarters4 ,all right1 returned ,broadhurst2 jump into the car and ride with me4 ,we can talk on the way1 and you can come right back4 ,i'll pick you gentlemen up later4 ,kennedy nodded1 quick to perceive the cue that ,broadhurst had given him to watch the stables without ,murchie watching us4 ,we sat down in the office1 and ,i looked about at the superb fittings4 ,do you think it is possible for an owner to make a financial success of racing without betting8 ,i asked ,kennedy4 ,possible1 but highly improbable1 returned ,craig4 ,i believe they consider that they have an excellent year whenever they clear expenses4 ,i don't know about ,broadhurst1 but ,i believe that a good many owners don't bet on their horses4 ,they have seen the glaring crookedness of the thing1 especially if they have happened to be officers of jockey clubs or stewards of various race-meets4 ,personally1 ,i should think a man of ,broadhurst's stamp would not permit himself to be made a victim of the leeches of the turf--although he may wager a bit1 just to give zest to the race4 ,american racing has often been called a purely gambling affair1 and ,i think1 before we get through1 that we shall see the reason for much of the public opposition to it4 ,just then a small man entered the office1 and1 seeing us1 asked for ,mr4 ,murchie4 ,his face was pinched and thin4 ,he wore the latest cut of clothes1 but was so very slight that his garments hung loosely on him4 ,one could well imagine that he had tried all sorts of schemes to keep himself down toward the hundred-and-ten-or-twelve-pound mark4 ,he was the very type of jockey4 ,he introduced himself to us as ,danny ,mc,gee1 and ,i recognized at once the famous twenty-five-thousand-dollar-a-year rider1 who had so often successfully defended the ,broadhurst colors4 ,mr4 ,murchie has gone up to the house1 replied ,kennedy to his inquiry4 ,mc,gee looked us over a minute4 ,friends of his8 he asked1 in a confidential tone4 ,kennedy smiled4 ,of ,mr4 ,broadhurst's1 he said quietly4 ,there was a noticeable change in ,mc,gee's manner4 ,just out here to look the stable over1 went on ,kennedy2 a wonderful place4 ,yes2 we think so1 assented ,mc,gee4 ,it seems strange1 ventured ,kennedy1 that1 with all this care1 ,lady ,lee should not be keeping up to her record4 ,mc,gee glanced at us keenly4 ,i don't understand it myself1 he said4 ,i suppose lots of people must think it is the fault of the jockey1 but ,i have certainly earned my salary lately with that filly4 ,i don't know what's the matter4 ,i've done the best ,i can1 but in spite of it there's something wrong4 ,he spoke with an air of genuine worry1 and1 although ,i tried hard1 ,i must confess that ,i found it impossible to fathom him4 ,the filly1 he added1 has her regular work-out and the regular feed1 and yet she seems to be all tired out most of the time4 ,even the veterinaries can't seem to find out what's the matter4 ,an awkward silence followed1 during which both ,kennedy and myself endeavored to conceal our ignorance of horses by saying nothing about them4 ,finally ,mc,gee rose and excused himself1 saying that he would be back soon4 ,there were still a few minutes before ,murchie would be likely to return4 ,without saying a word1 ,kennedy rose and opened the door which led into the stable4 ,across the lawn in the center we could see a man's figure rapidly retreating through the main entrance1 and1 somehow or other1 ,i felt that at the sound of the opening of our door he hastened his pace4 ,kennedy walked quickly around the circle of box stalls until he came again to ,lady ,lee4 ,he entered the stall and looked the famous racer over carefully4 ,i was wondering what1 if anything1 he expected to find1 when1 almost before ,i knew it1 ,i saw him jab a little hypodermic needle into her neck and withdraw a few drops of blood4 ,lady ,lee reared and snorted1 but ,kennedy managed to quiet her4 ,he returned the hypodermic1 with these few drops of blood1 carefully into its case again1 and we made our way back to the office4 ,a few minutes later1 the drone of ,broadhurst's car told us that ,murchie had returned4 ,we resumed the talk about horses1 upstairs in ,murchie's own apartment1 which consisted of living-rooms1 a library1 and bath4 ,it was a luxuriously appointed place1 in keeping with the tastes of its occupant4 ,we sat down in the library4 ,i was quite interested in looking about me4 ,for one thing1 ,murchie's idea of art seemed to be a curious blending of horse and woman4 ,there were pictures of all the string of ,broadhurst winners1 interspersed with ,venuses and actresses4 ,on a little table ,i noticed1 at length1 a colored photograph in an oval gilt frame4 ,it was of a very beautiful girl4 ,she was something over medium height1 with a fine figure1 golden hair1 and deep-blue eyes4 ,somehow1 ,i recalled that ,i had seen that face before1 and when ,i caught ,kennedy looking at it from time to time1 ,i was certain of it4 ,suddenly it flashed over me that the picture had been published in the ,star4 ,it was ,cecilie ,safford4 ,i remembered having read of ,murchie's escapades1 one of which was his elopement with a pretty young stenographer whom he had met at the horse show a couple of years before4 ,the talk ran along about horses still1 but ,i noticed that ,kennedy was even more interested in ,murchie's pictures1 now1 than in his conversation4 ,in the place of honor1 over the mantel1 hung a portrait1 in an artistic panel1 of a slender girl with dark hair and hazel eyes1 with a soft1 swanlike throat and neck1 and a somewhat imperious manner of carrying her head4 ,i followed ,craig's glance across the room4 ,there1 in a frame upon the wall in a corner1 hung an enlargement of a group photograph4 ,it was of a middle-aged woman1 a little boy1 and a little girl4 ,then ,i remembered the whole story4 ,at the time of his elopement1 ,murchie had a wife living4 ,since then he had been divorced4 ,although he had promised to marry ,cecilie when the divorce was obtained1 he was now engaged to marry a wealthy girl1 ,amelie ,guernsey4 ,broadhurst returned shortly for us1 and we made another tour of the stable1 on the outside1 including the quarters of the innumerable employees4 ,finally1 at a hint from ,kennedy that we had seen enough for the present1 ,broadhurst motored back to the city with us4 ,,chapter ,,xvii ,,the ,,inter-,,urban ,,handicap ,that night1 instead of going to the laboratory1 we walked down ,broadway until we came to a hotel much frequented by the sporting fraternity4 ,we entered the restaurant1 which was one of the most brilliant in the white-light region1 took a seat at a table1 and ,kennedy proceeded to ingratiate himself with the waiter1 and1 finally1 with the head waiter4 ,at last1 ,i saw why ,kennedy was apparently wasting so much time over dinner4 ,do you happen to know that girl1 ,cecilie ,safford1 that ,broadhurst's trainer1 ,murchie1 eloped with8 he asked4 ,the head waiter nodded4 ,i used to know her1 he replied4 ,she used to come in here a good deal1 but you won't find her in the ,broadway places any more these days4 ,she's more likely to be over on ,eighth ,avenue4 ,he mentioned the name of a cabaret saloon4 ,kennedy paid the check and again we started out4 ,we finally entered a place1 down in a basement1 and once more ,kennedy began to quiz the waiter4 ,this time he had no trouble4 ,across the room1 the waiter pointed to a girl1 seated with a young fellow at a round table4 ,i could scarcely believe what ,i saw4 ,the face had the same features as that of the photograph in the oval gilt frame in ,murchie's apartment1 but it was not the same face4 ,as ,i studied her1 ,i could imagine her story without even hearing it4 ,the months of waiting for ,murchie to marry her and his callous refusal had been her ruin4 ,cecilie had learned to drink1 and from that had gone to drugs4 ,her mirror must have told her that she was not the same girl who had eloped with ,murchie4 ,her figure had lost its slim1 beautiful lines4 ,her features were bloated4 ,her eyes were smaller1 and her lips were heavy4 ,her fresh color had disappeared4 ,she had a gray1 pasty look4 ,all she had--her beauty--had vanished4 ,murchie had been divorced1 and was about to marry--but not ,cecilie4 ,it was to a young and lovely girl1 with such a face of innocence as ,cecilie had when ,murchie had first dictated a letter to her in the office at the horse show1 and had fascinated her with his glittering talk of wealth and ease4 ,the news of his engagement had driven her frantic4 ,curiously enough1 the young fellow with her did not seem to be dissipated in the least4 ,there was1 on the contrary1 an earnestness about him that one was rather sorry to see in such a place4 ,in fact1 he was a clean-cut young man1 evidently more of a student than a sport4 ,he reminded me of some one ,i had seen before4 ,i was getting rather interested in an underworld cabaret when1 suddenly1 ,kennedy grasped my arm4 ,at the same moment1 a shot was fired4 ,we jumped to our feet in time to see a young tough1 with a slouch like that of the rubbers and grooms at ,broadhurst's4 ,the fellow who had been seated with ,cecilie was struggling with him for the possession of a pistol1 which had been discharged harmlessly4 ,evidently the tough had been threatening him with it4 ,the waiters crowded around them1 and the general melee about ,cecilie's table was at its height when a policeman came dashing in on the run4 ,the arrest of the gunman and his opponent1 as well as of ,cecilie as a witness1 seemed imminent4 ,kennedy moved forward slowly1 working his way through the crowd1 nearer to the table4 ,instead of interfering1 however1 he stooped down and picked up something from the floor4 ,let's get out of this as quickly as possible1 ,walter1 he whispered1 turning to me4 ,when we reached the street1 he stopped under an arc-light1 and ,i saw him dive down into his pocket and pull out a little glass vial4 ,he looked at it curiously4 ,i saw her take it out of her pocketbook and throw it into a corner as soon as the policeman came in1 he explained4 ,what do you think it is8 ,i asked4 ,dope8 ,that's what they all do if they get a chance when they are pinched--throw it away4 ,perhaps1 answered ,kennedy4 ,but it's worth studying to see what drug she is really using4 ,late as it was1 ,craig insisted on going directly to the laboratory to plunge into work4 ,first1 he took the little hypodermic needle with which he had drawn several drops of blood from the race-horse1 and emptied the contents into a test tube4 ,finding that ,i was probably of more use at home in our apartment asleep than bothering ,kennedy in the laboratory1 ,i said good-night4 ,but when ,i awoke in the morning1 ,i found that ,kennedy had not been in bed at all4 ,it was as ,i expected4 ,he had worked all night1 and1 as ,i entered the laboratory1 ,i saw him engaged in checking up two series of tests which he had been making4 ,have you found anything yet8 ,i asked4 ,he pointed to a corner where he kept a couple of guinea-pigs4 ,they were sound asleep1 rolled up in little fluffy balls of down4 ,ordinarily1 in the morning1 ,i found the little fellows very frisky4 ,yes1 he said2 ,i think ,i have found something4 ,i have injected just a drop of blood from ,lady ,lee into one of them1 and ,i think he's good for a long sleep4 ,but how about the other one8 ,i asked4 ,that's what puzzles me1 ruminated ,kennedy4 ,do you remember that bottle ,i picked up last night8 ,i haven't finished the analysis of the blood or of the contents of the bottle1 but they seem to contain at least some of the same substances4 ,among the things ,i find are monopotassium phosphate and sarcolactic acid1 with just a trace of carbon dioxide4 ,i injected some of the liquid from the bottle into the other fellow1 and you see what the effect is--the same in both cases4 ,the telephone bell rang excitedly4 ,is there a ,mr4 ,kennedy there8 asked ,long ,distance1 adding1 without waiting for an answer1 ,hold the wire1 please4 ,i handed the receiver to ,kennedy4 ,the conversation was short1 and as he hung up the receiver1 ,craig turned to me4 ,it was ,broadhurst at the ,idlewild ,hotel1 he said quickly4 ,today is the day of the great ,interurban ,handicap at ,belmore ,park with stakes of twenty-five thousand dollars4 ,usually they take the horse over to the track at least a week or two before the race1 but as ,broadhurst's stable is so near1 he didn't do it--hoping he might keep a better watch over ,lady ,lee4 ,but she's no better4 ,if the horse is being tampered with1 he wants to know who is doing it and how4 ,kennedy paused a moment1 then went over to a cabinet and took from it a bottle and a very large-sized hypodermic4 ,we must have been among the first on the field at ,belmore ,park that day4 ,lady ,lee had been sent over there after we left ,northbury the day before1 under the care of ,murchie and ,mc,gee1 and had been stabled in the quarters on the track which had been assigned to ,broadhurst4 ,with ,broadhurst1 who was waiting for us1 we lounged across the field in the direction of the stables4 ,there was no doubt about it1 ,lady ,lee was not in prime condition4 ,it was not that there was anything markedly wrong1 but to the trained observer the famous race-horse seemed to lack just a trifle of the elan which meant a win4 ,while ,murchie and the jockey were talking outside to ,broadhurst1 ,kennedy slipped into the stall to look at the racer4 ,stand over by that side of the door1 ,walter1 he muttered4 ,i'll be through in just a minute4 ,i want you to act as a cover4 ,quickly he jabbed the hypodermic into the horse and pressed down the plunger4 ,lady ,lee reared and snorted as she had done before when he extracted the blood1 and instantly ,murchie and ,mc,gee were crowding past me4 ,but the instant had been long enough for ,kennedy4 ,he had dropped the hypodermic into his pocket and was endeavoring to soothe the horse4 ,i guess she's not very much used to strangers1 he remarked coolly4 ,no one thought any more of it1 apparently4 ,a few minutes later1 ,broadhurst rejoined ,kennedy and myself4 ,i could see that his face showed plainly he was greatly worried4 ,i don't understand it1 he kept repeating4 ,and what is worse1 the news seems to have leaked out that ,lady ,lee isn't fit4 ,the odds are going up4 ,kennedy looked at him fixedly a moment4 ,if you want to win this race1 ,mr4 ,broadhurst1 he remarked in a low tone1 ,i should advise you to watch ,lady ,lee every minute from now until the start4 ,what do you mean8 whispered ,broadhurst hoarsely4 ,i can't say yet--only watch4 ,while ,broadhurst and ,kennedy hovered about the stall on one pretext or another1 watching both ,murchie and ,mc,gee as they directed the rubbers and others who were preparing for the race1 ,i watched the trainer and the jockey minutely4 ,they certainly did nothing1 at least now1 to excite suspicion4 ,but might not the harm have already been done8 ,was it too late8 ,when the bell sounded the paddock call1 ,mc,gee led the racer out of the stall and to the paddock4 ,presently the field1 ,lady ,lee at the fore1 walked past the grandstand and cantered slowly down the course to the starting-post4 ,meanwhile1 following ,broadhurst1 we had already made our way over to the club-house enclosure4 ,it was not like the old days when there was money everywhere1 thousands of dollars in plain sight1 in the cash-boxes of the bookmakers1 when men rushed wildly about with handfuls of bills of large denomination and bets were made with frequent rapidity4 ,and yet there was still a certain maelstrom of the betting-ring left2 but the bookmakers had to carry everything in their heads instead of setting it down on paper4 ,i knew the system1 and knew that1 in spite of the apparent ease with which it seemed possible to beat it1 welshing was almost unheard of4 ,the grandstand was crowded1 although it was quite a different crowd from that at race meets of former times and on other tracks4 ,belmore ,park lay within motoring distance of the greatest aggregation of wealth and fashion in the country4 ,it was a wonderful throng4 ,the gay dresses of the women mingled kaleidoscopically with the more somber clothing of the men4 ,every eye in that sea of moving humanity seemed to be riveted on ,lady ,lee and her rider4 ,it was a pretty good example of how swiftly inside news at the race-track may become public property4 ,ill news1 on this occasion1 seemed to have traveled apace4 ,field-glasses were leveled at the horse which should have been the favorite1 and one could tell1 by the buzz of conversation1 that this race was the great event of the season4 ,as the jockeys maneuvered for position1 one could almost feel that some wonderful feats of memory were being performed by the bookmakers4 ,the odds1 during the morning1 had gradually lengthened against ,lady ,lee4 ,like all thoroughbreds1 ,lady ,lee had a most delicate organism1 and the good rider1 in such a case1 was the one who understood his mount4 ,mc,gee had1 in the past at least1 that reputation4 ,he had reached pretty near the top of his profession by knowing how to deal with horses of all types4 ,all this and more ,i had picked up from the gossip of the track4 ,the barrier was sprung and the flag dropped4 ,they were off6 ,the grandstand rose in a body4 ,for a moment1 it seemed to me that ,mc,gee had lost his nerve4 ,alertness at the post is an important factor4 ,he had not got away from the barrier ahead of the field4 ,another rider1 too1 had got the rail1 and hence the shortest route4 ,i wondered whether1 after all1 that had been the trouble all along1 for nothing can win or lose a race quicker or better than those little failures of the jockey himself4 ,lady ,lee1 ,i had heard it said1 was one of those horses that do not require urging1 but go to the front naturally4 ,just now1 it did not seem that she was beaten1 but that she lacked just the power to lead the field4 ,did ,mc,gee figure that the horses ahead of him were setting such a fast clip that they would drop back to him before the race was over8 ,cleverly1 however1 he avoided being pocketed1 as those ahead of and beside him tried to close in and make him pull up4 ,around they went until the horses looked to the naked eye like toys strung on wires4 ,only the tension of the crowd made one feel that this was no play2 it was deadly serious sport4 ,on they sped1 watched in a lull of deathly stillness4 ,surely1 ,i felt1 this was indeed a great sight--this acid test of the nerves of men and animals pitted against one another4 ,they were coming into the stretch now6 ,suddenly1 it seemed that1 by some telepathic connection1 both the horse and the rider caught the electric tension which swayed us in the club-house enclosure4 ,i myself was carried away by the frenzied spirit of the race4 ,broadhurst was leaning forward1 oblivious of everything else in the world1 straining his eyes through a field-glass4 ,murchie was watching the race with a supercilious air1 which ,i knew was clearly assumed4 ,on they came6 ,i could not help wondering whether ,mc,gee had not really planned to throw the race4 ,would he1 perhaps at the last moment1 lose his nerve8 ,lady ,lee suddenly shot through the field4 ,a mighty shout rose from the entire grandstand4 ,it was over in a matter of seconds4 ,she had finished first by a half-length6 ,she had won the classic and the rich stakes4 ,pandemonium seemed to reign in the club-house inclosure4 ,broadhurst slapped ,murchie over the back with a blow of congratulation that almost felled him4 ,as for ,mc,gee1 they nearly carried him off the field on their shoulders4 ,only ,kennedy seemed to be calm4 ,the race had been won--but had the problem been solved8 ,broadhurst seemed to have forgotten all about his previous appeal to ,kennedy in the unexpected joy of winning4 ,we paused awhile to watch the frantic crowd1 and once1 ,i recall1 ,i caught sight of a stunning1 dark-haired woman grasping ,murchie's both hands in an ecstasy of joy4 ,instantly ,i recognized ,amelie ,guernsey4 ,as ,kennedy and ,i motored back to the city alone1 he was silent most of the way4 ,only once did he make a remark4 ,the ,belmore ,inn1 he said1 as we passed a rather cheap road-house some distance from the track4 ,that's where ,i heard one of the rubbers say the former ,mrs4 ,murchie was living4 ,that night1 ,craig plunged back again into work in the laboratory1 and ,i1 having nothing else to do1 wrote a feature story of the great race for the ,star4 ,kennedy made up for the rest he had lost and the strain of the day by a long sleep2 but early in the morning the telephone bell rang insistently4 ,kennedy bounded out of bed to answer it4 ,i could gather nothing from the monosyllables which he uttered1 except that the matter under discussion was profoundly serious4 ,finally1 he jammed down the receiver4 ,good ,god1 ,walter1 he exclaimed1 ,murchie's been murdered6 ,,chapter ,,xviii ,,the ,,toxin ,,of ,,fatigue ,he gave me no time for questions1 and ,i had no ability to reconstruct my own theory of the case as we hustled into our clothes to catch the early morning train4 ,broadhurst is at the ,idlewild ,hotel1 ,kennedy said1 as we left the apartment1 and ,i think we can make it quicker by railway than by motor4 ,the turfman met us at the station4 ,tell me just what happened1 asked ,kennedy4 ,no one seems to understand just what it was1 ,broadhurst explained1 but1 as nearly as ,i remember1 ,murchie was the lion of the ,idlewild grillroom all the evening4 ,he had 'come back4' ,once1 ,i recall1 he was paged1 and the boy told him someone was waiting outside4 ,he went out1 and returned1 considerably flushed and excited4 ',by ,george1' he said1 'a man never raises his head above the crowd but that there's somebody there to take a crack at it6 ,there must have been some crank outside1 for before ,i could get a look in the dark1 ,i was seized4 ,i managed to get away4 ,i got a little scratch with a knife or a pin1 though1' he said1 dabbing at a cut on his neck4 ,what then8 prompted ,kennedy4 ,none of us paid much attention to it1 resumed ,broadhurst1 until just as another toast was proposed to ,lady ,lee and someone suggested that ,murchie respond to it1 we turned to find him huddled up in his chair1 absolutely unconscious4 ,the house physician could find nothing wrong apparently--in fact1 said it was entirely a case of heart failure4 ,i don't think any of us would question his opinion if it had not been for ,murchie's peculiar actions when he came back to the room that time4 ,murchie's body had been removed to the local undertaking establishment4 ,as ,broadhurst drove up there and we entered1 ,kennedy seemed interested only in the little jab and a sort of swelling upon the neck of the dead man4 ,quickly he made a little incision beside it1 and about ten or a dozen drops of what looked like blood-serum oozed out on a piece of gauze which ,craig held4 ,as we turned to leave the undertaker's1 a striking1 dark-haired girl1 with the color gone from her cheeks1 hurried past us and fell on her knees beside ,murchie's body4 ,it was the woman who had congratulated him the day before1 the woman of the panel--,amelie ,guernsey4 ,i had not noticed1 up to this point1 another woman who was standing apart in the crowd1 but now ,i happened to catch her eye4 ,it was the woman whose picture with the two children hung in ,murchie's apartment4 ,kennedy drew me back into the crowd1 and there we watched the strange tragedy of the wife that was and the wife that was to have been4 ,craig hurried back to the city after that1 and1 as we pushed our way up the ramp from the station1 he looked hastily at his watch4 ,walter1 he said1 ,i want you to locate ,cecilie ,safford and let me know at the laboratory the moment you find her4 ,and perhaps it would be well to start at the police station4 ,it seemed to me as though the girl whom we had found so easily the evening before had now utterly disappeared4 ,at the police station she had not been held1 but had given an address which had proved fictitious4 ,at the cabaret saloon no one had seen her since the incident of the fight4 ,as ,i left the place1 ,i ran into ,donovan1 of the ,tenderloin squad1 and put the case to him4 ,he merely laughed4 ,of course ,i could find her any time ,i wanted to1 he said4 ,i knew that was a fake address4 ,he gave me the real address1 and ,i hurried to the nearest telephone to call up ,craig4 ,have ,donovan bring her over here as soon as he can find her1 he called back4 ,when ,i arrived at the laboratory1 ,i found ,kennedy engrossed in his tests4 ,have you found anything definite8 ,i asked anxiously4 ,he nodded1 but would say nothing4 ,i've telephoned ,broadhurst1 he remarked1 a moment later4 ,you remember that the former ,mrs4 ,murchie was at ,belmore ,inn4 ,i have asked him to stop and get her on the way down here in the car with ,mc,gee1 and to get ,amelie ,guernsey at the ,idlewild1 too4 ,he continued to work4 ,and1 oh yes1 he added3 ,i have asked ,inspector ,o',connor to take up another line1 too4 ,it was a strange gathering that assembled that forenoon4 ,donovan arrived soon after ,i did1 and with him1 sure enough1 was ,cecilie ,safford4 ,a few moments later ,broadhurst's car swung up to the door1 and ,broadhurst entered1 accompanied by ,amelie ,guernsey4 ,mc,gee followed1 with the former ,mrs4 ,murchie4 ,i don't want another job like that1 whispered ,broadhurst to ,kennedy4 ,i'm nearly frozen4 ,neither of those women has spoken a word since we started4 ,you can hardly blame them1 returned ,kennedy4 ,mrs4 ,murchie was still a handsome woman4 ,she now carried herself with an air of assumed dignity4 ,amelie ,guernsey had regained her color in the excitement of the ride and was1 if anything1 more beautiful than ever4 ,but1 as ,broadhurst intimated1 one could almost feel the frigidity of the atmosphere as the three women who had played such dramatic parts in ,murchie's life sat there1 trying to watch and1 at the same time1 avoid each other's gaze4 ,the suspense was relieved when ,o',connor came in in a department car4 ,with him were the young man who had been seated with ,cecilie at the table the night of the fight and also the gunman4 ,the magistrate in the night court settled the case that night1 informed ,o',connor1 under his breath1 laying down two slips of paper before ,kennedy1 but ,i have their pedigrees4 ,that fellow's name is ,ronald ,mawson1 he said1 pointing to ,cecilie's companion1 then indicating the gunman1 ,that's ,frank ,giani--,frank the ,wop4 ,i watched ,mawson and ,cecilie closely1 but could discover nothing4 ,they scarcely looked at each other4 ,mc,gee1 however1 glared at both ,mawson and the gunman1 though none of them said a word4 ,they used to be out there as stable-boys at ,broadhurst's1 ,i heard ,o',connor continue1 in a whisper4 ,i think they had a run-in and were fired4 ,each says the other got him in wrong4 ,a moment later ,kennedy began3 ,when you came to my laboratory the other day1 ,mr4 ,broadhurst1 he said1 you remarked that perhaps this case might be a little out of my line1 but that ,i might find it sufficiently interesting4 ,i can assure you that ,i have not only found it interesting1 but astounding4 ,i have seldom had the privilege of unraveling a mystery which was so cleverly rigged and in which there are so many cross-currents of human passion4 ,then you think ,lady ,lee was doped8 asked ,broadhurst4 ,doped8 interjected ,mc,gee quickly4 ,why1 ,mr4 ,broadhurst1 you remember what the veterinary said4 ,he couldn't find any signs of heroin or any other dope they use4 ,that's the devilish ingenuity of it all1 shot out ,kennedy suddenly1 holding up a little beaker in which there was some colorless fluid4 ,i am merely going to show you now what can be done by the use of one of the latest discoveries of physiological chemistry4 ,he took a syringe and1 drawing back the plunger1 filled it with the liquid4 ,with a slight jab of cocaine to make the little operation absolutely painless1 he injected the fluid into the livelier of our two guinea-pigs4 ,while you and ,murchie were absent the first day that ,i went out to your stable1 ,i succeeded in drawing off some of the blood of ,lady ,lee1 ,craig resumed1 talking to ,broadhurst4 ,here1 in my laboratory1 ,i have studied it4 ,lady ,lee1 that day1 had had no more than the ordinary amount of exercise1 yet she was completely fagged4 ,by this time the little guinea-pig had become more and more listless and was now curled up in a corner sound asleep4 ,i have had to work very hurriedly this morning1 ,craig continued1 but it has only been covering ground over which ,i have already gone4 ,i was already studying a peculiar toxin4 ,and from the fluid ,i obtained from ,murchie's body1 ,i have been able to calculate that a deadly dose of that same powerful poison killed him4 ,kennedy plunged directly from this startling revelation into his proof4 ,perhaps you have heard of the famous ,german scientist1 ,weichardt1 of ,berlin1 he resumed1 and his remarkable investigations into the toxin of fatigue4 ,scientists define fatigue as the more or less complete loss of the power of muscles to respond to stimulation due to their normal activity4 ,an interval of rest is usually enough to bring about their return to some degree of power4 ,but for complete return to normal condition1 a long interval may be necessary4 ,as the result of chemical changes which occur in a muscle from contraction1 certain substances are formed which depress or inhibit the power of contraction4 ,extracts made from the fatigued muscles of one frog1 for instance1 when injected into the circulation of another frog bring on an appearance of fatigue in the latter4 ,extracts from unfatigued muscles give no such results4 ,more than that1 the production of this toxin of fatigue by the exercise of one set of muscles1 such as those of the legs in walking1 greatly diminishes the amount of work obtainable from other unused muscles1 such as those of the arms4 ,kennedy went on1 looking at the sleeping guinea-pig rather than at us3 ,weichardt has isolated from fatigued muscles a true toxin of a chemical and physical nature1 like the bacterial toxins1 which1 when introduced into the blood1 gives rise to the phenomena of fatigue4 ,this is the toxin of fatigue--kenotoxin4 ,those who have studied the subject have found at least three fatigue substances--free sarcolactic acid1 carbon dioxide1 and monopotassium phosphate1 which is so powerful that1 after the injection of one-fifteenth of a gram1 the poisoned muscle shows signs of fatigue and is scarcely able to lift a weight easily lifted in normal conditions4 ,other fatigue products may be discovered2 but1 if present in large quantity or in small quantity for a long time1 each of the substances ,i have named will cause depression or fatigue of muscles4 ,further than that1 continued ,kennedy1 the depressing influence of these substances on what is known as striated muscle--heart muscle--is well known4 ,the physician at the ,idlewild might very well have mistaken the cause of the relaxation of ,murchie's heart4 ,for ,german investigators have also found that the toxin of fatigue1 when injected into the circulation of a fresh animal1 may not only bring on fatigue but may even cause death--as it did finally here4 ,kennedy paused4 ,lady ,lee1 he said1 looking from one to the other of his audience keenly1 ,lady ,lee was the first victim of the fiendish cunning of this-- ,a shrill voice interrupted4 ,but ,lady ,lee won the race6 ,it was ,mc,gee1 the jockey4 ,kennedy looked at him a moment1 then tapped another beaker on the table before him4 ,weichardt has also obtained1 by the usual methods1 he replied1 an antitoxin with the power of neutralizing the fatigue properties of the toxin4 ,you thought ,lady ,lee was not friendly with strangers that morning at the track4 ,she was not1 when the stranger jabbed a needle into her neck and pumped an extra large dose of the antitoxin of fatigue into her just in time to neutralize1 before the race1 the long series of injections of fatigue toxin4 ,kennedy was now traveling rapidly toward the point which he had in view4 ,he drew from his pocket the little bottle which he had picked up that night in the cabaret saloon4 ,one word more1 he said1 as he held up the bottle and faced ,cecilie ,safford1 who was now trembling like a leaf ready to fall3 ,if one with shattered nerves were unable to sleep1 can you imagine what would be a most ideal sedative--especially if to take almost any other drug would be merely to substitute that habit for another8 ,he waited a moment1 then answered his own question4 ,naturally1 he proceeded1 it might be1 theoretically at least1 a small dose of those products of fatigue by which nature herself brings on sleep4 ,i am not going into the theory of the thing4 ,the fact that you had such a thing is all that interests me4 ,i watched the girl's eyes as they were riveted on ,kennedy4 ,she seemed to be fascinated1 horrified4 ,this bottle contains a weak solution of the toxin of fatigue1 persisted ,kennedy4 ,i thought she would break down1 but1 by a mighty effort1 she kept her composure and said nothing4 ,someone was trying to discredit and ruin ,murchie by making the horses he trained lose races--somebody whose life and happiness ,murchie himself had already ruined4 ,that person1 pursued ,kennedy relentlessly1 was defeated in the attempt to discredit ,murchie when1 by my injection of the antitoxin1 ,lady ,lee finally did win4 ,in that person's mind1 ,murchie1 not the horse1 had won4 ,the wild excitement over ,murchie's vindication drove that person to desperation4 ,there was only one more road to revenge4 ,it was to wait until ,murchie himself could be easily overpowered1 when an overwhelming dose of this fatigue toxin could be shot into him--the weapon that had failed on the horses turned on himself4 ,besides1 no one--not even the most expert physician or chemist--would ever suspect that ,murchie's death was not natural4 ,that--that bottle is mine--mine6 shouted a wild voice interrupting4 ,i took it--,i used it--,i-- ,just a moment1 ,miss ,safford1 entreated ,kennedy4 ,that person1 he rapped out sharply1 picking up the pedigrees ,o',connor had handed him1 that person gave the toxin to a poor dope fiend as a sleeping-potion in one strength1 gave it to ,lady ,lee in still another strength1 and to ,murchie in its most fatal strength4 ,it was the poor and unknown pharmacist described in this pedigree whose dream of happiness ,murchie shattered when he captivated ,cecilie ,safford--her deserted lover1 ,ronald ,mawson4 ,,chapter ,,xix ,,the ,x-,,ray ,,detective ,i want to consult you1 ,professor ,kennedy1 about a most baffling case of sudden death under suspicious circumstances4 ,blythe is my name--,dr4 ,blythe4 ,our visitor spoke deliberately1 without the least perturbation of manner1 yet one could see that he was a physician who only as a last resort would appeal to outside aid4 ,what is the case1 ,doctor8 queried ,craig4 ,the ,doctor cleared his throat4 ,it is of a very pretty young art student1 ,rhoda ,fleming1 who returned to ,new ,york from ,france shortly after the outbreak of the war and opened a studio in the ,new ,studio ,apartments on ,park ,avenue1 not far from my office1 began ,dr4 ,blythe1 pausing as if to set down accurately every feature of the case history of a patient4 ,yes1 prompted ,craig4 ,about a week ago1 the ,doctor resumed1 ,i was called to attend ,miss ,fleming4 ,i think the call came from her maid1 ,leila1 but ,i am not sure4 ,she had suddenly been taken ill about an hour after dinner4 ,she was cyanotic1 had a rapid pulse1 and nausea4 ,by means of stimulants ,i succeeded in bringing her around1 however1 and she recovered4 ,it looked like acute gastritis4 ,but last night1 at about the same time1 ,i was called again to see the same girl4 ,she was in an even more serious condition1 with all the former symptoms magnified1 unconscious1 and suffering severe pains in the abdominal region4 ,her temperature was #ajc4 ,apparently there had been too great a delay1 for she died in spite of everything ,i could do without regaining consciousness4 ,kennedy regarded the ,doctor's face pointedly4 ,did the necropsy show that she was--er-- ,no1 interrupted the ,doctor1 catching his glance4 ,she was not about to become a mother4 ,and ,i doubt the suicide theory1 too4 ,he paused and then after a moment's consideration1 added deliberately1 ,when she recovered from the first attack she seemed to have a horror of death and could offer no explanation of her sudden illness4 ,but what other reason could there have been for her condition8 persisted ,kennedy1 determined to glean all he could of the ,doctor's personal impressions4 ,dr4 ,blythe hesitated again1 as if considering a point in medical ethics1 then suddenly seemed to allow himself to grow confidential4 ,i'm very much interested in art myself1 ,professor1 he explained4 ,i suppose you have heard of the famous ',fete du ,printemps1' by ,watteau8 ,kennedy nodded vaguely4 ,the original1 you know1 ,dr4 ,blythe went on hurriedly1 hung in the chateau of the ,comtesse de la ,fontaine in the ,forest of ,compiegne1 and was immensely valuable--oh--worth probably a hundred thousand dollars or more4 ,a moment later ,dr4 ,blythe leaned over with ill-suppressed excitement4 ,after ,i brought her around the first time she confided to me that it had been entrusted to her by the ,comtesse for safe-keeping during the war1 that she had taken it first to ,london1 but fearing it would not be safe even there1 had brought it to ,new ,york4 ,h'm1 mused ,kennedy1 that is indeed strange4 ,what's your theory1 then1--foul play8 ,dr4 ,blythe looked from ,kennedy to me1 then said slowly1 ,yes--but we can't find a trace of poison4 ,dr4 ,leslie--the ,coroner--,i believe you know him--and ,i can find nothing1 in fact4 ,it is most incomprehensible4 ,i noticed that ,kennedy was watching ,dr4 ,blythe rather keenly and1 somehow1 ,i fell to trying to fathom both his story and himself1 without1 ,i confess1 any result4 ,i should like to look her apartment over1 remarked ,craig with alacrity1 needing no second invitation to take up a mystery that already promised many surprises4 ,the ,new ,studio ,apartments were in a huge twelve-story ornate ,renaissance affair on upper ,park ,avenue1 an example of the rapidly increasing co-operative idea which the impractical artistic temperament has proved soundly practical4 ,it was really a studio building1 too1 designed for those artists who preferred luxury and convenience to the more romantic atmosphere of the ,alley--which is the way the initiated refer to the mews back of ,washington ,square1 known as ,macdougal's ,alley1 famous in fact and fiction4 ,rhoda ,fleming's was a most attractively arranged suite1 with a large studio commanding the north light and having a ceiling twice as high as the ordinary room1 which allowed of the other rooms being1 as it were1 on two floors1 since their ceilings were of ordinary height4 ,on every side1 as we entered1 we could see works of art in tasteful profusion4 ,since the removal of the body of the beautiful but unfortunate young art student1 no one had been left there1 except the maid1 ,leila4 ,leila was herself a very pretty girl1 one of those who need neither fine clothes nor expensive jewels to attract attention4 ,in fact she had neither4 ,i noticed that she was neatly and tastefully dressed1 however1 and wore a plain gold band on the ring finger of her left hand4 ,she seemed to be heartbroken over the death of her mistress1 but how much of it was genuine1 ,i could not say1 though ,i am frank to admit that even before ,i saw her ,i had determined that she was worth watching4 ,show me just how you discovered ,miss ,fleming1 asked ,kennedy of ,dr4 ,blythe1 getting down to work immediately4 ,why1 he replied1 when ,i got here she was lying half across that divan1 as if she had fallen there1 fainting4 ,each time a little table had been set for a light dinner and the dinner had been eaten4 ,the remains were on the table4 ,and1 ,blythe added significantly1 each time there was a place set for another person4 ,that person was gone4 ,kennedy had turned inquiringly to ,leila4 ,i was engaged only for the day1 she answered modestly4 ,evenings when ,mademoiselle had a little party she would often pay me extra to come back again and clean up4 ,she liked to prepare little chafing-dish dinners--but disliked the cleaning4 ,dr4 ,blythe nodded significantly1 as though that accounted for the reason why it had seemed to be ,leila who had called him in both times4 ,kennedy and ,i had found the little pantry closet in the kitchenette where the maid kept the few housekeeping utensils4 ,he took a hasty inventory of the slender stock1 among which1 for some reason1 ,i noted a bottle of a well-known brand of meat sauce1 one of those dark-colored appetizers1 with a heavy1 burnt-grain odor4 ,craig's next move was to ransack the little escritoire in the corner of the studio room itself4 ,that was the work of but a few moments and resulted in his finding a packet of letters in the single drawer4 ,he glanced over them hastily4 ,several of an intimately personal nature were signed1 ,arnold ,faber4 ,faber1 ,i knew1 was a young art collector1 very wealthy and something more than a mere dilettante4 ,other letters were of business dealings with well-known ,fifth ,avenue art galleries of ,pierre ,jacot ,cie41 quite natural in view of ,miss ,fleming's long residence in ,france4 ,the letters had scarcely been replaced when the door of the studio opened and ,i caught sight of a tastefully gowned young woman1 quite apparently a foreigner acclimated to ,new ,york4 ,oh1 ,i beg pardon1 she apologized4 ,i heard voices and thought perhaps it was some of ,rhoda's relatives from the ,west and that ,i could do something4 ,good-evening1 ,miss ,tourville1 greeted ,dr4 ,blythe1 who was evidently well-known to this colony of artists4 ,a moment later he introduced us1 ,this1 by the way1 is ,miss ,rita ,tourville1 an intimate friend of ,miss ,fleming1 who has the studio above4 ,we bowed1 exchanged the conventional remarks that such a tragedy made necessary1 and ,rita ,tourville excused herself4 ,somehow or other1 however1 ,i could not resist the impression that she had come in purposely to see what was going on4 ,on our way out1 after promising ,dr4 ,blythe to meet him later in the night at the office of the ,coroner1 ,kennedy1 instead of going directly to the street1 descended to the basement of the apartment and sought the janitor1 who lived there4 ,i'd like very much to see the rubbish that has come down from ,miss ,fleming's apartment1 he asked1 slipping into the janitor's hand a large silver coin4 ,it's all mixed up with rubbish from all the apartments on that side of the house1 replied the janitor1 indicating a bulging burlap bag4 ,miss ,tourville's1 also8 queries ,craig4 ,the janitor nodded assent4 ,kennedy surely obtained his money's worth of junk as the janitor spread the contents of the bag on the cellar floor4 ,with his walking stick he pawed over it minutely1 now and then stooping to examine something more or less carefully4 ,he had gone through somewhat more than half of the rubbish that had come from the apartments when he came upon what looked like the broken remains of a little one-ounce dark-colored1 labelless bottle4 ,kennedy picked it up and sniffed at it4 ,he said nothing1 but ,i saw his brow knit with thought4 ,a moment later he wrapped it in a piece of tissue paper1 thanked the janitor1 and we mounted the cellar steps to the street4 ,i think ,i'll try to see ,faber tonight1 he remarked as we walked down the avenue4 ,it will do no harm at any rate4 ,fortunately1 we found the young millionaire art connoisseur at home1 in a big house which he had inherited from his father1 on ,madison ,avenue1 in the ,murray ,hill section4 ,the death of ,miss ,fleming has completely upset me1 he confessed after we had introduced ourselves without telling too much4 ,you see1 ,i was quite well acquainted with her4 ,kennedy said nothing1 but ,i could feel that he was longing to ask questions leading up to whether ,faber had been the mysterious diner in the ,fleming ,studio the night before4 ,i suppose you are acquainted with ,watteau's ',fete du ,printemps'8 shot out ,craig1 after a few inconsequential questions1 watching ,faber's face furtively4 ,indeed ,i am1 replied the young man1 apparently not disconcerted in the least4 ,the fact was that he seemed quite willing1 even eager to discuss the painting4 ,i could not make it out1 unless it might be that any subject was less painful than the sudden death of ,miss ,fleming4 ,yes1 he continued voluntarily1 ,i suppose you know it represents a group of dancers4 ,the central figure of the group1 as everyone believes1 is reputed to be the passionate and jealous ,madame de ,montespan1 whom the beautiful ,madame de ,maintenon replaced in the affections of ,louis ,,xiv4 ,why1 no one thinks of ,watteau1 with his delightful daintiness and many graceful figures on such masterfully disposed backgrounds as a portrait painter4 ,but the ,fete shows1 ,i have always contended1 that he drew on many real faces for his characters4 ,yes1 he could paint portraits1 too1 wonderfully minute and exact little miniatures4 ,faber had risen as he discoursed4 ,i have a copy of it1 he added1 leading the way into his own private gallery1 while ,craig and ,i followed him without comment4 ,we gazed long and intently at the face of the central figure4 ,small though it was1 it was a study in itself1 a puzzle1 distracting1 enigmatical4 ,there was a hard1 cruel sensuousness about the beautiful mouth which the painter seemed to have captured and fixed beneath the very oils4 ,masked cleverly in the painted penetrating dark eyes was a sort of cunning which1 combined with the ravishing curves of the cheeks and chin1 transfixed the observer4 ,something in the face reminded me of a face ,i had once seen4 ,it was not exactly ,rita's face1 but it had a certain quality that recalled it4 ,i fancied that there was in both the living and the painted face a jealousy that would brook no rivalry1 that would dare all for the object of its love4 ,faber saw that we had caught the spirit of the portrait1 and seemed highly gratified4 ,what crimes a man might commit under the spell of a woman like that6 exclaimed ,craig1 noticing his gratification4 ,by the way1 do you know that ,miss ,fleming was said to have had the original--and that it is gone8 ,faber looked from one to the other of us without moving a muscle of his face4 ,why1 yes1 he replied steadily4 ,i could not make out whether he had expected and been prepared for the question or not4 ,at any rate he added1 half serious1 half smiling1 ,even for her portrait someone was ready to risk even life and honor to kidnap her6 ,evidently in his ardor he personified the picture1 felt that the thief must have been moved by what the psychologists call an imperative idea for the mere possession of such a treasure4 ,still1 ,craig remarked dryly1 the wanderings of the lost ,duchess by ,gainsborough for a quarter of a century stuffed into a tin tube1 to say nothing of the final sordid ending of the capture of ,mona ,lisa1 might argue a devotion among art thieves a bit short of infatuation4 ,i think we'll find this lady1 too1 to be held for ransom1 not for love4 ,faber said nothing4 ,he was evidently waiting for ,kennedy to proceed4 ,i may photograph your copy of the ,fete8 queried ,craig finally1 so as to use it in identifying the real one8 ,surely1 replied the collector4 ,i have no objection4 ,if ,i should happen to be out when you came1 ,i'll leave word with my man to let you go ahead4 ,just then the telephone rang and ,faber reached for it before we could thank him and say good-night4 ,hello--oh1 ,miss ,tourville1 how do you do8 ,why--er--yes--yes1 ,i'm listening4 ,they chatted for several minutes1 ,faber answering mostly in monosyllables4 ,perhaps it was my imagination1 but ,i thought the conversation1 at least at his end of the line1 constrained4 ,as he hung up the receiver1 ,i fancied1 too1 that ,faber seemed to look on us with a sort of suspicion4 ,what was his connection with ,rita1 ,i wondered8 ,what had ,rita told him8 ,a moment later we had said good-by and had gained the street1 ,kennedy still making no comment on the case4 ,there's nothing more that we can do tonight1 remarked ,craig1 looking at his watch finally as we walked along4 ,let us go over to the ,city ,laboratory and see ,dr4 ,leslie1 as ,i promised ,blythe4 ,,chapter ,,xx ,,the ,,mechanical ,,connoisseur ,dr4 ,leslie1 the ,coroner1 was an old friend of ours with whom we had co-operated in several cases4 ,when we reached his office we found ,dr4 ,blythe there already1 waiting for us4 ,have you found anything yet8 asked ,dr4 ,blythe with what ,i felt was just a trace of professional pique at the fact that neither physician had been able to shed any light on the case so far4 ,i can't say--yet1 responded ,craig1 not noticing ,blythe's manner1 as from the piece of tissue paper in which he had wrapped them he produced the broken bits of bottle4 ,carefully he washed off the jagged pieces1 as though perhaps some of the liquid the bottle had contained might have adhered to the glass4 ,i suppose you have animals here for experiment8 he asked of ,leslie4 ,the ,coroner nodded4 ,chickens8 asked ,craig with a broad smile at the double meaning4 ,a ,leghorn rooster1 returned ,dr4 ,leslie with a laugh4 ,good--bring him on1 replied ,craig briskly4 ,quickly ,kennedy shot a small quantity of the liquid he had obtained by washing the bits of glass into the veins of the white ,leghorn4 ,then he released the rooster1 flapping about4 ,in a corner chanticleer stood1 preening his feathers and restoring his ruffled dignity1 while we compared opinions4 ,look6 exclaimed ,kennedy a few minutes later1 when we had almost forgotten the rooster4 ,his bright red comb was now whitish4 ,as we watched1 a moment later it turned dark blue4 ,otherwise1 however1 he seemed unaffected4 ,what is it8 ,i asked in amazement1 turning to ,craig4 ,ergot1 ,i think1 he replied tersely4 ,at least that is one test for its presence4 ,ergot6 repeated ,dr4 ,leslie1 reaching for a book on a shelf above him4 ,turning the pages hurriedly1 he read1 ,there has been no experience in the separation of the constituents of ergot from the organs of the body4 ,an attempt might be made by the ,dragendorff process1 but success is doubtful4 ,dragendorff found it so1 at any rate1 put in ,dr4 ,blythe positively4 ,running his fingers over the backs of the other books1 ,dr4 ,leslie selected another4 ,it is practically impossible1 he read1 to separate ergot from the tissues so as to identify it4 ,absolutely1 asserted ,dr4 ,blythe quickly4 ,i looked from one physician to the other4 ,was this the safe poison at last8 ,kennedy said nothing and ,i fell to wondering why1 too1 ,dr4 ,blythe was so positive4 ,was it merely to vindicate his professional pride at the failure he and the ,coroner had had so far with the case8 ,i suppose you have no objection to my taking some of this sample of the contents of the organs of her body1 have you8 asked ,craig at length of ,dr4 ,leslie4 ,none in the world1 replied the ,coroner4 ,kennedy poured out some of the liquid into a bottle1 corked it carefully1 and we stood for a few moments longer chatting over the developments1 or rather lack of developments of the case4 ,it was late when we returned to our apartment1 but the following morning ,kennedy was up long before ,i was4 ,i knew enough of him1 however1 to know that ,i would find him at his laboratory breakfastless1 and my deduction was correct4 ,it was not until the forenoon that ,craig had completed the work he had set himself to do as he puzzled over something in the interminable litter of tubes and jars1 bottles and beakers1 reagents1 solutions1 and precipitates4 ,i'm going to drop in at ,jacot's1 he announced finally1 laying off his threadbare and acid-stained coat and pulling on the clothes more fitted for civilization4 ,having no objection1 but quite the contrary1 ,i hastened to accompany him4 ,jacot's was a well-known shop4 ,it opened on ,fifth ,avenue1 just a few feet below the sidewalk1 and ,jacot himself was a slim ,frenchman1 well preserved1 faultlessly dressed4 ,i am the agent of ,mr4 ,morehouse1 the ,western mine-owner and connoisseur1 introduced ,kennedy1 as we entered the shop4 ,may ,i look around8 ,certainement1--avec plaisir1 ,m'sieur1 welcomed the suave dealer1 with both hands interlocked4 ,in what is ,mr4 ,morehouse most interested8 ,in pictures8 ,in furniture8 ,in-- ,in almost anything that is rare and beautiful1 confided ,craig1 looking ,jacot squarely in the eye and adding1 and not particular about the price if he wants a thing1 either4 ,but ,i--,i am particular--about one thing4 ,jacot looked up inquiringly4 ,a rebate1 ,kennedy went on insinuatingly1 a commission on the bill--you understand8 ,the price is immaterial1 but not my--er--commission4 ,comprenez-vous8 ,parfaitement1 smiled the little ,frenchman4 ,i can arrange all that4 ,trust me4 ,we spent an hour1 perhaps1 wandering up and down the long aisles of the store1 admiring1 half purchasing1 absorbing facts about this1 that and the other thing that might captivate the fictitious ,mr4 ,morehouse4 ,not satisfied with what was displayed so temptingly in the front of the store1 ,kennedy wandered back of a partition apparently in search of some more choice treasures1 before ,jacot could stop him4 ,he turned over a painting that had been placed with its face toward the wall1 as if for protection4 ,i recognized the subject with a start4 ,it was ,watteau's ,fete6 ,wonderful6 exclaimed ,kennedy in well-feigned ecstasy1 just as ,jacot came up4 ,ah1 but1 ,m'sieur1 interposed the art dealer1 that is only a copy--and not for sale4 ,i believe my friend1 ,mr4 ,faber1 has a copy1 ventured ,craig4 ,by a ,miss ,fleming8 asked ,jacot quickly1 apparently all interest now4 ,kennedy shrugged his shoulders4 ,was ,jacot hinting at something known in the trade8 ,might ,i photograph some of the things here to show ,mr4 ,morehouse8 asked ,craig a moment later4 ,i see several things in which ,i think he might be interested4 ,surely1 answered ,jacot1 then1 after consideration1 in which his beady eye seemed to size up ,kennedy1 he added1 sotto voce1 craftily1 ,would ,mr4 ,morehouse be--er--interested in ,watteau's ,fete8 ,my heart almost stopped beating4 ,were we really on the right track at last8 ,jacot leaned over confidentially to ,kennedy and added1 ,why not sell as an original1 not this1 but another copy--a--a--what you call it8--a fake8 ,i understood4 ,kennedy1 having invited crooked dealing by his remark about the rake-off1 was being approached about another crooked deal4 ,a fake ,watteau8 he asked1 appearing to meet ,jacot halfway4 ,jacot nodded4 ,why not8 ,you know the same ,botticelli belongs to collectors in ,philadelphia and ,boston2 that is1 each has a picture and if one is genuine the other must be a fake4 ,possibly the artist painted the same picture twice4 ,why1 ,m'sieur1 there are ,rubens1 ,hals1 ,van ,dycks1 ,rembrandts galore in this country that hang also at the same time abroad4 ,jacot smiled4 ,did you never hear of a picture with a dual personality8 ,kennedy seemed to consider the idea4 ,i'll think it over1 he remarked finally1 as we prepared to leave1 and let you know when ,i come back to snap some of the things for my principal4 ,well--of all brazen crooks6 ,i sputtered when we had gained ,fifth ,avenue4 ,kennedy shook his head4 ,we can't be sure of anything in this game4 ,does it occur to you that he might perhaps think he was playing us for suckers1 after all8 ,my mind worked rapidly4 ,and that that picture of ,faber's is the real original1 after all8 ,i asked4 ,you mean that somehow a copy by ,miss ,fleming has come really to ,jacot with instructions to palm it off on some gullible buyer8 ,frankly1 ,walter1 he said1 as we walked along1 ,i don't know what to think4 ,you know even the greatest experts sometimes disagree over questions like this4 ,well1 ,walter1 art is long and time is fleeting4 ,if we are ever to settle where that real ,watteau is1 we shall have to resort to science1 ,i think4 ,that afternoon after a trip up to the laboratory1 where ,craig secured a peculiar and cumbersome photographic outfit1 we at last found ourselves around at ,faber's private gallery4 ,faber was out1 but1 true to his promise1 he had left word with his man1 who admitted us4 ,kennedy set to work immediately1 before the painting1 placing an instrument which certainly was not like a regular camera4 ,i was further astonished1 moreover1 when ,craig set up something back of the canvas1 which he moved away from the wall4 ,as nearly as ,i could make it out it consisted of a glass bulb of curious shape4 ,a moment later he attached the bulb to a wire that connected with a little rheostat or resistance coil and thence1 in turn1 to an electric-light socket4 ,he switched on the electric current and the apparatus behind the picture began to sputter4 ,i could not see very well what it was1 but it looked as if the bulb was suffused with a peculiar1 yellowish-green light1 divided into two hemispheres of different shades4 ,the pungent odor of ozone from the electric discharge filled the room4 ,while ,kennedy was working1 ,i had noticed a little leather party box lying on a table1 as though it had been forgotten4 ,it was not just the thing one would expect in ,faber's rooms and ,i looked at it more closely4 ,on it were the initials ,r4 ,t4 ,had ,rita ,tourville visited him8 ,craig had scarcely finished and was packing up his apparatus when we heard a noise outside4 ,a second later1 ,faber himself entered1 with ,rita1 evidently looking for something4 ,oh1 yes1 ,rita1--here it is4 ,why1 ,kennedy--how are you8 ,did you get your photograph8 ,kennedy replied that he had1 and thanked him4 ,it was easy to see ,rita's pleasure at being with the young connoisseur1 but at the sight of ,craig ,i fancied for a moment that ,i saw a flash of that passionate resentment which had caused me to find a resemblance between the expression of her face and that of ,de ,montespan in the painting1 a hint at what she would do or dare to protect the object of her affections4 ,we departed shortly1 leaving ,rita and ,faber deep in the discussion of some art topic4 ,it was not until late in the afternoon that we were able to revisit ,jacot's4 ,he received us cordially1 but ,craig1 by a whispered word or two1 was able to postpone the answer to the clever proposal which might have been a trap prepared for us4 ,craig1 with a regular camera which he had brought also1 set to work snapping pictures and objects of art with reckless profusion1 moving them about to get a better light and otherwise consuming time4 ,at last came the opportunity he had been awaiting1 when ,jacot had a customer in the front of the store4 ,quickly he set up the peculiar apparatus which he had used at ,faber's before the copy of the ,watteau in the rear of the shop1 switched on the electricity1 and amid the suppressed sputtering duplicated the work ,i had seen him do before4 ,as he was packing the apparatus up1 ,i happened to glance toward the front of the store4 ,there were ,leila and ,jacot in earnest conversation4 ,i whispered to ,kennedy1 and1 a moment later1 she caught sight of me1 appeared not to recognize me1 and left4 ,jacot sauntered back to us1 ,i thought1 concealing his haste4 ,before he could speak1 ,kennedy asked1 ,who was that woman8 ,he had finished packing up the apparatus and even if ,jacot had heard something that caused him to change his mind1 it was now too late to stop ,kennedy4 ,why1 hastened ,jacot1 apparently frank1 that is the maid of the ,miss ,fleming1 the artist who has just died4 ,she has come to me to see whether ,i can get her a position with another artist4 ,i thought ,i recognized her1 remarked ,kennedy4 ,i remember when ,i saw her once before that she had on a wedding ring4 ,doesn't her husband support her8 ,jacot shrugged his shoulders4 ,she is looking for another position--that is all ,i know1 he said simply4 ,kennedy picked up his apparatus4 ,you will think over my proposition8 asked ,jacot1 as we left4 ,and let you know in a day or two1 nodded ,kennedy4 ,as we walked up ,fifth ,avenue1 ,i confess to have felt all at sea4 ,who had the real masterpiece8 ,was it ,faber1 or ,jacot1 or was it someone else8 ,if ,rita had warned ,faber against us1 and ,leila had warned ,jacot1 which had copy and which original8 ,or were they both copies and had the original been hidden8 ,had it been stolen for money or had some fiend with a knowledge of this mysterious ergot stolen it simply for love of art1 stopping not even at murder to get it8 ,,chapter ,,xxi ,,the ,,radiograph ,,witness ,it was apparent that quick action was necessary if the mystery was ever to be solved4 ,kennedy evidently thought so1 too1 for he did not wait even until he returned to his laboratory to set in motion1 through our old friend1 ,commissioner ,o',connor1 the machinery that would result in warrants to compel the attendance at the laboratory of all those interested in the case4 ,then he called up ,dr4 ,leslie and finally ,dr4 ,blythe himself4 ,back again in the laboratory1 ,kennedy employed the time in developing some plates of the pictures he had taken1 and by early evening1 after a brief study of them1 his manner indicated that he was ready4 ,dr4 ,leslie1 whom he had asked to come a little before the rest1 arrived early1 and a few moments later ,dr4 ,blythe1 very much excited by the message he had received4 ,have you found anything8 he asked eagerly4 ,i've been trying all sorts of tests myself1 and ,i can't prove the presence of a thing--not a thing4 ,not ergot8 asked ,kennedy quietly4 ,no1 he cried1 you can't prove anything--you can't prove that she was poisoned by ergot4 ,dr4 ,leslie looked helplessly at ,kennedy1 but said nothing4 ,not until recently1 perhaps1 could ,i have proved anything1 returned ,kennedy calmly4 ,evidently you didn't know1 ,dr4 ,blythe1 that the first successful isolation of an alkaloid of ergot from the organs in a case of acute ergotism had been made by two ,pittsburgh scientists4 ,true1 up to the present toxicologists had to rely on the physical properties of this fungus of rye for its identification4 ,that may have made it seem like a safe poison to someone4 ,but ,i have succeeded in isolating ergotinin from the sample of the contents of the organs of the poor girl4 ,without pausing1 he picked up a beaker4 ,here ,i have the residue left from an acid solution of an extract of the organs1 treated with chloroform4 ,it is1 as you see1 crystalline4 ,in his other hand he held up another beaker4 ,next ,i got the residue obtained by extraction of the acid aqueous liquid with ether4 ,that1 too1 is crystalline4 ,kennedy displayed something in the shape of long needles1 the sides of which were not quite parallel and the ends replaced by a pair of faces4 ,quickly he dissolved some of the crystals in sulphuric acid4 ,then he added another chemical from a bottle labeled ferro chlorid4 ,the liquid1 as we bent over it1 changed quickly to a brilliant orange1 then a crimson1 next a green1 and finally became a deep blue4 ,what he has derived from the body responds to all the chemical tests for ergotinin itself1 remarked ,dr4 ,leslie1 looking quickly across at ,dr4 ,blythe4 ,dr4 ,blythe said nothing4 ,i smelt of the stuff4 ,odors with me1 as1 ,i suppose1 with other people1 have a psychological effect1 calling up scenes associated with them4 ,this odor recalled something4 ,i strove to recollect what it was4 ,at last it came with a rush4 ,the meat sauce6 ,i exclaimed involuntarily4 ,exactly1 replied ,kennedy4 ,i have obtained that bottle4 ,there was ergot in it1 cleverly concealed by the natural smell and taste of the sauce4 ,but who put it there8 ,who had the knowledge that would suggest using such a poison8 ,who had the motive8 ,who had been dining with her that fatal evening8 ,kennedy had no chance to answer his questions1 even if he had intended to do so4 ,the door of the laboratory opened and ,rita ,tourville1 in charge of one of ,o',connor's men1 who looked as if he might have enjoyed it better if the lady had not been so angry1 entered4 ,evidently ,o',connor had timed the arrival closely to what ,craig had asked1 for scarcely a moment later ,faber came whirling up in one of his own cars4 ,not a word passed between him and ,rita1 yet ,i felt sure that they had some understanding of each other4 ,leila arrived shortly1 and it was noticeable that ,rita avoided her1 though for what reason ,i could not guess4 ,finally came ,jacot1 blustering1 but1 having made the officer the safety-valve of his mercurial feelings1 quickly subsiding before us4 ,dr4 ,blythe appeared amazed at the quickness with which ,kennedy moved now4 ,in ordinary times1 began ,kennedy1 noting as he spoke the outward attitude of our guests toward each other1 the world would have stood aghast at the disappearance of such a masterpiece as the ,fete by ,watteau4 ,it would have ranked with the theft of ,gainesborough's ,duchess of ,devonshire1 ,da ,vinci's ,mona ,lisa1 the brown-skinned ,madonna of the ,mexican convent1 ,millet's ,goose-girl1 and the ,shepherd and ,flock1 the portrait of ,saskia by ,rembrandt1 and other stolen masterpieces4 ,but today the vicissitudes of works of art in war time pass almost unnoticed4 ,still there is a fascination exercised over the human mind by works of art and other objects of historic interest1 the more so because the taking of art treasures seems to have become epidemic in northern ,europe4 ,he laid down what looked more like two rough sketches than photographs1 yet they were photographs1 though the relative brightness of color in photographs was quite different4 ,outlines were displaced1 also4 ,ugly spots and bands marred the general effect4 ,they were peculiar4 ,they are ,x-ray images or radiographs of two oil paintings1 both claimed to be copies of ,watteau's famous ,fete1 explained ,kennedy1 picking up one of them4 ,in a radiograph of the body1 he continued1 the difference of brightness that distinguishes the heart from the lungs1 bones from flesh1 is due to the different densities of tissues4 ,in these pictures the same effect is produced by the different densities of the pigments1 especially of their principal and heaviest elements4 ,he paused and laid down a chart4 ,for anyone who doubts what ,i am about to prove1 ,i have made a scale of oil colors arranged in accordance to their transparency to ,roentgen rays by applying standard pigments to canvas in patches of equal thickness4 ,i think you can see what ,i am driving at4 ,for instance1 a design drawn in a heavy pigment will show through a layer of a less dense pigment1 under the influence of the ,x-ray--just as bones show through flesh4 ,in other words1 an ordinary photograph reproduces only the surface of a painting4 ,a radiograph represents all the pigments underneath1 also producing effects in proportion to their densities4 ,let me show you the practical result of all this in studying such radiographs1 as worked out by a ,german student4 ,i have made several very interesting and conclusive discoveries which these radiographs ,i have taken illustrate4 ,he paused a moment1 for the sake of emphasis4 ,you will notice1 he resumed carefully1 the lace frill above the bodice on the figure of ,madame de ,montespan1 in this radiograph4 ,in the painting the frill is sharply defined and can be clearly distinguished from the bodice4 ,but look at this radiograph4 ,it appears tattered4 ,it overflows the bodice4 ,that led me to suspect that the bodice was widened as an afterthought--perhaps to diminish the area of white4 ,that is the reason why the white shows through the bodice in the radiograph4 ,but in this other one the bodice and the frill are substantially as they must be in the original4 ,again he paused1 as if taking up a new point4 ,this radiograph1--number one1 ,i may call it--shows a broad light band on the right hand of the figure1 of which not a trace is to be found either in the other radiograph or the painting itself4 ,it represents the first rough sketch of an arm and hand4 ,again1 in this first radiograph the ring and little fingers are close together and a sixth finger appears between the index and middle fingers4 ,from that ,i infer that the hand hung limp with the fingers nearly in contact in the first sketch and that the fingers were afterward separated4 ,but in this second radiograph the arm1 hand and fingers are perfect4 ,it was fascinating to listen to ,kennedy as he delved down into the invisible beneath the very oils and dug out their hidden mystery4 ,take the head and shoulder1 he continued4 ,radiograph number one clearly shows flaking of the painting which has been painted over to conceal it4 ,ordinary light reveals no trace1 either1 of a long crack on the shoulder which evidently was filled with a thick mass of pigment containing too little white lead to obliterate the crack in the radiograph4 ,white spots above the ear1 in the radiograph1 probably indicate an excess of white lead used in retouching4 ,at any rate1 radiograph number two contains no such defects4 ,kennedy paused before drawing the conclusion4 ,the radiograph of an original picture reveals changes made by the artist in the course of his work4 ,the counterfeiter1 like other copyists1 reproduces as accurately as possible the final result4 ,that is all he can see4 ,he makes errors and corrections1 but of a different kind4 ,there are no serious changes4 ,so1 a radiograph of even a part of a picture shows the layers of pigment that are hidden from the eye and the changes made during the composition of the work4 ,one can easily distinguish the genuine from the spurious copies1 for it is absolutely impossible for an imitator to make a copy that will stand the ,x-ray test4 ,you see1 he went on enthusiastically1 the most striking feature of these radiographs is their revelation of details of the first sketch1 which have been altered in the finished picture4 ,we actually obtain an insight into the methods of an artist-- he paused1 adding--who has been dead for centuries4 ,it was wonderful what ,kennedy was getting out of those1 to us1 blurred and indistinct skiagraphs4 ,i studied the faces before me4 ,none seemed to indicate any disposition to break down4 ,kennedy saw it1 too1 and evidently determined to go to the bitter end in hammering out the truth of the mystery4 ,one moment more1 please1 he resumed4 ,the radiograph shows even more than that4 ,it shows the possibility of detecting a signature that has been painted over1 in order to disarm suspicion4 ,the detection is easier in proportion to the density of the pigment used for the signature and the lack of density of the superposed coat4 ,he had laid the radiographs on the table before him1 with a finger on the corner of each1 as he faced us4 ,at the bottom of each of the paintings in question1 he shot out1 leaning forward1 you will find nothing in the way of a signature4 ,but here1 in radiograph number two1 for instance1 barely discernible1 are the words1 ,r4 ,fleming1 quite invisible to the eye1 but visible to the ,x-ray4 ,these words have been painted over4 ,why8 ,was it to prevent anyone from thinking that the owner had ever had any connection with ,rhoda ,fleming8 ,i was following ,kennedy1 but not so closely that ,i missed a fearful glance of ,rita from ,faber to ,jacot4 ,what it meant1 ,i did not know4 ,the others were too intent on ,kennedy's exposure to notice4 ,i wondered whether someone had sought to conceal the fact that he had a copy of the famous ,watteau1 made by ,miss ,fleming8 ,look at the bottom of the other radiograph1 number one1 further toward the left1 pursued ,kennedy resistlessly4 ,there you will discover traces of an ',a' and a ',w1' which do not appear on the painting4 ,between these two are marks which can also be deciphered by the ,x-ray--',antoine ,watteau4' ,perhaps it was painted over lightly so that an original could be smuggled in as a copy4 ,more likely it was done so that a thief and murderer could not be traced4 ,as ,kennedy's voice rang out1 more and more accusatory1 ,rita ,tourville became more and more uncontrollably nervous4 ,it was suggested1 modulated ,kennedy1 playing with his little audience as a cat might with a mouse1 that someone murdered ,rhoda ,fleming with the little-understood poison1 ergot1 because of an infatuation for the picture itself4 ,but the modern crook has an eye for pictures1 just as for other valuables4 ,the spread of the taste for art has taught these fellows that such things as old masters are worth money1 and they will even murder now to get them4 ,no1 that radiograph which ,i have labeled number one is not a copy4 ,it is of the genuine old master--the real ,watteau4 ,someone1 closely associated with ,miss ,fleming1 had found out that she had the original4 ,that person1 in order to get it1 went even so far as to-- ,rita ,tourville jumped up1 wildly1 facing ,craig and crying out1 ,no1 no--his is the copy--the copy by ,miss ,fleming4 ,it was ,i who told him to paint over the signature4 ,it was ,i who called him away--both nights--on a pretext--when he was dining with her--alone--called him because--,i--,i loved him and ,i knew-- ,faber was on his feet beside her in a moment1 his face plainly showing his feelings toward her4 ,as he laid his hand on her arm to restrain her1 she turned and caught a penetrating glance from ,jacot's hypnotic eye4 ,slowly she collapsed into her chair1 covering her face with her hands1 sobbing4 ,for a moment a look of intense scorn and hatred blazed in ,leila's face1 then was checked4 ,craig waved the radiograph of the real ,watteau as he emphasized his last words4 ,in spite of ,rita ,tourville's unexpected love for ,faber1 winning him from your victim1 and with the aid of your wife1 ,leila1 in the role of maid1 the third member of your unique gang of art thieves1 you are convicted infallibly by my ,x-ray detective1 thundered ,craig as he pointed his finger at the now cowering ,jacot4 ,,chapter ,,xxii ,,the ,,absolute ,,zero ,isn't there some way you can save him1 ,professor ,kennedy8 ,you must come out to ,briar ,lake4 ,when a handsome woman like ,mrs4 ,fraser ,ferris pleads1 she is irresistible4 ,not only that1 but the story which she had not trusted either to a message or a messenger was deeply interesting1 for1 already1 it had set agog the fashionable country house colony4 ,mrs4 ,ferris had come to us not as the social leader now1 but as a mother4 ,only the night before her son1 young ,fraser1 had been arrested by the local authorities at ,briar ,lake on the charge of homicide4 ,i had read the meager dispatch in the morning papers and had wondered what the whole story might be4 ,you see1 ,professor ,kennedy1 she began in an agitated voice as soon as she arrived at the laboratory and introduced herself to us1 day before yesterday1 ,fraser was boxing at the ,country ,club with another young man1 ,irving ,evans4 ,kennedy nodded4 ,both of them were well known4 ,ferris had been the ,all-,america tackle on the ,university football team a couple of years previous and ,evans was a crack pitcher several years before4 ,irving1 she continued1 adding1 of course ,i call him ,irving1 for his mother and ,i were schoolgirls together--,irving1 ,i believe1 fell unconscious during the bout4 ,i'm telling you just what ,fraser told me4 ,the other men in the ,club gymnasium at the time carried him into the locker-room and there they all did what they could to revive him4 ,they succeeded finally1 but when he regained consciousness he complained of a burning sensation in his stomach1 or1 rather1 as ,fraser says1 just below the point where his ribs come together4 ,they say1 too1 that there was a red spot on his skin1 about the size of a half-dollar4 ,finally1 she continued with a sigh1 the other men took ,irving home--but he lapsed into a half-comatose condition4 ,he never got better4 ,he--he died the next day--yesterday4 ,it was evidently a great effort for ,mrs4 ,ferris to talk of the affair which had involved her son1 but she had made up her mind to face the necessity and was going through it bravely4 ,of course1 she resumed a moment later1 the death of ,irving ,evans caused a great deal of talking4 ,it was natural in a community like ,briar ,lake4 ,but ,i don't think anything would have been thought about it1 out of the way1 if the afternoon after his death--yesterday--the body of one of the ,club's stewards1 ,benson1 had not been found jammed into a trunk4 ,apparently1 it had been dumped off an automobile in one of the most lonely sections of the country4 ,in fact1 she went on1 it was the sort of thing that might have taken place1 one would say1 in the dark alleys of a big city4 ,but in a country resort like ,briar ,lake1 the very uncommonness of such a case called added attention to it4 ,i understand1 agreed ,craig1 but why did they suspect your son8 ,that's the ridiculous part of it1 at least to me1 hastened the mother to her son's defense4 ,both ,irving and my son1 as you know1 were former ,university athletic stars1 and1 as in all country clubs1 ,i suppose1 that meant popularity4 ,irving was engaged to ,anita ,allison4 ,anita is one of the most beautiful and popular girls in the younger set1 a splendid golfer1 charming and clever1 the life of the ,club at the dances and teas4 ,mrs4 ,ferris paused as though she would convey to us just the social status of everyone concerned4 ,of course1 she threw in parenthetically1 you know the ,allisons are reputed to be quite well off4 ,when old ,mr4 ,allison died1 ,anita's brother1 ,dean1 several years older than herself1 inherited the brokerage business of his father and1 according to the will1 assumed the guardianship of his younger sister4 ,she seemed to be considering something1 then suddenly to make up her mind to tell it4 ,i suppose everyone knows it1 she resumed1 and you ought to know it1 too4 ,fraser was--er--one of ,anita's unsuccessful suitors4 ,in fact1 ,anita had been sought by nearly all of the most eligible young fellows of the ,club4 ,i don't think there were many who had not at some time or other offered her his whole heart as well as his fortune4 ,i didn't encourage ,fraser--or try to discourage him4 ,but ,i could see that it lay between ,fraser and ,irving4 ,and the rather strange circumstances of the death of ,evans1 as well as of the steward1 occasioned a good deal of gossip1 ,i suppose1 chimed in ,kennedy4 ,yes4 ,somehow1 people began to whisper that it was revenge or hate or jealousy that had prompted the blow1--that perhaps the steward1 ,benson1 who was very popular with the young men1 knew or had seen something that made him dangerous4 ,anyhow1 gossip grew until it seemed that1 in some way which no one has ever said definitely1 a deliberate attempt was made on ,irving ,evans's life1 and finally the local authorities1 rather glad to take up a scandal in the ,club set1 took action and arrested my ,fraser--under a charge of homicide4 ,she blurted the words out fiercely and defiantly1 but it was all assumed4 ,underneath1 one could see the woman fighting loyally with every weapon for her son1 keenly alive to the disgrace that even the breath of scandal unrefuted might bring to his name4 ,how about the other admirers8 asked ,craig quickly4 ,that's another queer thing1 she replied eagerly4 ,you see1 they have all suddenly become very busy and have made perfect alibis4 ,but there was ,allan ,wyndham--he's a friend of the ,allisons1--why shouldn't they suspect him8 ,in fact1 there was quite a group of young fellows closely associated with ,dean ,allison in speculation4 ,irving ,evans was one4 ,but1 she added1 with a glance at ,kennedy as if she realized that it was like catching at a straw1 with ,fraser1 of course1--there is that blow4 ,we can't deny that4 ,what does ,miss ,allison think8 queried ,craig4 ,oh1 ,i believe ,anita is all broken up by the tragedy to her fiance4 ,she was at the ,club at the time--in the tea room4 ,no one dared to tell her until ,irving had been taken home4 ,then her brother1 who was in the gymnasium when the thing happened and had been one of those to carry ,irving into the locker-room1 was naturally chosen by the rest1 after they had done all they could to revive ,irving1 to break the news as gently as he could to his sister4 ,she took it calmly4 ,but ,i think it would have been better if she had given way to her real feelings4 ,they say she has secluded herself in the ,allison house and won't see a soul4 ,kennedy's brow puckered in thought4 ,you can't imagine what a terrible shock this thing has been to me1 pleaded ,mrs4 ,ferris4 ,oh1 the horror of it all6 ,you must come out to ,briar ,lake with me6 ,there was1 naturally1 no doubt of the poignancy of her feelings as she looked from ,kennedy to myself1 imploringly4 ,as for ,craig1 he did not need to betray the sympathy he felt not only for the young man who had been arrested and his mother1 but for the poor girl whose life might be blasted by the tragedy and the unhappy victim who had been snatched away so suddenly almost on the very eve of happiness4 ,it was not half an hour later1 that1 with a very grateful mother1 we were on our way out to ,briar ,lake in ,mrs4 ,ferris's touring car4 ,as we whirled along past the city limits1 ,kennedy leaned back on the cushions and for some minutes seemed absorbed in thought4 ,of course it is possible1 he remarked at length1 noticing that both ,mrs4 ,ferris and ,i were watching him nervously1 that ,miss ,allison may know something that will throw some light on the affair4 ,but it may be of an entirely private nature4 ,i don't know how we'll get her to talk1 but we must--if she knows anything4 ,i'd like to stop at the ,allison house1 first4 ,very well1 agreed ,mrs4 ,ferris1 leaning forward and directing the chauffeur to turn off before we reached ,briar ,lake on the main road4 ,we sped along and ,i could not help feeling that the young man who was driving the car was quite as eager as anyone else to bring help to his young master4 ,the ,allison house proved to be a roomy1 old-fashioned place on a rise of ground just this side of ,briar ,lake1 for the ,allisons had been among the first to acquire estates at the exclusive colony4 ,mrs4 ,ferris remained in the car1 while ,kennedy and ,i went in to introduce ourselves4 ,we found the young society girl evidently now in full possession of her nerves4 ,she was slender1 fair1 with deep blue eyes1 not merely pretty1 but with a face that showed character4 ,anita ,allison had been seated in the library1 and1 as we entered1 ,i could see that she had hastily shoved some papers1 at which she had been looking1 into a drawer of the desk4 ,miss ,allison1 began ,kennedy1 this is a most unfortunate affair and ,i must beg your pardon-- ,yes1 she interrupted1 ,i understand4 ,as if ,i didn't feel badly enough--oh--they have to make it all so much harder to bear by arresting ,fraser--and then all this notoriety1--it is awful4 ,i confess that ,i had not expected that we would see her so easily4 ,yet ,i felt that there was some constraint in her manner1 in spite of that4 ,i want to speak frankly with you1 ,miss ,allison1 went on ,craig gently4 ,is there anything about the matter--of a personal nature--that you haven't told8 ,i want to appeal to you4 ,remember1 there is another life at stake1 now4 ,she looked at us searchingly4 ,did she suspect that we knew something or was she herself seeking information8 ,no1 no1 she cried4 ,there isn't a thing--not a thing that ,i know that ,i haven't told--nothing4 ,kennedy said nothing himself1 but watched her1 apparently assuming that she would go on4 ,oh1 she cried1 if ,i could only do something--anything4 ,it might get my mind off it all4 ,but ,i--,i can't even cry6 ,plainly there was little except a sort of mental vivisection of her grief to be gained from her yet--even if she suspected something1 of which ,i was not entirely sure4 ,we excused ourselves and left her1 sunk deeply into a leather chair1 her face buried in her hands1 but not weeping4 ,is ,mr4 ,allison at home8 inquired ,craig as we passed out through the hall1 meeting the butler at the door4 ,no1 sir1 he replied4 ,he went to ,new ,york this morning1 sir1 and said he'd be at the ,club later this afternoon4 ,we climbed into the car and ,kennedy looked at his watch4 ,it's getting well along in the afternoon1 he remarked4 ,i think ,i'll go over to the ,club4 ,we may find ,allison there now4 ,as we turned out into the main road our driver had to swerve for a car which turned off1 coming from the city1 as we had come a few minutes before4 ,he looked around at it blackly1 as it went up the road to the ,allison house1 for he had had to stall his own engine to avoid a collision4 ,there was no one in the other car but a driver with a visored hat4 ,whose car was that8 asked ,craig quickly4 ,allan ,wyndham's1 answered our driver1 starting his engine4 ,h'm1 mused ,craig4 ,wyndham must have sent her a message from town4 ,too bad we hurried so to get up here4 ,at last1 as we turned a bend in the main road1 the broad chimneys1 white columns and wide balustrades of the ,briar ,lake ,country ,club loomed in sight4 ,the ,country ,club was a most pretentious building1 yet1 unlike many such clubs1 had a very hospitable air in spite of its aristocratic and handsome appearance4 ,there was something very inviting about its wide sweep of roof and ample piazzas1 some enclosed in glass1 as we approached by the broad graveled driveway that swung in from the highway between the gentle curves of green lawns whose expanse was broken by the tall pines through which we caught a glimpse of the hills4 ,it was indeed a beautiful country4 ,we entered a wide hall and came to the reception room crowded with luxurious armchairs and cozy corners4 ,in a glass case stood the usual trophies4 ,grouped about a huge deep fire was a knot of people1 and here and there others were talking earnestly4 ,one could feel that this was one of those social institutions not to be in which argued that one was decidedly out of things4 ,i could almost visualize the close scrutiny that new applicants would undergo1 not so much as men among men1 but through the eyes of the women folk1 dissecting the wives and daughters of the family4 ,founded originally because of the interest of the older members in horses and the hunt1 the ,club had now extended its activities to polo and motors1 golf1 tennis1 squash1 with a fine old ,english bowling green and ample shooting traps4 ,i could not blame ,mrs4 ,ferris for not wishing to enter the ,club just yet4 ,she had left us at the door1 promising to send the car back for our disposal4 ,,chapter ,,xxiii ,,the ,,vacuum ,,bottle ,fortunately1 ,dean ,allison was at the ,club1 as we hoped1 having just arrived by the train that left ,new ,york at the close of the banking day4 ,someone told us1 however1 that ,wyndham had probably decided to remain in town over night4 ,allison was perhaps a little older than ,i had imagined1 rather a grave young man who seemed to take his club responsibilities on the ,council very seriously4 ,i'd like to talk to you about this ,evans case1 began ,craig when we had been introduced4 ,glad to tell you all ,i know1 he responded cordially4 ,it isn't much1 ,i'm afraid4 ,it's terrible--terrible4 ,we don't know what to think4 ,my sister is all broken up by it1 poor girl4 ,he led the way over to a corner1 in a sort of bow window1 and we sat down on the hard leather cushions4 ,no1 there isn't much ,i can say1 he resumed4 ,you see1 one of the recreations of the younger set at the ,club is boxing--that's about all there was to it--not the amateurish thing one usually sees1 but real scientific boxing4 ,fraser had adopted the so-called ,fitzsimmons shift--you know1 the right foot forward1 while the left hand shoots out from somewhere near the hip1 plunging at close range into the pit of the stomach4 ,allison rose to illustrate it4 ,irving1 on the other hand1 had been advocating the ,jeffries crouch as the only safeguard to meet it1--like that4 ,he threw himself into position and went on1 ,the bout had been arranged1 accordingly1 and it was some bout1 too4 ,most of us here are fond of boxing to keep fit4 ,well1 at last ,fraser got under his guard1 ,i suppose you'd call it4 ,he landed4 ,for an instant1 ,irving stood up straight1 his hands helplessly extended4 ,most of us thought he was fooling and ,fraser jumped back1 laughing at the way his contention had worked out4 ,then1 slowly1 struggling as if against the inevitable1 ,irving bent forward and toppled over on his face4 ,that's where we woke up4 ,we rushed forward and picked him up1 apparently unconscious1 and carried him to the locker-room4 ,there was a good deal of excitement4 ,someone telephoned for a doctor1 but couldn't seem to find one at home4 ,did you see anything peculiar take place in the locker-room8 asked ,kennedy1 following keenly4 ,anything peculiar8 ,yes--anyone near him1 perhaps--another blow--while he was unconscious4 ,no--and ,i think ,i would have seen anything that was out of the way4 ,i was there almost all the time--until someone told me my sister was upstairs and suggested that ,i was the best one to break the news to her4 ,i'd like to look over the gymnasium and locker-room1 suggested ,craig4 ,dean ,allison led the way downstairs quickly4 ,craig did not spend more than a minute in the gymnasium1 but the locker-room he examined carefully4 ,it was a long room4 ,each locker bore the name of its owner and he hastily ran his eye over them1 getting their location4 ,i don't know that even he had1 yet1 any idea that he would find anything1 but it was just his habit to go over the ground of a tragedy1 in hope of picking up some clew4 ,he looked over the floor very carefully1 now and then bending down as if to discover spots4 ,once he paused a moment1 then continued his measured tread down the long row of lockers until he came to a door at the other end of the room4 ,we went out and ,kennedy looked about closely4 ,oh1--about ,benson1 the steward1 he said1 looking up quickly and stroking his chin as if an idea had occurred to him4 ,is there anyone here who might know something about him--his habits1 associates1--that sort of thing8 ,why--yes1 considered ,allison slowly1 the chef might know4 ,wait1 ,i'll call him4 ,as ,allison disappeared in the direction of what was evidently the kitchen1 we stood outside by the door1 waiting4 ,kennedy's eye traveled back and forth about us and finally fell on a row of rubbish barrels a few feet away4 ,he moved over to them4 ,he had half turned away1 retracing his steps back to me thoughtfully1 when his eye must have been attracted by something gleaming4 ,he turned back and poked at it with his stick4 ,peeping from the rubbish was a dented thermos bottle1 the lining of which was cracked and broken4 ,he was about to turn away again when his eye fell on something else4 ,it was the top of the bottle1 the little metal cap that screws over it1 or rather it was what was left of the cap4 ,that's strange1 he muttered to himself1 picking it up4 ,the cap1 which might have been used as a cup1 was broken in the most peculiar manner1 in spite of the fact that it was metal4 ,if it had been of glass ,i should have said that someone had dropped it4 ,kennedy frowned and dropped the pieces into his pocket1 turning to wait for ,allison to return with the chef4 ,i can't seem to find him1 reported ,allison a moment later4 ,but he'll be here soon4 ,he'll have to be--or lose his job4 ,how would after dinner do8 ,i'll have him and all the other employes1 then4 ,good6 agreed ,kennedy4 ,that will give me time to go into the town first and get back4 ,i'd be glad to have you dine with me1 invited ,allison4 ,thank you1 smiled ,kennedy4 ,i'm afraid ,i won't have time for dining tonight4 ,i'll be back after dinner1 though4 ,mrs4 ,ferris's car had returned and ,craig's next step was to go on into the town of ,briar ,lake4 ,on the way he decided first to stop at the ,evans house1 which took us only a little bit out of our way4 ,there he made a minute examination of the body of the young man4 ,irving ,evans had been a handsome fellow and the tragedy of his death had been a sad blow to his family4 ,however1 ,i shall not dwell on that1 as it is no part of my story4 ,kennedy was eager to see the red spot in the pit of the stomach of the dead man of which everyone had spoken4 ,he looked at it closely1 as ,i did also1 although ,i could make nothing of it4 ,evans had complained of a burning1 stinging sensation1 during his moments of consciousness and the mark had had a flushed1 angry look4 ,it seemed as though a sort of crust had formed over it1 which now was ashen white4 ,craig did not spend as long as ,i had anticipated at the ,evans house1 but1 although he said nothing1 ,i could tell by the expression of his face that he was satisfied with the conclusions which he drew from the examination4 ,yet ,i could not see that the combination of circumstances looked much better for ,fraser ,ferris4 ,we went on now to the town and there we had no trouble in meeting the authorities and getting them to talk4 ,in fact1 they seemed quite eager to justify themselves4 ,as we passed down the main street1 ,mrs4 ,ferris's chauffeur mentioned the fact that a local physician1 ,dr4 ,welch1 was also the ,coroner of the county4 ,kennedy asked him to stop at the doctor's office1 and we entered4 ,a most unfortunate occurrence1 prefaced the doctor as we seated ourselves4 ,you assume1 then1 that it was the blow that killed ,evans8 asked ,kennedy pointedly4 ,the doctor looked at him a moment4 ,of course--why not8 he demanded argumentatively1 as though we had come all the way from the city for the sole purpose of impugning his medical integrity4 ,i suppose you know the classical case of the young man who was coming out of the theater1 when some of the party began indulging in rather boisterous horse play8 ,one bent another quietly over his arm and tapped him a sharp blow with the disengaged hand on the stretched abdomen4 ,the blow fell right over the solar plexus and1 to the surprise of everyone1 the young man died4 ,the ,coroner had risen and was pacing the room slowly4 ,i could cite innumerable cases4 ,everyone understands that a blow may be fatal because of shock to the solar plexus4 ,in such a case no post-mortem trace might be found and the blow could even be a light one4 ,for instance1 in a fight a blow might be struck and the recipient fall dead4 ,if the medical examiner should find nothing on holding the autopsy which would have caused sudden death1 he can testify that a shock to the solar plexus will cause death and that the post-mortem examination will give no evidence to support or disprove the statement4 ,the absolute absence1 however1 of any reason or of injury to the other organs will add weight to his testimony1 evidence of the blow being present4 ,and you think this was such a case8 asked ,kennedy1 with just a trace of a challenge in his tone4 ,certainly1 replied the ,coroner4 ,certainly4 ,we know that a blow was struck--in all probability hard enough to affect the solar plexus4 ,it was evident1 in his mind at least1 that young ,ferris was guilty and ,kennedy rose to go1 refraining from antagonizing him by further questions4 ,we next visited the county court house1 which was not far from the doctor's office4 ,there1 the sheriff1 a young man1 met us and seemed willing to talk over the evidence which so far had been unearthed in the case4 ,in his office was a trunk1 a cheap brown affair1 in which the body of the unfortunate steward1 ,benson1 had been found4 ,quite likely the trunk had been carried to the spot in a car and thrown off1 the sheriff explained4 ,a couple of boys happened to find it4 ,they told of their find and one of the constables opened the trunk1 then called us up here4 ,in the trunk was the body of a man1 crouched1 the head forced back between the knees4 ,i'd like to see ,benson's body1 remarked ,kennedy4 ,very well1 ,i'll go with you1 returned the sheriff4 ,it's at the undertaker's--our only local morgue4 ,as we walked slowly up the street1 the sheriff went on1 just to show that country as well as city detectives knew a thing or two4 ,there are just two things in which this differs from the ordinary barrel or trunk murder you read about4 ,what are they8 encouraged ,craig4 ,well1 we know the victim4 ,there wasn't any difficulty about identifying him4 ,we know it wasn't really a ,black ,hand crime1 although everything seems to have been done to make it look like one1 and the body was left in the most lonely part of the country4 ,and then the trunk4 ,we have traced it easily to the ,club ,house4 ,it was ,benson's own trunk--had been up in his own room1 which was locked4 ,his own trunk8 repeated ,craig1 suddenly becoming interested4 ,how could anyone take it out1 without being seen8 ,didn't anyone hear anything8 ,no4 ,apparently not4 ,none of the other servants seem to have heard a thing4 ,i don't know how it could have been got out1 especially as his door was locked and we found the keys on him4 ,but--well1 it was4 ,that's all4 ,we had reached the undertaker's4 ,the body of ,benson was horribly mangled about the head and chest1 particularly the mouth4 ,it seemed as if a great hole had been torn in him1 and he must have died instantly4 ,kennedy examined the grewsome remains most carefully4 ,what had done it1 ,i wondered8 ,could the man have been drugged1 perhaps1 and then shot8 ,maybe it was a dum-dum bullet1 ,i suggested1 one of those that mushrooms out and produces such frightful wounds4 ,but assuming it entered the front1 there is no exit in the back1 the sheriff put in quickly1 and no bullet has been found4 ,well1 if he wasn't shot1 ,i persisted1 it must have been a blow1 and it seems impossible that a blow could have produced such an effect4 ,the sheriff said nothing1 evidently preferring to gain with silence a reputation for superior wisdom4 ,kennedy had nothing better than silence to offer1 either1 though he continued for a long time examining the wounds on the body4 ,our last visit in town was to ,fraser ,ferris himself1 to whom the sheriff agreed to conduct us4 ,ferris was confined in the grim1 dark1 stone1 vine-clad county jail4 ,we had scarcely entered the forbidding door of the place when we heard a step behind us4 ,we turned to see ,mrs4 ,ferris again4 ,she seemed very much excited1 and together we four1 with a keeper1 mounted the steps4 ,as she caught sight of her son1 behind the bars1 she seemed to gasp1 then nerve herself up to face the ordeal of seeing a ,ferris in such a place4 ,fraser1 she cried1 running forward4 ,he was tall1 sunburned1 and looked like a good sportsman1 a clean-cut fellow4 ,it was hard to think of him as a murderer1 especially after the affecting meeting of the mother and son4 ,do you know what ,i've just heard8 she asked at length1 then scarcely pausing for a word of encouragement from him1 she went on4 ,why1 they say that ,benson was in town early that evening1 drinking heavily and that that might account-- ,there--there you are1 he cried earnestly4 ,i don't know what happened4 ,but why should ,i do anything to him8 ,perhaps someone waylaid him4 ,that's plausible4 ,of course1 warned ,kennedy a few minutes later1 you know that anything you say may be used against you4 ,but-- ,i will talk1 interrupted the young man passionately1 although my lawyer tells me not to4 ,why1 it's all so silly4 ,as for ,irving ,evans1 ,i can't see how ,i could have hit him hard enough1 while1 as for poor ,benson1--well1 that's even sillier yet4 ,how should ,i know anything of that8 ,besides1 they were all at the ,club late that night1 all except me1 talking over the--the accident4 ,why don't they suspect ,wyndham8 ,he was there4 ,why don't they suspect--some of the others8 ,mrs4 ,ferris was trying to keep a brave face and her son was more eager to encourage her than to do anything else4 ,keep up a good heart1 ,mother1 he called1 as we finally left1 after his thanking ,kennedy most heartily4 ,they haven't indicted me yet1 and the grand jury won't meet for a couple of weeks4 ,lots of things may turn up before then4 ,it was evident that1 next to the disgrace of the arrest1 his mother feared even more the shame of an indictment and trial1 even though it might end in an acquittal4 ,yet so far we had found no one1 as far as ,i knew1 who had been able to give us a fact that contradicted the deductions of the authorities in the case4 ,,chapter ,,xxiv ,,the ,,solar ,,plexus ,it was after the dinner hour that we found ourselves at the ,country ,club again4 ,wyndham had not come back from the city1 but ,allison was there and had gathered together all the ,club help so that ,kennedy might question them4 ,he did question them down in the locker-room1 ,i thought perhaps for the moral effect4 ,the chef1 whom ,i had suspected of knowing something1 was there1 but proved to be unenlightening4 ,in fact1 no one seemed to have anything to contribute4 ,quite the contrary4 ,they could not even suggest a way in which the trunk might have been taken from the steward's room4 ,that's not very difficult1 smiled ,kennedy1 as one after another the servants asserted that it would be impossible to get it around the turns in the stairs without making a noise4 ,where was ,benson's room8 ,the chef led the way to the door1 that by which we had gone out before when we had seen the rubbish barrels4 ,up there1 he pointed1 on the third floor4 ,there was no fire escape1 nor were there any outside balconies1 and ,i wondered how ,craig would account for it4 ,someone might have lowered the trunk from the window by a rope1 might they not8 he asked simply4 ,yes1 returned the chef1 unconvinced4 ,but his door was locked and he had his keys in his pocket4 ,how about that8 ,it doesn't follow that he was killed in his room1 does it8 asked ,craig4 ,in fact it is altogether impossible that he could have been4 ,suppose he was killed outside4 ,might not someone have taken the keys from his pocket1 gone up to the room without making any noise and let the trunk down here by a rope8 ,then if he had dropped the rope1 locked the door1 and returned the keys to ,benson's pockets--how about that8 ,it was so simple and feasible that no one could deny it4 ,yet ,i could not see that it furthered us in solving the greater mystery4 ,we went up to the steward's room and searched his belongings1 without finding anything that merited even that expenditure of time4 ,however1 ,craig was confident now1 although he did not say much1 and by a late train we returned to the city in preference to using ,mrs4 ,ferris's car4 ,all the next day1 ,kennedy was engaged1 either in his laboratory or on an errand that took him downtown during most of the middle of the day4 ,when he returned1 ,i could tell by the look on his face that his quest1 whatever it had been1 had been successful4 ,i found ,wyndham--had a long talk with him1 was all he would say in answer to my questions1 before he went back to whatever he was studying at the laboratory4 ,i had made some inquiries myself in the meantime1 especially about ,wyndham4 ,as nearly as ,i could make out1 the young men at ,briar ,lake were afflicted with a disease which is very prevalent--the desire to get rich quick4 ,in that respect ,fraser ,ferris was no better than the rest4 ,nor was ,irving ,evans4 ,allan ,wyndham had been a plunger almost from boyhood1 and only the tight rein that his conservative father held over him had checked him4 ,sometimes the young men succeeded1 and that had served only to whet their appetites for more easy money4 ,but more often they had failed4 ,in most cases1 it seemed1 ,dean ,allison's firm had been the brokers through whom they dealt1 particularly ,wyndham4 ,in fact1 with more time on my hands during the day than ,i knew what to do with1 in the absence of ,kennedy ,i had evolved several very pretty little theories of the case which involved the recouping of dissipated fortunes by marriage with the popular young heiress4 ,it was late in the afternoon that the telephone rang1 and1 as ,craig was busy1 ,i answered it4 ,oh1 ,mr4 ,jameson1 ,i heard ,mrs4 ,ferris's voice calling over long distance from ,briar ,lake anxiously1 is ,mr4 ,kennedy there8 ,please let me speak to him4 ,i hastened to hand over the receiver to ,kennedy and waited impatiently until he finished4 ,a special grand jury has been empanelled for ten o'clock tomorrow morning1 he said as he turned from the wire and faced me1 and unless we can do something immediately1 they are sure to find an indictment4 ,kennedy scowled and shook his head4 ,it looks to me as if someone were mighty anxious to railroad young ,ferris along1 he remarked1 hurrying across to the laboratory table1 where he had been at work1 and flinging off his stained smock4 ,well1 are you ready for them8 ,i asked4 ,yes1 he replied quickly4 ,call up and find out about the trains to ,briar ,lake1 ,walter4 ,i found that we could easily get a train that would have us at the ,country ,club not later than eight o'clock1 and as ,i turned to tell ,kennedy1 ,i saw him carefully packing into a case a peculiar shaped flask which he had been using in some of his experiments4 ,outside it had a felt jacket1 and as we hurried over to the station ,kennedy carried it carefully in the case by a handle4 ,the ride out to ,briar ,lake seemed interminable1 but it was better than going up in a car at night1 and ,mrs4 ,ferris met us anxiously at the station4 ,thus1 early in the evening1 in the little reception room of the ,country ,club1 there gathered a large party1 not the largest it had seen1 but certainly the most interested4 ,in fact no one1 except young ,ferris1 had any legitimate reason for staying away4 ,dead men tell no tales1 remarked ,kennedy sententiously1 as he faced us1 having whispered to me that he wanted me to take a position near the door and stay there1 no matter what happened4 ,but1 he added1 science opens their mute mouths4 ,science has become the greatest detective in the world4 ,once upon a time1 it is true1 many a murderer was acquitted and perhaps many an innocent man hanged because of appearances4 ,but today the assassin has to reckon with the chemist1 the physicist1 the ,x-ray expert1 and a host of others4 ,they start on his track and force him to face damning1 dispassionate scientific facts4 ,and1 he went on1 raising his voice a trifle1 science1 with equal zeal1 brings facts to clear an innocent man protesting his innocence1 but condemned by circumstantial evidence4 ,for a moment he paused1 and when he began again it was evident that he was going straight to the point at issue in the case4 ,various theories have been confidently proposed in this unfortunate affair which resulted in the death of ,irving ,evans1 he proceeded4 ,one thing ,i want clear at the start4 ,the fact is1 and ,i am not running counter to it1 that we have what might very well be called two brains4 ,one is in the head1 does the thinking4 ,the other is a sort of abdominal brain1 controls nutrition and a host of other functions1 automatically4 ,it is the solar plexus--the epigastric1 sympathetic nervous system4 ,it is true that the knot of life is situated at the base of the cranial brain4 ,one jab of a needle and it might be quickly extinguished4 ,yet derangement of the so-called abdominal brain destroys life as effectually1 though perhaps not so quickly4 ,a shock to the abdominal brain of young ,evans has been administered--in a most remarkable manner4 ,i could see ,mrs4 ,ferris watching him with staring eyes1 for ,kennedy was doing just what many a lawyer does--stating first the bad side of one's case1 and seeming to establish the contention of the opposite side4 ,it was an unfortunate blow1 he admitted1 perhaps even dangerous4 ,but it was not deadly4 ,what happened downstairs in the gymnasium must be taken into account with what happened afterwards in the locker and both considered in the light of the death of the steward1 ,benson1 later4 ,the mark on the stomach of ,irving ,evans was due to something else than the blow4 ,everyone has noticed that4 ,it was a peculiar mark and no mere blow could have produced it4 ,weird in conception1 horribly cunning in its execution was this attempt at murder1 he added1 taking from the case the peculiar flask which ,i had seen him pack up4 ,he held it up so that we could see4 ,it was evidently composed of two flasks1 one inside the other1 the outer encased in felt1 as ,i had seen1 the inner coated with quicksilver and a space between the two4 ,inside was a peculiar liquid which had a bluish tinge1 but was odorless4 ,from the surface a thin vapor seemed to rise4 ,it was not corked1 but from the neck he pulled out a light cotton stopper4 ,as he agitated the liquid slightly1 it had the appearance of boiling4 ,he turned over the bottle and spilled some of it on the floor4 ,it evaporated instantly1 like water on a hot stove4 ,then he took from his pocket a small tin cup and poured out into it some of the liquid1 letting it stand a few moments1 smoking4 ,he poured back the liquid into the flask and dropped the cup on the hardwood floor4 ,it shattered as if it had been composed of glass4 ,one of the men in the front row moved forward to pick up the pieces4 ,just a minute1 interfered ,kennedy4 ,if you think anything of your fingers1 let that be4 ,in the rubbish1 just outside the locker-room1 yesterday1 ,i discovered the remains of a thermos bottle and of a metal cup like this which ,i have dropped on the floor4 ,i have examined the cup1 or rather the pieces4 ,these two murders were committed by one of the least known agencies--freezing1 by liquid air4 ,i could hear a gasp from the auditors and ,i knew that someone's heart must be icy at the discovery of the portentous secret4 ,i have some liquid air in this ,dewar flask1 continued ,kennedy4 ,that is what liquid air is usually kept in4 ,but it may be kept in an ordinary thermos bottle quite well1 also4 ,if ,i should drop just a minute bit on my hand1 it would probably boil away without hurting me1 for it evaporates so quickly that it forms a layer or film of air which prevents contact of the terribly cold liquid air and the skin4 ,i might thrust my finger in it for a few seconds and it would not hurt me4 ,but if ,i kept it there my finger would become brittle and actually break off1 so terrible is the cold of one hundred and ninety degrees below zero1 ,centigrade4 ,it produces an instantaneous frost bite1 numbing so quickly that it often is hardly felt4 ,placed on the surface of flesh this way1 it changes it to a pearly-white1 solid surface4 ,the thawing1 however1 is intensely painful1 giving first a burning sensation1 then a stinging1 flushed feeling1 exactly as ,irving ,evans described what he felt4 ,the part affected swells and a crust forms which it takes weeks to heal1 supposing the part affected is small4 ,someone1 in that locker-room1 continued ,craig1 placed a piece of cotton soaked in liquid air on the stomach of the unconscious boy4 ,instantly1 before anyone noticed it1 it froze through to the solar plexus4 ,ultimately that was bound to kill him4 ,and who would bear the blame8 ,why1 ,fraser ,ferris1 of course4 ,the accident in the bout afforded an opportunity to use the stuff which the criminal in his wildest dreams could not have bettered4 ,how about ,benson1 the steward8 spoke up a voice4 ,we turned4 ,it was the ,coroner1 loath even yet to give up the official theory4 ,that was a pure accident1 returned ,kennedy4 ,the club1 as you know1 is a temperance club4 ,but the members1 or at least some of them1 keep drinks in their lockers4 ,the steward1 ,benson1 knew this4 ,it has been shown that ,benson had been in town that evening1 had imbibed considerably4 ,he had observed one of the members of the club take from his locker something which he thought was to revive young ,evans4 ,what more natural1 then1 than for him to visit that locker when he returned from town1 open it8 ,he found a thermos bottle4 ,instead of the regular cork1 it had a light cotton stopper4 ,in his muddled state1 the steward did not stop to think--even if he had1 he would have seen no reason for carefully corking something that was not designed to keep in a thermos bottle4 ,but instead of whiskey1 the bottle contained what had not yet evaporated of the liquid air4 ,you may not know it1 but liquid air can be easily preserved in open vessels with a stopper which allows the passage of the evaporated air4 ,however paradoxical it may seem1 it cannot be kept in closed vessels1 for enormous pressures are at once brought into play4 ,benson opened the bottle and poured out some of the contents in the metal cup-cap of the bottle4 ,he raised it to his lips--swallowed it--or that much of it that did not paralyze him4 ,it expanded1 boiled1 exploded--producing the ghastly wound by almost literally blowing him up4 ,the owner of the liquid air1 who must have had it there waiting a chance to use it1 was probably waiting up in the club rooms now1 for a chance to get rid of it as evidence4 ,he must have heard a noise down in the locker-room4 ,what if he had been observed and someone were down there investigating8 ,he hurried down there4 ,to his horror1 in the darkness1 he found ,benson1 already dead1 the locker open1 the thermos bottle broken and the cup smashed4 ,it was a terrible clew4 ,he must get that body away from the locker-room4 ,he could throw the bottle out2 no one could suspect anything when the air had evaporated1 as it soon would1 now4 ,but the body--that was different4 ,the method he employed in getting rid of the body1 ,i think you all must already know4 ,i had been watching ,wyndham's face keenly4 ,as ,craig proceeded1 ,i fancied that ,i saw in it a look of startled surprise4 ,was it one of ,anita ,allison's many admirers who did this thing8 ,craig asked suddenly4 ,i turned from ,wyndham to ,craig1 wondering4 ,what did he mean8 ,everyone had accepted that theory of the case so far4 ,no one had questioned it4 ,but1 with his words1 it suddenly dawned on me that it was by no means the only theory4 ,before ,craig could go on1 there came a startled cry from one of the ladies4 ,oh--he did it--he did it6 ,anita ,allison had fainted4 ,dean ,allison was at his sister's side in a moment4 ,here--let me get her out into the fresh air1 he cried4 ,wyndham had started up at the words and the two men were facing each other over the girl who had already discovered the secret1 but had kept it locked in her breast4 ,walter--lock that door1 rang out ,craig's voice mercilessly4 ,i backed up1 my whole weight against it1 and turned the key4 ,i know the gossip of ,wall ,street now1 shot out ,kennedy hurriedly1 facing the crowd who were all on their feet4 ,today ,i have visited a number of speculative young gentlemen of ,briar ,lake1 including ,mr4 ,wyndham4 ,the truth is that ,miss ,allison's fortune was gone--dissipated in an unsuccessful bear raid on the market in which others have shared--and lost4 ,if she had married1 it meant an accounting and surrendering of her full control of her fortune4 ,you have done this dastardly crime1 ,dean ,allison1 to keep your sister in ignorance of the loss and to save your own miserable reputation6 ,,chapter ,,xxv ,,the ,,demon ,,engine ,perpetual motion sounds foolish1 ,i'll admit4 ,but1 ,professor ,kennedy1 this ,creighton self-acting motor does things ,i can't explain4 ,craig looked perplexed as he gazed from ,adele ,laidlaw1 his young and very pretty client1 to me4 ,we had heard a great deal about the young lady1 one of the wealthiest heiresses of the country4 ,she paused a moment and looked at us1 evidently thinking of the many schemes which people had devised to get her money away from her4 ,really1 she went on1 ,i haven't a friend to whom ,i can go1 except ,mr4 ,tresham--no one on whom ,i can rely for advice in a case of this kind4 ,several times1 ,i recollected1 there had been rumors that she was engaged to ,leslie ,tresham1 who had been the lawyer for her father before his death4 ,the rumors had always been denied1 however1 though ,i am sure it was not ,tresham's fault4 ,you see1 she continued1 as ,craig still said nothing1 father was of a mechanical turn of mind2 in fact so was the whole family1 and ,i suppose ,i have inherited it4 ,i'm just crazy over cars and boats4 ,anyhow1 ,i was introduced to ,mr4 ,creighton and he seemed so earnest and his work was so interesting that ,i bought a little of his stock4 ,now he needs more money to perfect his motor4 ,perhaps the thing is all right1 but1--well1 what do ,i really know about it8 ,one could not help feeling a great deal of sympathy for her4 ,she was not the type of woman who would be easily misled1 yet ,i could imagine that she must constantly be on her guard against schemers of every sort lurking to take advantage of every whim4 ,h'm1 mused ,kennedy1 with a smile1 eyeing our visitor keenly4 ,i've been consulted on about everything from pickpockets to the fountain of youth4 ,now it's perpetual motion4 ,i must say1 ,miss ,laidlaw1 your case has a decided scientific interest for me1 anyhow1 as well as personal4 ,i'd like to look at this wonderful machine1 if you can arrange it4 ,i can do that1 she answered confidently with a glance of thanks to ,kennedy for his help4 ,may ,i use your telephone8 ,she had to wait some time for an answer to her call1 but finally she got ,creighton on the wire4 ,he had just come in1 she said1 hanging up the receiver4 ,he'll be there if we come down right away4 ,adele ,laidlaw drove us downtown in her own high-powered car1 which1 true to her mechanical instincts1 she handled herself4 ,she drove it very well1 too4 ,in fact1 ,i felt safer than with ,kennedy1 who1 like many drivers1 was inclined to take chances when he was at the wheel himself and could see what he was up against1 though he balked severely when anyone else did it4 ,how did you become interested in this perpetual motion machine1 ,miss ,laidlaw8 he asked as we threaded our way through the dense traffic4 ,well1 ,i suppose everyone knows that ,i'm interested in engines1 she replied1 as we waited for the signal from a policeman at a cross-street4 ,i've spent a good deal on them in speed-boats and in racing cars1 too4 ,an acquaintance1 a friend of ,mr4 ,creighton's1 a ,mrs4 ,barry1--,mr4 ,tresham knows her1--thought perhaps ,i might use the motor somehow and told me of it4 ,i went down to see it and--,i must confess that it fascinated me4 ,i had not yet quite got myself accustomed to a girl who was interested in such things1 though1 in these days1 ,i must confess1 saw no reason why she should not be4 ,kennedy was dividing his attention between the admirable manner in which she handled the car and her very expressive face4 ,was it really1 ,i wondered1 that ,creighton1 more than his motor1 has fascinated her8 ,she drew up before the ,consolidated ,bank ,building1 a modern steel and concrete structure in the uptown business section4 ,the laboratory is next door1 she said1 as she let the car slide ahead a few feet more4 ,mr4 ,tresham's office is in the ,bank ,building4 ,i've had to go there so often since father died that ,i stopped through force of habit1 ,i suppose4 ,mindful of ,kennedy's admiration for ,freud1 his theory of forgetting occurred to me4 ,was there any significance in the mistake8 ,had the unconscious blunder betrayed something which perhaps she herself consciously did not realize8 ,was it ,tresham1 after all1 whom she really admired and wanted to see8 ,creighton's workshop was in an old two-story brick building1 evidently awaiting only the development of the neighborhood before it was torn down4 ,meanwhile the two buildings were in marked contrast4 ,which of them typified ,creighton8 ,was he hopelessly out of date1 or really ahead of his time8 ,i must confess to having had a lively curiosity to meet the inventor4 ,the entrance to the laboratory from the street was through a large door into a room in which was a carpenter's bench4 ,on one side were some powerful winches and a large assortment of tools4 ,in the back of the room a big door led to another room on the ground floor to the rear4 ,mr4 ,creighton's is upstairs1 remarked ,miss ,laidlaw1 turning past the locked door and going up a worn flight of steps4 ,whose shop is that8 asked ,kennedy1 indicating the door4 ,i don't know who rents these rooms down here1 she replied4 ,up the stairway we went to the second floor4 ,on the top landing stood some old machinery4 ,in a little room on one side was a big desk1 as well as books1 instruments1 and drawings of all sorts4 ,opposite this room was another little room1 with many bits of expensive machinery on shelves and tables4 ,back of these two1 and up a step1 was a large room1 the full width of the building1 the workshop of the inventor1 into which she led us4 ,i've brought a couple of friends of mine who may be interested in the vibrodyne motor1 ,miss ,laidlaw introduced us4 ,very pleased to meet you1 gentlemen1 ,creighton returned4 ,before we get through1 ,i think you'll agree with me that you never dreamed of anything more wonderful than this motor of mine4 ,he was a large1 powerfully built man1 with a huge head1 square jaw with heavy side whiskers1 and eyes that moved restlessly under a shock of iron-gray hair4 ,whether it was the actual size of his head or his bushy hair1 one got the impression that his cranium housed a superabundant supply of brains4 ,every action was nervous and quick4 ,even his speech was rapid1 as though his ideas outstripped his tongue4 ,he impressed one as absorbed in this thing which he said frankly had been his life study1 every nerve strained to make it succeed and convince people4 ,just what is this force you call vibrodyne8 asked ,craig1 gazing about at the curious litter of paraphernalia in the shop4 ,of course1 ,i'm willing to admit1 began ,creighton quickly1 in the tone of a man who was used to showing his machine to skeptical strangers but must be allowed to explain it in his own way1 that never before by any mechanical1 electrical1 thermal1 or other means has a self-moving motor been made4 ,he paused apparently to let us grasp the significance of what he was about to say4 ,but1 is it impossible1 as some of the old scientists have proved to their own satisfaction it must be8 he went on1 warming up to his subject4 ,may there not be molecular1 atomic1 even ionic forces of which we have not dreamed8 ,you have only to go back a few years and study radioactivity1 for instance1 to see how ideas may change4 ,today1 he added emphatically1 the conservation of energy1 in the old sense at least1 has been overthrown4 ,gentlemen1 all the old laws must be modified by my discovery of vibrodyne4 ,i loose new new forces--,i create energy6 ,i watched him narrowly as he proposed and rapidly answered his own questions4 ,he was talking quite as much for ,miss ,laidlaw's benefit1 ,i thought1 as ours4 ,in fact1 it was evident that her interest in the machine and in himself pleased him greatly4 ,i knew already that though the search after perpetual motion through centuries had brought failure1 still it captivated a certain type of inventive mind4 ,i knew also that1 just as the exact squaring of the circle and the transmutation of metals brought out some great mathematical discoveries and much of modern chemistry1 so perpetual motion had brought out the greatest of all generalizations of physics--the conservation of energy4 ,yet here was a man who questioned the infallibility of that generalization4 ,actually taking the ultra-modern view that matter is a form of energy1 he was asserting that energy in some way might be created or destroyed1 at least transformed in a manner that no one had ever understood before4 ,to him1 radioactivity which had overthrown or amplified many of the old ideas was only a beginning4 ,here is the machine1 he pointed out at last1 still talking1 leading us proudly across the littered floor of his laboratory4 ,it seemed1 at first glance1 to consist of a circular iron frame1 about a foot and a half in diameter1 firmly bolted to the floor4 ,i have it fastened down because1 as you will see1 it develops such a tremendous power1 explained the inventor1 adding1 as he pointed above it1 ,that is all the power is developed from1 too4 ,on a shelf was a ,daniell battery of four cells4 ,in the porous cup was bichromate of potash and in the outer vessel dilute sulphuric acid4 ,let me show you how ,i get two and a half horsepower out of three ounces of zinc for nine hours1 went on ,creighton proudly4 ,as you doubtless know1 the usual thing is one horsepower per pound of zinc per hour4 ,ultimately1 ,i expect to perfect the process until ,i get a thousand horsepower from an ounce in this vibrodyne motor4 ,he started the engine by attaching the wires from the comparatively weak ,daniell cells4 ,slowly it began to move1 gaining speed1 until finally the very floor shook from the great power and the rapidity of the motion4 ,it seemed incredible that the small current from the battery should develop such apparent power and ,i looked at ,kennedy in amazement4 ,there's a carelessly--or purposely--ill-balanced flywheel1 ,i suspect1 whispered ,craig to me surreptitiously4 ,yes1 but the power1 ,i persisted4 ,he shook his head4 ,evidently he was not convinced1 but had no theory1 yet4 ,adele ,laidlaw looked at ,craig questioningly1 as though to read what he thought of it4 ,before her he betrayed nothing4 ,now and then she would look earnestly at ,creighton4 ,it was evident that she admired him very much1 yet there seemed to be something about him that she did not quite understand4 ,just then the telephone rang4 ,creighton stopped his machine and left us for a moment to answer the call1 while the engine slowed down and came to rest4 ,quickly ,kennedy pulled out his watch and pried the crystal off the face4 ,he walked over to a basin and filled the crystal with a few drops of water4 ,then he set it down on the table4 ,i looked at it closely4 ,as nearly as ,i could make out1 there seemed to be a slight agitation on the surface of the thin film of water in the glass4 ,craig smiled quietly to himself and flicked the water into the sink1 returning the crystal to his watch4 ,i did not understand just what it was that ,craig was after1 but ,i felt sure that there was some kind of vibration that he had discovered4 ,meanwhile1 we could hear ,creighton telephoning and ,i noticed that ,miss ,laidlaw was alertly listening1 too4 ,why1 no1 ,i heard him answer monosyllabically but in a tone that was carefully modulated1 not alone4 ,let me call you up--soon4 ,the conversation ended almost as abruptly as it had begun4 ,somehow1 it seemed evident to me that ,creighton had been talking to a woman4 ,though he apparently had not wanted to say anything before us1 he could not disguise the fact4 ,from his quick1 nervous manner with us1 ,i had concluded that no mere man could have commanded so deferential a tone from him4 ,a moment later he rejoined us1 resuming his praises of his motor4 ,by this time ,i had come to recognize that he was a master in the manipulation of fantastic terms1 which ,i1 at least1 did not understand4 ,therein1 perhaps1 lay their potency1 though ,i doubt whether ,kennedy himself knew what ,creighton meant when he talked of polar sympathy1 inter-atomic ether1 molecular disintegration1 and orbitic chaos4 ,i saw that ,adele ,laidlaw was watching ,creighton narrowly now4 ,was it on account of the telephone call8 ,who had it been8 ,perhaps1 it occurred to me1 it was ,mrs4 ,barry4 ,was ,creighton afraid of arousing the jealousy of ,adele ,laidlaw8 ,there seemed to be nothing more of importance that ,craig could learn at present and we soon bade ,creighton good-by1 leaving with ,miss ,laidlaw4 ,i noticed that he locked the door after us as we went out4 ,i'd like to meet this ,mrs4 ,barry1 remarked ,craig as we passed out of the building4 ,he said it evidently to see just how ,miss ,laidlaw would take it4 ,i think ,i can arrange that1 replied ,adele ,laidlaw colorlessly4 ,i'll ask her to visit me this afternoon4 ,you can call casually4 ,we accompanied her to her car1 promising to report as soon as possible if we discovered anything new4 ,i'm going in to call on ,tresham1 remarked ,craig1 turning into the ,bank ,building4 ,,chapter ,,xxvi ,,the ,,electrolysis ,,clew ,as ,kennedy walked through the corridor of the building1 he paused and bent down1 as though examining the wall4 ,i looked1 too4 ,there was a crack in the concrete1 in the side wall toward the ,creighton laboratory4 ,do you suppose vibration caused it8 ,i asked1 remembering his watch crystal test4 ,craig shook his head4 ,the vibrations in a building can be shown by a watch glass full of water4 ,you saw the surface of the liquid with its minute waves4 ,there's vibration1 all right1 but that is not the cause of such cracks as these4 ,he stood for a moment regarding the crack attentively4 ,on the floor on which we were was the ,consolidated ,bank itself4 ,beneath us were the ,consolidated ,safety ,deposit vaults4 ,what did cause them1 then8 ,i asked1 mystified4 ,apparently escaping currents of electricity are causing electrolysis of the ,bank ,building1 he replied1 his face wrinkled in thought4 ,electrolysis8 ,i repeated mechanically4 ,yes4 ,i suppose you know how stray or vagrant currents affect steel and concrete8 ,i shook my head in the negative4 ,well1 he explained as we stood there1 ,i believe that in one government test at least it was shown that when an electric current of high voltage passes from steel to concrete1 the latter is cracked and broken4 ,often a mechanical pressure as great as four or five thousand pounds a square inch is exerted and there is rapid destruction due to the heating effect of the current4 ,i expressed my surprise at what he had discovered4 ,the danger is easily overestimated1 he hastened to add4 ,but in this case ,i think it is real1 though probably it is a special and extreme condition4 ,still it is special and extreme conditions which we are in the habit of encountering in our cases1 ,walter4 ,that is what we must be looking out for4 ,in this instance the destruction due to electrolysis is most likely caused by the oxidation of the iron anode4 ,the oxides which are formed are twice as great in volume as the iron was originally and the resulting pressure is what causes the concrete to break4 ,i think we shall find that this condition will bear strict watching4 ,for a moment ,kennedy stopped at the little office of the superintendent of the building1 in the rear4 ,i was just wondering whether you had noticed those cracks in the walls down the corridor1 remarked ,kennedy after a brief introduction4 ,the superintendent looked at him suspiciously4 ,evidently he feared we had some ulterior motive1 perhaps represented some rival building and might try to scare away his tenants4 ,oh1 that's nothing1 he said confidently4 ,just the building settling a bit--easily fixed4 ,the safety vault company haven't complained8 persisted ,kennedy1 determined to get something out of the agent4 ,no indeed1 he returned confidently4 ,i guess they've got troubles of their own--real ones4 ,how's that8 asked ,craig1 falling in with the man's evident desire to change the subject4 ,why1 ,i believe their alarm system's out of order1 he replied4 ,some of the fine wires in it burnt out1 ,i think4 ,defective wiring1 ,i guess4 ,oh1 they've had it patched up1 changed about a little1--it's all right now1 they say4 ,but they've had a deuce of a time with the alarm ringing at all sorts of hours1 and not a trace of trouble4 ,i looked quickly at ,craig4 ,though the superintendent thought he had been very clever in changing the topic of conversation1 he had unwittingly furnished us with another clew4 ,i could not ask ,craig before him and ,i forgot to do so later1 but1 to me at least1 it seemed as if this might be due to induction from the stray currents4 ,no one here seems to have suspected the ,creighton motor1 anyhow1 commented ,craig to me1 as we thanked the superintendent and walked across to the elevators4 ,we rode up to ,tresham's office1 which was on the third floor1 on the side of the building toward ,creighton's laboratory4 ,in fact one of the windows opened almost on the roof of the brick building next door4 ,we found ,tresham in his office and he received us affably1 ,i thought4 ,miss ,laidlaw told me she was going to consult you1 he remarked as we introduced ourselves4 ,i'm glad she did so4 ,tresham was a large1 well-built fellow1 apparently athletically inclined1 clean shaven with dark hair that was getting very thin4 ,he seemed quite at ease as he talked with us1 yet ,i could tell that he was weighing us all the time1 as lawyers will do4 ,what do you think of ,creighton's motor8 opened ,kennedy4 ,you've seen it1 ,i suppose8 ,oh1 yes1 he replied quickly and jerkily4 ,since ,miss ,laidlaw became interested he's been in here to have me look over his application for a patent4 ,you know1 ,i used to be a patent lawyer for a number of years until ,i decided to branch out into general practice4 ,legally ,creighton seems to be sound enough4 ,of course1 you know1 the patent office won't grant a patent on a machine such as he claims without a rigid demonstration4 ,he needs money1 he says1 for that4 ,if his idea is sound1 ,i don't see any reason why he shouldn't get a basic patent4 ,tresham paused4 ,i was conscious that he was furtively watching the face of ,kennedy as though he hoped to learn as much from him as ,craig did on his part4 ,it's the mechanical end of it that ,i don't understand1 continued ,tresham1 after a pause4 ,creighton claims to have discovered a new force which he calls vibrodyne4 ,i think it is just as well that ,miss ,laidlaw has decided to consult a scientist about it before she puts any more money into the thing4 ,i can't say ,i approve of her interest in it--though1 of course1 ,i know next to nothing about it1 except from the legal standpoint4 ,who is that ,mrs4 ,barry of whom ,miss ,laidlaw spoke8 asked ,kennedy a moment later4 ,i believe she is a friend of ,creighton's4 ,somehow she got acquainted with ,miss ,laidlaw and introduced her to him4 ,you know her8 queried ,craig casually4 ,oh1 yes1 came the frank reply4 ,she has been in to see me1 too2 first to interest me in the motor1 and then to consult me about various legal points in connection with it4 ,i felt sure that ,tresham was more than just a bit jealous of his pretty client4 ,certainly his tone was intended to convey the impression that he wished she would leave her affairs in his hands entirely4 ,you don't know anything more about her--where she came from--her connections8 added ,craig4 ,hardly more than you do1 asserted ,tresham4 ,i've only seen the woman a few times4 ,in fact ,i should be glad to know more about her--and about ,creighton1 too4 ,i hope that if you find out anything you'll let me know so that ,i can protect ,miss ,laidlaw's interests4 ,i shall do so1 promised ,kennedy1 rising4 ,i'll do the same1 agreed ,tresham1 extending his hand4 ,i see no reason why we shouldn't work together for--my client4 ,there was no mistaking the fact that ,tresham would have liked to be able to say something more intimate than client4 ,perhaps he might have been nearer to it if her interest in him had not been diverted by this wonderful motor4 ,at any rate ,i fancied he had little love for ,creighton4 ,yet1 when ,i reflected afterward1 it seemed like a wide gulf that must separate a comparatively impecunious lawyer from a wealthy girl like ,adele ,laidlaw4 ,kennedy was not through with his effort to learn something by a thorough investigation of the neighborhood yet4 ,for some time after we left ,tresham's office1 he stood in the doorway of the ,bank ,building1 looking about as though he hated to leave without establishing some vantage point from which to watch what was going on in ,creighton's laboratory4 ,of course ,i can't very well get into the safety vault under the bank1 he mused4 ,i wish ,i could4 ,he walked past ,creighton's without seeing anything happen4 ,the next building was a similar two-story brick affair4 ,a sign on it read1 ,studios and ,offices ,for ,rent4 ,an idea seemed to be suggested to him by the sign4 ,he wheeled and entered the place4 ,inquiry brought out a caretaker who showed us several rooms unoccupied1 among them one vacant on the first floor4 ,kennedy looked it over carefully1 as though considering whether it was just the place he wanted1 but ended1 as ,i knew he intended1 in hiring it4 ,i can't move my stuff in for a couple of days1 he told the caretaker4 ,meanwhile1 ,i may have the key1 ,i suppose8 ,he had paid a good deposit and the key was readily forthcoming4 ,the hiring of the ground floor room accomplished without exciting suspicion1 ,kennedy and ,i made a hasty trip up to his own laboratory1 where he took a small box from a cabinet and hurried back to the taxicab which had brought us uptown4 ,back again in the bare room which he had acquired1 ,craig set to work immediately installing a peculiar instrument which he took from the package4 ,it seemed to consist of two rods much like electric light carbons1 fixed horizontally in a wooden support with a spindle-shaped bit of carbon between the two ends of the rods4 ,wires were connected with binding screws at the free ends of the carbon rods4 ,first ,craig made a connection with an electric light socket from which he removed the bulb1 cutting in a rheostat4 ,then he attached the free wires from the carbons to a sort of telephone headgear and switched on the current4 ,what is it8 ,i asked curiously4 ,a geophone1 he replied simply4 ,and what is a geophone8 ,i inquired4 ,literally an earth-phone1 he explained4 ,it is really the simplest form of telephone1 applied to the earth4 ,you saw what it was4 ,any high school student of physics can make one1 even with two or three dry batteries in circuit4 ,but what does it do8 ,i asked4 ,it is really designed to detect earth vibrations4 ,all that is necessary is to set the carbon stick arrangement1 which is the transmitter of this telephone1 on the floor1 place myself at the other end and listen4 ,a trained ear can readily detect rumblings4 ,really it is doing in a different and often better way what the seismograph does4 ,this instrument is so sensitive that it will record the slamming of a cellar door across the street4 ,no one can go up those stairs next door without letting me know it1 no matter how cautious he is about it4 ,craig stood there some minutes holding the thing over his ears and listening intently4 ,the vibrodyne machine isn't running1 he remarked finally after repeated adjustments of the geophone4 ,but someone is in that little room under ,creighton's workshop4 ,i suspected that something was down there after that watch crystal test of mine4 ,now ,i know it4 ,i wonder what the man is doing8 ,there was no excuse yet1 however1 for breaking into the room on the other side of the wall and under ,creighton's4 ,kennedy went out and watched4 ,though we waited some time nobody came out4 ,he went back to our own room in the rear of the first floor4 ,though we both listened some time1 neither of us could now hear a sound through the geophone except those made by passing trolleys and street vehicles4 ,inquiry about the neighborhood did not develop who was the tenant or what was his business4 ,in fact the results were just the reverse4 ,no one seemed to know even the business conducted there4 ,the room back of the locked door which ,miss ,laidlaw had passed was shrouded in mystery4 ,nothing at all of any value was being recorded by the geophone when ,kennedy glanced quickly at his watch4 ,if we are to see ,miss ,laidlaw and meet that ,mrs4 ,barry1 we had better be on our way1 he remarked hurriedly4 ,miss ,laidlaw was living in a handsome apartment on ,central ,park1 ,west4 ,we entered and gave our cards to the man at the door of her suite1 who bowed us into a little reception room4 ,we entered and waited4 ,suddenly we were aware that someone in the next room1 a library1 was talking4 ,whether we would or not we could not help overhearing what was said4 ,apparently two women were there1 and they were not taking care how loud they spoke4 ,then you object to my even knowing ,mr4 ,creighton8 asked one of the voices1 pausing evidently for a reply which the other did not choose to make4 ,i suppose if it was ,mr4 ,tresham you'd object1 too4 ,there was something catty and taunting about the voice4 ,it was a hard voice1 the voice of a woman who had seen much1 and felt fully capable of taking care of herself in more4 ,you can't make up your mind which one you care for most1 then8 ,is that it8 pursued the same voice4 ,well1 ,i'll be a sport4 ,i'll leave you ,creighton--if you can keep him4 ,i want neither1 broke in a voice which ,i recognized at once as ,adele ,laidlaw's4 ,she spoke with a suppressed emotion which plainly indicated that she did want one of them4 ,just then the butler entered with our cards4 ,we heard no more4 ,a moment later we were ushered into the library4 ,mrs4 ,barry was a trim1 well-groomed woman whose age was deceptive4 ,i felt that no matter what one might think of ,miss ,laidlaw1 here was a woman whose very looks seemed to warn one to be on his guard4 ,she was a woman of the world1 confident in her own ability to take care of herself4 ,adele was flushed and excited1 as we entered1 though she was making a desperate effort to act as though nothing had happened4 ,my friend1 ,professor ,kennedy1 and ,mr4 ,jameson1 she introduced us simply1 making no pretense to conceal our identity4 ,mrs4 ,barry was1 in addition to her other accomplishments1 a good actress4 ,i've heard a great deal about you1 ,professor1 she said1 extending her hand1 but not taking her eyes off ,craig's face4 ,kennedy met her gaze directly4 ,what did she mean8 ,had she accepted ,miss ,laidlaw's invitation to call in order to look us over1 knowing that we had come to do the same8 ,mr4 ,creighton tells me that you have been to see his new motor1 she ventured1 even before any of us could open the subject4 ,she seemed to enjoy making the remark for the specific purpose of rousing ,miss ,laidlaw4 ,it succeeded amply1 also4 ,the implication that ,creighton took her into his confidence was sufficient to cause ,adele ,laidlaw to shoot an angry glance at her4 ,mrs4 ,barry had no objection to sticking a knife in and turning it around4 ,of course ,i don't know as much about such things as ,miss ,laidlaw1 she purred1 but ,mr4 ,tresham tells me that there may be some trouble with the patent office about allowing the patent4 ,from all ,i have heard there's a fortune in that motor for someone4 ,wonderful1 isn't it8 ,even the mention of ,tresham's name in the studied familiarity of her tone seemed to increase the scarcely latent hostility between the two women4 ,kennedy1 so far1 had said nothing1 content merely to observe4 ,it appears to be wonderful1 was all he said1 guardedly4 ,mrs4 ,barry eyed him sharply and ,miss ,laidlaw appeared to be ill at ease4 ,evidently she wanted to believe in ,creighton and his motor1 yet her natural caution forbade her4 ,the entrance of ,kennedy into the case seemed to have proved a disturbing factor between the two women1 to have brought matters to a head4 ,we chatted for a few minutes1 ,kennedy deftly refusing to commit himself on anything1 ,mrs4 ,barry seeking to lead him into expressing some opinion1 and endeavoring to conceal her exasperation as he avoided doing so4 ,at last ,kennedy glanced at his watch1 which reminded him of a mythical appointment1 sufficient to terminate the visit4 ,i'm very glad to have met you1 he bowed to ,mrs4 ,barry1 as she1 too1 rose to go1 while he preserved the fiction of merely having dropped in to see ,miss ,laidlaw4 ,he turned to her4 ,i should be delighted to have both you and ,mr4 ,tresham drop in at my laboratory some time1 ,miss ,laidlaw4 ,miss ,laidlaw caught his eye and read in it that this was his way1 under the circumstances1 of asking her to keep in touch with him4 ,i shall do so1 she promised4 ,we parted from ,mrs4 ,barry at the door of her taxicab4 ,a very baffling woman1 ,i remarked a moment later4 ,do you suppose she is as intimate with ,creighton as she implies8 ,kennedy shook his head4 ,it isn't that that interests me most1 just now1 he replied4 ,what ,i can't figure out is ,adele ,laidlaw's attitude toward both ,creighton and ,tresham4 ,she seems to resent ,mrs4 ,barry's intimacy with either4 ,yes1 ,i agreed4 ,sometimes ,i have thought she really cared for both--at least1 that she was unable to make up her mind which she cared for most4 ,offhand1 ,i should have thought that she was the sort who wouldn't think a man worth caring much for4 ,kennedy shook his head4 ,given a woman1 ,walter1 he said thoughtfully1 whose own and ancestral training has been a course of suppression1 where she has been taught and drilled that exhibitions of emotion and passion are disgraceful1 as ,i suspect ,miss ,laidlaw's parents have believed1 and you have a woman whose primitive instincts have been stored and strengthened4 ,the instincts are there1 nevertheless1 far back in the subconscious mind4 ,i don't think ,adele ,laidlaw knows it herself1 but there is something about both those men which fascinates her and she can't make up her mind which fascinates her most4 ,perhaps they have the same qualities4 ,but ,mrs4 ,barry1 ,i interrupted4 ,surely she must know4 ,i think she does1 he returned4 ,i think she knows more than we suspect4 ,i looked at him quickly1 not quite making out the significance of the remark1 but he said no more4 ,for the present1 at least1 he left ,adele ,laidlaw quite as much an enigma as ever4 ,i wish that you would make inquiries about regarding ,mrs4 ,barry1 he said finally as we reached the subway4 ,i'm going down again to the little room we hired and watch4 ,you'll find me at the laboratory later tonight4 ,,chapter ,,xxvii ,,the ,,perpetual ,,motion ,,machine ,i tried my best1 but there was very little that ,i could find out about ,mrs4 ,barry4 ,no one seemed to know where she came from1 and even ,mr4 ,barry seemed shrouded in obscurity4 ,i was convinced1 however1 that she was an adventuress4 ,one thing1 however1 ,i did turn up4 ,she had called on ,tresham at his office a number of times1 usually late in the afternoon1 and he had taken her to dinner and to the theater4 ,apparently he knew her a great deal better than he had been willing to admit to us4 ,i was not surprised1 for1 like a good many men of his class1 ,tresham was better known in the white light district than one might suspect4 ,mrs4 ,barry had all the marks of being good company on such an excursion4 ,on the way uptown1 ,i stopped off in the neighborhood of ,longacre ,square in the hope of picking up some more gossip at one or another of the clubs4 ,tresham was a member of several1 though as near as ,i could find out1 used them more for business than social reasons4 ,on ,broadway it was different1 however4 ,there he was known as a liberal spender and lover of night life4 ,like many others he now and then accumulated quite large bills4 ,i wondered whether ,mrs4 ,barry had not found out and taken advantage of his weakness4 ,it was1 as ,i have said1 comparatively little that ,i had been able to discover1 yet when ,i met ,kennedy again1 later in the evening1 at his laboratory1 he listened eagerly to what ,i had to report4 ,did anything happen downtown8 ,i asked when ,i had finished4 ,nothing much1 he returned4 ,of course1 listening over the geophone1 ,i couldn't watch the ,bank ,building1 too4 ,there's something very queer about ,creighton4 ,i could hear him at work in the room upstairs until quite late1 making a lot of noise4 ,if ,i don't find out anything more definite soon1 ,i shall have to adopt some other measures4 ,you didn't do anything more about that electrolysis clew8 ,i queried4 ,nothing1 he replied briefly1 except that ,i inquired of the electric light company and found out that ,creighton1 or someone in his building1 was using a good deal of power4 ,that looks bad1 ,i ventured1 remembering the claims made for the engine and the comparatively weak batteries that were said to run it4 ,kennedy nodded acquiescence1 but said nothing more4 ,we walked over in silence to our apartment on the ,heights and far into the night ,craig sat there1 shading his eyes with his hand1 apparently studying out the peculiar features of the case and planning some new angle of approach at it tomorrow4 ,we were surprised the next day to receive an early visit from ,miss ,laidlaw at the laboratory4 ,she drove up before the ,chemistry ,building1 very much excited1 as though her news would not bear repeating even over the telephone4 ,what do you think8 she exclaimed1 bursting in on us4 ,mr4 ,creighton has disappeared6 ,disappeared8 repeated ,kennedy4 ,how did you find it out8 ,mr4 ,tresham just telephoned me from his office1 she hurried on4 ,he was going into the ,bank ,building when he saw a wagon drive off from the place next door4 ,he thought it was strange and instead of going on up to his own office he walked into ,creighton's4 ,when he tried to get in1 the place was locked4 ,there's a sign on it1 too1 ',for ,rent1' he says4 ,that's strange1 considered ,kennedy4 ,i suppose he didn't notice what kind of wagon it was8 ,yes1 he said it looked like a junk wagon--full of stuff4 ,i looked from ,miss ,laidlaw to ,kennedy4 ,plainly our entrance into the case had been the signal for the flitting of ,creighton4 ,quickly he reached for the telephone4 ,you know ,mrs4 ,barry's number8 he asked4 ,yes1 it's the ,prince ,edward ,hotel4 ,he called up1 but the conversation was over in a moment4 ,she didn't return to the hotel last night1 he announced as he hung up the receiver4 ,she's in this thing1 too1 exclaimed ,adele ,laidlaw4 ,can you go down with me now and meet ,mr4 ,tresham8 ,i promised ,i would4 ,though she repressed her feelings1 as usual1 ,i could see that ,adele ,laidlaw was furious4 ,was it because ,creighton had gone off with her money1 or was it pique because ,mrs4 ,barry had1 perhaps1 won him8 ,at any rate1 someone was going to feel the fury of her scorn4 ,we motored down quickly in ,miss ,laidlaw's car and met ,tresham1 who was standing in front of the ,bank ,building waiting for us4 ,it just happened that ,i came down early this morning1 he explained1 or ,i shouldn't have noticed anything out of the way4 ,the junk wagon was just driving away as ,i came up4 ,it seemed to be in such a hurry that it attracted my attention4 ,it was the first time we had seen ,tresham and ,miss ,laidlaw together and ,i was interested to see how they would act4 ,there was no mistaking his attitude toward her and ,adele was much more cordial to him than ,i had expected4 ,while ,i was waiting ,i got a key from the agent1 he explained4 ,but ,i didn't want to go in until you came4 ,tresham opened the door and led the way upstairs1 ,miss ,laidlaw following closely4 ,as we entered ,creighton's shop1 everything seemed to be in the greatest disorder4 ,prints and books were scattered about1 the tools were lying about wherever they happened to have been left1 all the models were smashed or missing and a heap of papers in the fireplace showed where many plans1 letters and other documents had been burned4 ,we hurried into the big room4 ,sure enough1 the demon motor itself was gone6 ,creighton had unbolted it from the floor and some holes in the boards had been plugged up4 ,the room below was still locked and the windows were covered with opaque paper on the inside4 ,what do you suppose he has done with the motor8 asked ,adele4 ,the only clew is a junk dealer whom we don't know1 ,i replied1 as ,kennedy said nothing4 ,we looked about the place thoroughly1 but could find nothing else4 ,creighton seemed to have made a clean getaway in the early hours4 ,i wish ,i could stay and help you1 remarked ,tresham at length4 ,but ,i must be in court at ten4 ,if there's anything ,i can do1 though1 call on me4 ,i'm going to find that engine if ,i have to visit every junk dealer in ,new ,york1 declared ,miss ,laidlaw soon after ,tresham left4 ,that's about all we can do1 yet1 ,i guess1 remarked ,kennedy1 evidently not much worried about the disappearance of the inventor4 ,together we three closed up the workshop and started out with a list from a trade publication giving all those who dealt in scrap iron and old metal4 ,in fact we spent most of the day going from one to another of the junk shops4 ,i never knew that there were so many dealers in waste4 ,they seemed to be all over the city and in nearly every section4 ,it was a tremendous job1 but we mapped it out so that we worked our way from one section to another4 ,we had got as far as the ,harlem ,river when we entered one place and looked about while we waited for someone in charge to appear4 ,i heard a low exclamation from ,kennedy1 and turned to look in the direction he indicated4 ,there1 in a wagon from which the horse had been unhitched1 was the heavy base of the engine into which so many dollars had been turned--sold as so much scrap6 ,kennedy examined it quickly1 while ,i questioned a man who appeared from behind a shed in the rear4 ,it was useless4 ,he could give no clew that we already could not guess4 ,he had just bought it from a man who seemed anxious to get rid of it4 ,his description of the man tallied with ,creighton4 ,but that was all4 ,it gave us no chance to trace him4 ,look1 exclaimed ,kennedy eagerly1 bending closer over the motor4 ,this is one of the neatest perpetual motion frauds ,i ever heard of4 ,he had turned the heavy base of the motor upward4 ,one glance left me with little wonder why ,creighton had so carefully bolted the machine to the floor4 ,in the base were two rectangular apertures to allow a belt to run over a concealed pulley on the main shaft of the machine in the case4 ,evidently1 when the circuit from the ,daniell cells was closed1 the pulley1 somehow1 was thrown into gear4 ,it was loose and the machine began to revolve slowly at first1 then faster and with great show of power4 ,the pounding1 as ,kennedy had surmised1 was due to the flywheel not well balanced4 ,well1 ,i remarked1 now that we have found it1 ,i don't see that it does us much good4 ,only that we understand it1 returned ,craig4 ,i left that geophone down there in the room next door which ,i hired4 ,i think1 if ,miss ,laidlaw will take us down there1 ,i'd like to get it4 ,he spoke with a sort of easy confidence which ,i knew was hard to be assumed in the face of what looked like defeat4 ,had ,craig deliberately let ,creighton have a chance to get away1 in order that he might convict himself8 ,in silence1 with ,miss ,laidlaw at the wheel1 we went downtown again to the room which ,craig had hired next to ,creighton's workshop4 ,as we approached it1 he leaned over to ,miss ,laidlaw4 ,stop around the corner1 he asked4 ,let's go in quietly4 ,we entered our bare little room and ,kennedy set to work as though to detach the geophone1 while ,i explained it to our client4 ,what's the matter8 she interrupted in the middle of my explanation1 indicating ,kennedy4 ,he had paused and had placed the receivers to his ears4 ,by his expression ,i knew that the instrument was registering something4 ,someone is in the lower room of the shop next door1 he answered1 facing us quickly4 ,if we hurry1 we'll have him cornered4 ,miss ,laidlaw and ,i went out and around in front1 while ,craig dashed through a back door to cut off retreat that way4 ,what's that8 ,hurry6 exclaimed ,miss ,laidlaw4 ,plainly there was a muffled scream of a woman as we entered the street door4 ,i hurried forward4 ,it was the work of only a few seconds to batter down the locked door in the room under ,creighton's old workshop1 and as the door gave way1 ,i heard the sound of shattered glass from the rear which told that ,kennedy had heard the scream1 too1 and had gained an entrance4 ,inside ,i could make out in the half-light a man and a woman4 ,the woman was running toward me1 as if for help4 ,mrs4 ,barry6 gasped ,adele ,laidlaw4 ,he got me here--to kill me6 she cried hysterically4 ,i am the only one who knows the truth--it was the last day--tonight he would have had the money--and ,i would have been out of the way4 ,but ,i'll expose him--,i'll ruin him4 ,see--he came in from the roof-- ,a blinding flash of light greeted us1 followed by a scream from ,adele ,laidlaw1 as she ran past us and dropped on her knees beside a body that had fallen with a thud in the flame before a yawning hole in the side wall4 ,mrs4 ,barry ran past me1 back again1 at almost the same moment4 ,it was a strange sight--these two women glaring at each other over the prostrate figure of the man4 ,here's the real demon engine1 panted ,craig1 coming up from the back and pointing to an electric motor as well as other apparatus consisting of several series of coils4 ,the perpetual motion machine was just a fake4 ,it was merely a cover to an attempt to break into the bank vaults by electrolysis of the steel and concrete4 ,creighton was a dummy1 a fiction--to take the blame and disappear when the robbery was discovered4 ,creighton1 ,i repeated1 looking at the man on the floor1 a dummy8 ,oh--he's dead6 wailed ,adele ,laidlaw4 ,he's dead6 ,electrocuted by his own machine rather than face disgrace and disbarment1 cut in ,craig4 ,no wonder she was in doubt which of the two men fascinated her most4 ,i moved forward and bent over the contorted form of the lawyer1 ,tresham1 who was wearing the whiskers and iron gray wig of his alter-ego1 ,creighton4 ,,chapter ,,xxviii ,,the ,,cancer ,,house ,you've heard of such things as cancer houses1 ,i suppose1 ,professor ,kennedy8 ,it was early in the morning and ,craig's client1 ,myra ,moreton1 as she introduced herself1 had been waiting at the laboratory door in a state of great agitation as we came up4 ,just because her beautiful face was pale and haggard with worry1 she was a pathetic figure1 as she stood there1 dressed in deep mourning1 the tears standing in her eyes merely because we were a little later than usual4 ,well1 she hurried on as she dropped into a chair1 that is what they are calling that big house of ours at ,norwood--a cancer house1 if there is such a thing4 ,clearly1 ,myra ,moreton was a victim of nervous prostration4 ,she had asked the question with a hectic eagerness1 yet had not waited for an answer4 ,oh1 she exclaimed1 you do not1 you cannot know what it means to have something like this constantly hanging over you4 ,think of it--five of us have died in less than five years4 ,it haunts me4 ,who next4 ,that is all ,i can think about4 ,who next8 ,her first agitation had been succeeded by a calmness of despair1 almost of fatalism1 which was worse for her than letting loose her pent-up emotions4 ,i had heard of cases of people in whom there was no record of hereditary predisposition to cancer1 people apparently in perfect health1 who had moved into houses where cancer patients had lived and died and had themselves developed the disease4 ,though ,i had1 of course1 never even remotely experienced such a feeling as she described1 ,i could well fancy what it must be to her4 ,kennedy watched her sympathetically4 ,but why do you come to me8 he asked gently4 ,don't you think a cancer specialist would be more likely to help you8 ,a specialist8 she repeated with a peculiar hopelessness4 ,professor ,kennedy1 five years ago1 when my ,uncle ,frank was attacked by cancer1 father was so foolish as to persuade him to consult a specialist whose advertisement he saw in the papers1 a ,dr4 ,adam ,loeb on ,forty-second ,street here in ,new ,york4 ,specialist6 ,oh1 ,i'm worried sick every time ,i have a sore or anything like this on my neck or anywhere else4 ,she had worked herself from her unnatural calm almost into a state of hysterics as she displayed a little sore on her delicate white throat4 ,that8 reassured ,kennedy4 ,oh1 that may be nothing but a little boil4 ,but this ,dr4 ,loeb--he must be a quack4 ,no doctor who advertises-- ,perhaps1 she interrupted4 ,that is what ,dr4 ,goode out at ,norwood tells me4 ,but father has faith in him1 even has him at the house sometimes4 ,i cannot bear the sight of him4 ,since ,i first saw him my uncle1 his wife1 another aunt1 my cousin have died1 and then1 last week1 my--my mother4 ,her voice broke1 but with a great effort she managed to get herself together4 ,now ,i--,i fear that my father may go next4 ,perhaps it will strike me--or my brother1 ,lionel--who can tell8 ,think of it--the whole family wiped out by this terrible thing4 ,can it be natural1 ,i ask myself8 ,is there not something back of it8 ,who is this ,dr4 ,loeb8 asked ,kennedy1 more for the purpose of aiding her in giving vent to her feelings than anything else4 ,he is a ,new ,york doctor1 she reiterated4 ,i believe he claims to have a sure cure for cancer1 by the use of radium and such means4 ,my father has absolute confidence in him--visits him at his office and1 as ,i told you1 even has him at ,norwood4 ,in fact they are quite friendly4 ,so was ,lionel until lately4 ,what happened to shake your brother's faith8 asked ,craig4 ,nothing1 ,i imagine1 except that ,lionel began thinking it over after someone told him about cancer houses4 ,you must admit yourself that it is--at least strange4 ,i wish you could see ,lionel4 ,he knows more about it than ,i do4 ,or ,dr4 ,goode4 ,i think he has made some kind of test4 ,he could tell you much better than ,i can all the strange history4 ,but they don't agree--,lionel and ,gail4 ,oh--it is more than ,i can stand4 ,what shall ,i-- ,she had fainted4 ,in an instant ,i was at her side1 helping ,kennedy bring her around4 ,there1 there1 soothed ,kennedy several minutes later as her deep eyes looked at him appealingly4 ,perhaps1 after all1 there may be something ,i can do4 ,if ,i should go out to ,norwood with you as soon as you feel better1 wouldn't that be all right8 ,oh--will you8 she cried1 overjoyed4 ,if you would--how could ,i ever thank you8 ,i feel better4 ,no--don't stop me4 ,i've been living on nerve4 ,i can do more4 ,please--let me telephone ,lionel that we are coming4 ,kennedy humored her1 although ,i knew he had several important investigations going on at the time4 ,it was scarcely an hour before we were on the train and in the early forenoon we were met by her brother at the station in a light car4 ,through the beautiful streets of the quaint old ,connecticut town we rode until at last we stopped before a great stone house which had been the ,moreton mansion for several generations4 ,it was a double house1 a gloomy sort of place1 surrounded by fir trees1 damp and suggestive of decay4 ,i could not help feeling that if ever there were a house about which ,i could associate the story which ,myra had poured forth1 this was it4 ,somehow1 to me at least1 it had all the mystery of being haunted4 ,darius ,moreton1 her father1 happened to be at home to lunch when we arrived4 ,he was a man past middle age4 ,like his father and grandfather1 he was a manufacturer of optical goods and had increased the business very well4 ,but1 like many successful business men1 he was one of those who are very positive1 with whom one cannot argue4 ,myra introduced ,kennedy as interested in cause and treatment of cancer1 and especially in the tracing down of a definite case of a cancer house4 ,no1 he shook his head grimly1 ,i'm afraid it is heredity4 ,my friend1 ,dr4 ,loeb1 is the only one who understands it4 ,i have the most absolute confidence in him4 ,he said it in a way that seemed to discourage all argument4 ,kennedy did not antagonize him by disagreeing1 but turned to ,lionel1 who was a rather interesting type of young man4 ,son of ,darius ,moreton by his first wife1 ,lionel had gone to the scientific school as had his father and1 graduating1 had taken up the business of the ,moreton family as a matter of course4 ,myra seemed overcome by the journey to the city to see ,kennedy and1 after a light luncheon1 ,lionel undertook to talk to us and show us through the house4 ,it was depressing1 almost ghastly1 to think of the slow succession of tragedies which these walls had witnessed4 ,this is a most unusual case1 commented ,craig thoughtfully as ,lionel went over briefly the family history4 ,if it can be authenticated that this is a cancer house1 ,i am sure the medical profession will be interested1 for they seem to be divided into two camps on the question4 ,authenticated8 hastened ,lionel4 ,well1 take the record4 ,first there was my ,uncle ,frank1 who was father's partner in the factory4 ,he died just about five years ago at the age of fifty-one4 ,that same year his wife1 my ,aunt ,julia1 died4 ,she was just forty-eight4 ,then my other aunt1 ,fanny1 father's sister1 died of cancer of the throat4 ,she was rather older1 fifty-four4 ,not quite two years afterward my cousin1 ,george1 son of ,uncle ,frank1 died4 ,he was several years younger than ,i1 twenty-nine4 ,finally my step-mother died1 last week4 ,she was forty-nine4 ,so1 ,i suppose we may be pardoned if1 somehow1 in spite of the fact1 as you say1 that many believe that the disease is not contagious or infectious or whatever you call it1 we believe that it lurks in the house4 ,myra and ,i would get out tomorrow1 only father insists that there is nothing in it1 says it is all heredity4 ,i don't know but that that's worse4 ,that means that there is no escape4 ,we had come down the wide staircase into the library1 where we joined ,myra1 who was resting on a chaise-longue4 ,i should like very much to have a talk with ,dr4 ,goode1 suggested ,craig4 ,by all means1 agreed ,myra eagerly4 ,i'll go over to his office with you4 ,it is only next door4 ,then ,i'll wait here1 said ,lionel1 rather curtly1 ,i thought4 ,i fancied that there was a coolness that amounted to a latent hostility between ,lionel and ,dr4 ,goode1 and ,i wondered about it4 ,across the sparse lawn that struggled up under the deep shade of the trees stood a smaller1 less pretentious house of a much more modern type4 ,that was where ,dr4 ,goode lived4 ,we crossed with ,myra through a break in the hedge between the two houses4 ,as we were about to pass between the two grounds1 ,kennedy's foot kicked something that seemed to have rolled down from some rubbish on the boundary line of the two properties1 piled up evidently waiting to be carted away4 ,craig stooped casually and picked the object up4 ,it was a queer ,v-shaped little porcelain cone4 ,he gave it a hasty look1 then dropped it into his pocket4 ,dr4 ,goode1 into whose office ,myra led us1 was a youngish man1 smooth-shaven1 the type of the new generation of doctors4 ,he had come to ,norwood several years before and had struggled up to a very fair practice4 ,miss ,moreton tells me1 began ,kennedy after we had been introduced1 that there is a theory that theirs is one of these so-called cancer houses4 ,the doctor looked at us keenly4 ,yes1 he nodded1 ,i have heard that theory expressed--and others1 too4 ,of course1 ,i haven't had a chance to verify it4 ,but ,i may say that1 privately1 ,i am hardly prepared to accept it1 yet1 as a case of cancer house4 ,he was very guarded in his choice of words1 but did not succeed in covering up the fact that he had a theory of his own4 ,i was watching both the young doctor and ,myra4 ,she had entered his office in a way that suggested that she was something more than a patient4 ,as ,i watched them1 it did not take one of very keen perception to discover that they were on very intimate terms indeed and thought very highly of each other4 ,a glance at the solitaire on ,myra's finger convinced me4 ,they were engaged4 ,you don't believe it1 then8 asked ,craig quickly4 ,the young man hesitated and shrugged his shoulders4 ,you have a theory of your own8 persisted ,craig1 determined to get an answer4 ,i don't know whether ,i have or not1 he replied non-committally4 ,is it that you think it possible to produce cancer artificially and purposely8 shot out ,craig4 ,dr4 ,goode considered4 ,i wondered whether he had any suspicions of which he would not speak because of professional ethics4 ,kennedy had fixed his eyes on him sharply and the doctor seemed uneasy under the scrutiny4 ,i've heard of cases1 he ventured finally1 where ,x-rays and radium have caused cancerous growths4 ,you know several of the experimenters have lost their lives in that way--martyrs to science4 ,i could not help1 somehow or other1 thinking of ,dr4 ,loeb4 ,did ,dr4 ,goode refer indirectly to him8 ,loeb certainly was no martyr to science4 ,he might be a charlatan4 ,but was he a scientific villain8 ,that may all be true1 pursued ,craig relentlessly1 evidently bound to draw the young man out4 ,but it is1 after all1 a question of fact1 not of opinion4 ,myra was looking at him eagerly now and the doctor saw that she expected him to speak4 ,it was more pressure than he could resist4 ,i have long suspected something of the sort1 he remarked in a low1 forced tone4 ,i've had samples of the blood of the ,moretons examined4 ,in fact ,i have found that their blood affects the photographic plate through a layer of black paper4 ,you know red blood cells and serum have a distinct power of reducing photo-silver on plates when exposed to certain radiations4 ,in other words1 ,i have found that their blood is1 apparently1 radioactive6 ,myra looked at him aghast4 ,it was evidently the first time he had said anything about this new suspicion1 even to her4 ,the very idea was shocking4 ,could it be that someone was using these new forces with devilish ingenuity8 ,if that's the case1 who would be the most likely person to do such a thing8 shot out ,craig4 ,i wouldn't like to say1 he returned1 dodging1 though we were all thinking of ,dr4 ,loeb4 ,but the motive8 demanded ,craig4 ,what motive would there be8 ,darius ,moreton is very intimate with a certain person1 he returned enigmatically4 ,it is even reported in town that he has left that person a large sum of money in his will in payment for his services1 if you call them so1 to the family4 ,he had evidently not intended to say so much and1 although ,craig tried in every way1 he could not get the doctor to amplify what he had hinted at4 ,we returned to the ,moreton house1 ,kennedy apparently much impressed by what ,dr4 ,goode had said4 ,if you will permit me1 he asked1 ,i should like to have a few drops of blood from each of you4 ,goode tried that1 remarked old ,mr4 ,moreton4 ,i don't know that anything came of it4 ,still1 ,i am not going to refuse1 if ,myra and ,lionel agree4 ,craig had already taken from his pocket a small case containing a hypodermic and some little glass tubes4 ,there seemed to be no valid objection and from each of them he drew off a small quantity of blood4 ,as he worked1 ,i thought ,i saw what he had in mind4 ,could there be1 ,i wondered1 an ,x-ray outfit or perhaps radium concealed about the living rooms of the house8 ,first of all1 it was necessary to verify ,dr4 ,goode's observations4 ,we chatted a few moments1 then took leave of ,myra ,moreton4 ,keep up your courage1 whispered ,craig with a look that told her that he had seen the conflict between loyalty to her father and to her lover4 ,lionel drove us back to the station in the car alone4 ,nothing of importance was said by any of us until we had almost reached the station4 ,i can see1 he said finally1 that you don't feel sure that it is a cancer house4 ,kennedy said nothing4 ,well1 he pursued1 ,i don't know anything about it1 of course4 ,but ,i do know this much--those doctors are making a good thing out of father and the rest of us4 ,the car had pulled up4 ,i've got no use for ,loeb1 the young man went on4 ,still1 ,i'd rather not that we had trouble with him4 ,i'll tell you1 he added in a burst of confidence1 he has a little girl who works for him1 his secretary1 ,miss ,golder4 ,she comes from ,norwood4 ,i should hate to have anything happen to queer her4 ,people used to think ,goode was engaged to her before he took that office next to us and got ambitious4 ,father placed her with ,dr4 ,loeb4 ,if it's necessary to do anything with him1 ,i wish you'd think whether she couldn't be kept out of it in some way4 ,i'll try to do it1 agreed ,craig1 as we shook hands and climbed on the early afternoon train back to the city4 ,,chapter ,,xxix ,,the ,,quack ,,doctors ,kennedy's first move was to go downtown to the old building opposite the ,city ,hall and visit the post-office inspectors4 ,i've heard of the government's campaign against the medical quacks who are using the mails1 he introduced when we at last found the proper inspector4 ,i wonder whether you know a ,dr4 ,adam ,loeb8 ,loeb8 repeated the inspector1 ,o',hanlon1 who was in charge of the investigation which was then in progress4 ,of course we know ,loeb--a very slippery customer1 too1 with just enough science at his command to make the case against him difficult4 ,i suppose1 went on ,o',hanlon1 you know that in ,europe the popular furore about radium and its applications appeared earlier than it did here4 ,but now we have great numbers of dishonest and fake radium cure establishments4 ,usually they have neither radium nor knowledge4 ,they promise a cure1 but they can't even palliate the trouble4 ,loeb has some radium1 ,i guess1 but that's about all4 ,i think ,i'd like to visit the 'doctor' and his 'medical museum1' ventured ,kennedy when ,o',hanlon had finished describing the case to us4 ,very well1 agreed ,o',hanlon4 ,our cases against the quacks are just about completed4 ,i've heard a great deal about you1 ,mr4 ,kennedy4 ,i think ,i may trust you4 ,the inspector paused4 ,tomorrow1 he added1 looking at us significantly1 we have planned a simultaneous raid of all of them in the city4 ,however1 there's no objection to your seeing ,dr4 ,loeb1 if you'll be careful to give no hint that something is about to be pulled off4 ,i'm sure any new evidence we may get against him will be quite welcome4 ,i'd like to see him in action before the raid1 hastened ,craig4 ,well1 ,i think the best way1 then1 for you to get at him1 advised the inspector1 would be to adopt the method my investigators use with these fakers4 ,i mean for one or the other of you to pose as a prospective patient4 ,only don't let him treat you too much with any of those electrical things of his4 ,craig glanced over at me whimsically4 ,oh1 ,i said good-humoredly1 ,i'll be the goat1 if that's what you're going to ask me4 ,craig laughed4 ,come in tomorrow1 called the inspector as we left4 ,i'd like to hear what happens and ,i may be able to add something to what you find out4 ,we found ,dr4 ,loeb established in a palatial suite of offices in an ultra-modern office building4 ,outside was what he called his medical museum4 ,it was a grewsome collection of wax figures and colored charts well calculated to prepare one for the worst4 ,at the end of the room was a huge sign bearing his name and the words1 ,positive ,cure for ,cancer ,without ,cautery or the ,knife4 ,there were no cappers or steerers about the place1 though ,i have no doubt he had them working for him outside to bring in business4 ,instead1 we were met by a very pretty1 fluffy-haired girl1 evidently the doctor's secretary4 ,she1 ,i gathered1 was the ,miss ,golder whom ,lionel had mentioned4 ,in fact1 ,i felt that she was really much above the level of such a position4 ,loeb's office was elaborately equipped4 ,there were static machines1 electric coils1 high frequency appliances1 ,x-ray outfits1 galvanic and faradic cabinets1 electric light reflectors of high power1 light bath cabinets1 electric vibrators1 high pressure nebulizers and ozonizers--everything1 as ,craig expressed it later1 to impress the patient that ,loeb could cure any disease the flesh was heir to4 ,i know that it impressed me4 ,the doctor himself was a pompous man of middle age1 with a very formidable beard and a deep voice that forbade contradiction4 ,i've come to you on the recommendation of a patient of yours1 began ,craig1 adding hastily1 not for myself1 but for my friend here1 whom ,i'm afraid isn't very well4 ,the doctor eyed me through his gold-rimmed spectacles4 ,already ,i began to feel shaky4 ,who recommended you8 he asked casually4 ,my friend1 ,mr4 ,darius ,moreton of ,norwood4 ,i suppose you remember him8 ,oh1 very well1 very well4 ,a most peculiar case1 that of the ,moretons4 ,i have succeeded in prolonging their lives beyond what anyone else could have done4 ,but ,i fear that they haven't all followed my treatment4 ,you know1 you must put yourself entirely in my hands1 and there is a young doctor out there1 ,i believe1 whom they have also4 ,that isn't fair to me4 ,i wonder whether you are acquainted with my methods of treatment8 ,kennedy shook his head negatively4 ,miss ,golder1 the doctor called1 as the fluffy-haired secretary responded quickly1 will you give these gentlemen some of my booklets on the ,loeb ,method4 ,miss ,golder took from a cabinet several handsomely printed pamphlets extolling the skill and success of ,dr4 ,loeb4 ,like everything else about him1 no expense had been spared to impress the reader4 ,as ,miss ,golder left the office1 ,dr4 ,loeb began a rapid examination of me1 using an ,x-ray machine4 ,i am sure that if ,i had not received a surreptitious encouraging nod from ,craig now and then1 ,i should have been ready to croak or cash in1 according to whichever ,dr4 ,loeb suggested--probably the latter1 for ,i could not help thinking that a great deal of time was spent in mentally ,x-raying my pocketbook4 ,when he finished1 the doctor shook his head gravely4 ,of course ,i was threatened4 ,but the thing was only incipient4 ,still1 if it were not attended to immediately it was only a question of a short time when ,i might be as badly1 as the wax figures and charts outside4 ,i had fortunately come just in time to be saved4 ,i think that with the electrical treatment we can get rid of that malignant growth in a month1 he promised1 fixing a price for the treatment which ,i thought was pretty high1 considering the brief time he had actually spent on me1 and the slight cost of electric light and power4 ,i paid him ten dollars on deposit1 and after a final consultation we left the doctor's office4 ,i was to return for a treatment in a couple of days4 ,we turned out of the entrance of the office building just as scores of employes were hurrying home4 ,as we reached the door1 ,i felt ,kennedy grasp my arm4 ,i swung around4 ,there1 in an angle of the corridor1 ,i caught sight of a familiar figure4 ,dr4 ,goode was standing1 evidently waiting for someone to come out4 ,there were several elevators and the crowd of discharging passengers was thick4 ,he had been so intent on looking for someone he expected1 apparently1 that he had missed us4 ,kennedy drew me on into the doorway of the building next door1 from which we could observe everyone who went in and out of the skyscraper in which ,dr4 ,loeb had his offices4 ,i wonder what he's down here for1 scowled ,kennedy4 ,perhaps he's doing some detective work of his own1 ,i suggested4 ,lionel ,moreton said that ,miss ,golder and he used to be intimate1 ruminated ,kennedy4 ,i wonder if he's waiting for her8 ,we did not have long to wait4 ,it was only a few minutes when ,kennedy's surmise proved correct4 ,miss ,golder and ,dr4 ,goode came out1 and turned in the direction of the railroad station for ,norwood4 ,he was eagerly questioning her about something1 perhaps1 ,i imagined1 our visit to ,dr4 ,loeb4 ,what did it mean8 ,there was no use and it was too risky to follow them4 ,kennedy turned and we made our way uptown to the laboratory1 where he plunged at once into an examination of the blood specimens he had taken from the ,moretons and of the peculiar porcelain cone which he had picked up in the rubbish pile between the two houses4 ,having emptied the specimens of blood in several little shallow glass receptacles which he covered with black paper and some very sensitive films1 he turned his attention to the cone4 ,i noted that he was very particular in his examination of it1 apparently being very careful to separate whatever it was he was looking for on the inside and the outside surfaces4 ,that1 he explained to me at length as he worked1 is what is known as a ,berkefeld filter1 a little porous cup1 made of porcelain4 ,the minute meshes of this filter catch and hold bacteria as if in the meshes of a microscopic sieve1 just like an ordinary water filter4 ,it is so fine that it holds back even the tiny bacillus fluorescens liquefaciens which are used to test it4 ,these bacilli measure only from a half to one and one-and-a-half micromillimeters in diameter4 ,in other words #acj1jjj germs of half a micromillimeter would be necessary to make an inch4 ,what has it been used for8 ,i ventured4 ,i can't say1 yet1 he returned1 and ,i did not pursue the inquiry1 knowing ,kennedy's aversion to being questioned when he was not yet sure of his facts4 ,it was the next day when the post-office inspectors1 the police and others who had been co-operating had settled on the raid not only of ,dr4 ,loeb's but of all the medical quacks who were fleecing the credulous of the city out of hundreds of thousands of dollars a year by one of the most cruel swindles that have ever been devised4 ,for the time1 ,kennedy dropped his investigations in the laboratory and we went down to ,o',hanlon's office1 where a thick batch of warrants1 just signed1 had been received4 ,quickly ,o',hanlon disposed his forces so that in all parts of the town they might swoop down at once and gather in the medical harpies4 ,dr4 ,loeb's stood first on the list of those which ,o',hanlon decided to handle himself4 ,by the way1 mentioned ,o',hanlon as we hurried uptown to be ready in time1 ,i had a letter from ,darius ,moreton this morning threatening me with all kinds of trouble unless we let up on ,dr4 ,loeb4 ,it's pretty hard to keep a big investigation like this secret1 but ,i think we've planned a little surprise for this morning4 ,with the post-office inspector we climbed into a patrol wagon with a detail of police who were to make a general round-up of the places on ,forty-second ,street4 ,as the wagon backed up to the curb in front of the building in which ,loeb's office was1 the policemen hopped out and hurried into the building before a crowd could collect4 ,unceremoniously they rushed through the outer office1 headed by ,o',hanlon4 ,quickly though the raid was executed1 it could not be done without some warning commotion4 ,as we entered the front door of the office1 we could just catch a glimpse of a man retreating through a back door4 ,there was something familiar about his back1 and ,kennedy and ,i started after him4 ,but we were too late4 ,he had fled without even waiting for his hat1 which lay on ,miss ,golder's desk1 and had disappeared down a back stairway which had been left unguarded4 ,confound it1 muttered ,o',hanlon1 as we returned1 ,loeb hasn't been here today4 ,who was that8 ,i don't know1 replied ,craig1 picking up the hat1 underneath which lay a package4 ,he opened the package4 ,inside were half a dozen ,berkefeld filters1 those peculiar porcelain cones such as we had found out at ,norwood4 ,quickly ,craig ran his eye over the mass of papers on ,miss ,golder's desk4 ,he picked up an appointment book and turned the pages rapidly4 ,there were several entries that seemed to interest him4 ,i bent over4 ,among other names entered during the past few days ,i made out both ,moreton and ,dr4 ,goode4 ,i recalled the letter which ,o',hanlon had received from ,moreton4 ,had he or someone else got wind of the raids and tipped off ,dr4 ,loeb8 ,above the hubbub of the raid ,i could hear ,o',hanlon putting poor little ,miss ,golder through a third degree4 ,who was it that went out8 he shouted into her face4 ,you might as well tell4 ,if you don't it'll go hard with you4 ,but1 like all women who have been taken into these get-rich-quick swindles1 she was loyal to a fault4 ,i don't know1 she sobbed1 dabbing at her eyes with a bit of a lace handkerchief4 ,nor could all of ,o',hanlon's bulldozing get another admission out of her except that it was a stranger4 ,she protested and wept4 ,but she even rode off in the patrol wagon with the rest of the employes unmoved4 ,whom was she shielding8 ,all we had was the secretary1 a couple of cappers1 and half a dozen patients1 regular and prospective1 who had been waiting in the office4 ,we had a wagon-load of evidence1 including letters and circulars1 apparatus of all kinds1 medicines1 and pills4 ,but there was nothing more4 ,craig did not seem especially interested in the mass of stuff which the police had seized4 ,in fact the only thing that seemed to interest him was the man who had disappeared4 ,we had his hat and the package of filters4 ,craig picked up the hat and examined it4 ,it's a soft hat and consequently doesn't tell us very much about the shape of his head1 he remarked4 ,then his face brightened4 ,but he couldn't have left anything much better1 he remarked complacently1 as he went over to one of the little wall cabinets which the towel service companies place over wash-basins in offices4 ,he took from it a comb and brush and wrapped them up carefully4 ,i looked at the hat also4 ,there was no name in it1 not even the usual initials4 ,what did ,craig mean8 ,other raids in various parts of the city proved far more successful than the one in which we had participated and ,o',hanlon quickly forgot his chagrin in the reports that soon came piling in4 ,as for ourselves we had no further interest except in the disposition of this case1 and ,craig decided shortly to go back to work again in the laboratory among his test-tubes1 slides1 and microscopes4 ,i will leave you to follow the cases against the quacks1 particularly ,dr4 ,loeb and ,miss ,golder1 ,walter1 he said4 ,by the way1 you saw me take that hair brush4 ,i wish ,i had a collection of them4 ,in some way you must get me a hair brush from ,dr4 ,goode4 ,you'll have to take a trip out to ,norwood4 ,and while you are there1 get the brushes from ,darius ,moreton and ,lionel4 ,i don't know how you'll get ,goode's1 but ,myra will help you with the others1 ,i'm sure4 ,he turned to his work and was soon absorbed in some microscopic studies1 leaving me no chance to question him about his strange commission4 ,,chapter ,,xxx ,,the ,,filterable ,,virus ,i was surprised to run into ,o',hanlon himself in the train out to ,norwood4 ,the failure to get ,dr4 ,loeb troubled him and he had reasoned that if ,darius ,moreton took the trouble to write a letter about his friend he might possibly know more of his whereabouts than he professed4 ,we discussed the case nearly the whole journey1 agreeing to separate just before we reached the station in order not to be seen together4 ,it took me longer to carry out ,kennedy's request than ,i had expected4 ,i found ,myra at home alone1 very much excited4 ,someone called me up from ,new ,york this morning1 she said1 and asked whether father and ,lionel were at home4 ,i thought they were at the factory1 but when ,i called there1 the foreman told me they hadn't been there4 ,and ,dr4 ,goode is out1 too--hasn't seen any of his patients today4 ,oh1 ,mr4 ,jameson1 what does it all mean8 ,where have they gone8 ,i was a poor one to comfort her1 for ,i had no idea myself4 ,still1 ,i did my best1 and incidentally secured the brushes1 though ,i must confess ,i had to commit a little second-story work to get into ,dr4 ,goode's4 ,it seemed heartless to leave the poor girl all alone1 but ,i knew that ,kennedy was waiting anxiously for me4 ,i promised to make inquiries all over about her father1 ,lionel1 and ,dr4 ,goode1 and1 ,i think1 the mere fact that someone showed an interest in her cheered her up1 especially when ,i told her ,kennedy was working hard on the case4 ,as ,i waited for the train that was to take me back to the city1 the train from ,new ,york pulled in4 ,imagine my surprise when ,i saw ,miss ,golder step off nervously and hurry up the main street4 ,i watched her1 debating what to do1 whether to let ,kennedy wait and follow her1 or not4 ,someone1 they don't know who1 bailed her out1 ,i heard a voice whisper in my ear4 ,i turned quickly4 ,it was ,o',hanlon4 ,she put up cash bail1 he added under his breath4 ,no one knows where she got it4 ,i'm waiting until she turns that corner--then ,i'm going to shadow her4 ,i can't seem to find anyone in this town just now4 ,perhaps she knows where ,loeb is4 ,if you get on the trail1 will you wire me8 ,i asked4 ,here's my train now4 ,o',hanlon promised1 and as ,i swung on the step ,i caught a last glimpse of him sauntering casually in the direction ,miss ,golder had taken4 ,i handed ,kennedy the brushes ,i had obtained1 but he gave me no opportunity to satisfy my curiosity4 ,instead1 he started me out again to keep in touch with the progress made in the cases of the quacks1 particularly the search for ,dr4 ,loeb1 which seemed to interest him quite as much as the bailing out of ,miss ,golder4 ,it was after dinner and ,i was preparing to follow the cases on into the night court1 if necessary1 when one of ,o',hanlon's assistants hurried up to me4 ,we've just had a wire from ,mr4 ,o',hanlon1 he cried excitedly1 handing me a telegram4 ,i read3 ,loeb captured ,norwood4 ,darius ,moreton hiding him in vacant house outside town4 ,advise ,kennedy4 ,i dashed for the nearest telephone and called up ,craig4 ,fine1 ,walter1 he shouted back4 ,i am ready4 ,meet me at the station and wire ,o',hanlon to wait there for us4 ,we made the journey to ,norwood as impatiently as any two passengers on the accommodation at that hour of night1 ,craig carrying his evidence in the case in a little leather hand satchel4 ,already1 out at the old house1 ,o',hanlon had gathered the ,moreton family1 ,dr4 ,goode1 who had turned up with the rest1 ,dr4 ,loeb1 and ,miss ,golder4 ,myra ,moreton was even more agitated than she had been when ,i left her during the afternoon4 ,in fact the secrecy maintained by both her family and ,dr4 ,goode1 to say nothing of the presence of ,dr4 ,loeb in the house under arrest1 had all but broken her down4 ,she greeted ,kennedy almost as though he had been a life-long friend4 ,i want you to look after ,miss ,moreton1 ,walter1 he said in a low tone as we three stood in the hall4 ,and you1 ,miss ,moreton1 ,i want to trust me when ,i tell you ,i am going to bring you safely out of this thing4 ,be a brave girl1 he encouraged1 taking her hand4 ,remember that ,mr4 ,jameson and ,i are here solely in your interest4 ,i know it1 she murmured1 her lip trembling4 ,i will try4 ,a moment later we entered the ,moreton library4 ,dr4 ,loeb was glaring impartially at everybody4 ,i am sure that if he had been able to get at any of his formidable electrical apparatus he would have made short work of us without cautery or knife4 ,darius ,moreton was indignant1 ,lionel supercilious1 ,dr4 ,goode silent4 ,kennedy lost no time in getting down to the business that had brought him out to ,norwood1 for this was not exactly a sociable gathering4 ,of course1 he began1 laying his leather case on the table and unlocking1 but not opening it1 references to cancer houses abound in medical literature1 but ,i think ,i am safe in saying that nothing has been conclusively proved in favor either of the believers or the skeptics4 ,at least1 it may be said to be an open question1 with the weight of opinion against it4 ,such physicians as ,sir ,thomas ,oliver have said that the evidence in favor is too strong to be ignored4 ,others1 equally brilliant1 have shown why it should be ignored4 ,in the absence of better proof--or rather in the presence of other facts--perhaps1 in this case1 it would be better to see whether there is not some other theory that may fit the facts better4 ,dr4 ,goode thought that the cancers might have been caused artificially by ,x-rays or radium1 ,i ventured4 ,craig shook his head4 ,i have taken a piece of filter paper saturated with a solution of potassium iodide1 starch paste1 and ferrosulphate and laid it over a sample of blood1 not four millimeters away4 ,the whole ,i have kept in the dark4 ,now1 we know that blood gives off peroxide of hydrogen4 ,peroxide of hydrogen is capable of attacking photographic plates4 ,the paper can be permeated by a gas4 ,no1 that was not a case of photo-activity observed by ,dr4 ,goode4 ,it was the emission of gas from the blood that affected the plates4 ,but suppose that is the case1 objected ,dr4 ,goode hastily4 ,there are the deaths from cancer4 ,how do you explain them8 ,it is not a cancer house1 you say4 ,is it mere chance8 ,anyone may be pardoned for believing that cancer houses or even cancer districts exist1 reiterated ,craig4 ,indeed some observations seem to show it1 as ,i have said1 though the opponents of the theory claim to have found other causes4 ,here1 as you hint1 five people1 living in close association1 have died in five years4 ,he paused and drew from the satchel the little porcelain cone which he had picked up between the ,moreton and ,goode houses4 ,i have here1 he resumed1 what is known as a ,berkefeld filter4 ,its meshes let through none of the germs that we can see with a microscope4 ,it is bacteria-proof4 ,only something smaller than these things can pass through it1 something that we cannot see1 a clear watery fluid4 ,that something in this case is a filterable virus4 ,kennedy paused again1 then went on1 ,although the filterable viruses have only recently come to attention1 it is known that they are of very diverse character4 ,here we have opened up the world of the infinitely little--the universe that lies beyond the range of the microscope4 ,the study of these tiny particles is now one of the greatest objects in scientific medicine4 ,are they living8 ,it seems so1 for a very little of the virus gives rise to growths from which many others start4 ,it may1 of course1 be chemical1 but it looks as if it were organic1 since it resists cold1 although not heat1 and can be destroyed by phenol1 toluol1 and other antiseptics4 ,perhaps the virus may be visible1 but not by any means yet known4 ,still1 we do know that these things which no eye can see may cause some of the commonest diseases4 ,kennedy paused4 ,as usual he had his little audience following him breathlessly4 ,even ,dr4 ,loeb forgot to glower4 ,in recent experiments with cancer in chickens1 continued ,craig1 tumor material ground fine and treated in various ways has been filtered through these filters4 ,cancers have been caused by this agent which has passed through the filter4 ,on the inside of the filter which ,i picked up back of this very house1 near the boundary of ,dr4 ,goode's1 ,i have found the giant cells of cancer4 ,on the outside was something which ,i have been able to develop into a virus1 these micro-organisms that belong to the ultra-invisible4 ,i do not pretend to know just how this bacteriological dwarf has been used4 ,but ,i know enough to say that someone has1 without doubt1 been using some sort of filterable virus to induce cancers1 just as the experimenters at the ,rockefeller ,institute have done with animals4 ,naturally1 in the ,moreton family1 this person found a fertile soil4 ,perhaps he waited until he saw what looked like a favorable wound1 or traumatism4 ,it is well-known that cancer often can be traced to a wound4 ,perhaps he introduced this virus surreptitiously into a cut1 now and then4 ,for1 experiments show that the virus is strikingly dependent for its action on the derangement of the tissues with which it is brought in contact4 ,this person must have had a high percentage of failures in his attempts to inoculate the virus successfully4 ,but by persistence and taking advantage of every predisposition afforded by nature1 he succeeded4 ,at any rate1 this person must have been intimately acquainted with the family1 must have had some motive for seeking their deaths1--for instance the family fortune4 ,it makes no difference whether the victims might have had cancer sooner or later1 anyway4 ,even if that were so1 this cold-blooded villain was at least hastening the development1 if not actually causing the frightful and fatal disease4 ,myra ,moreton shuddered1 and looked at ,dr4 ,goode anxiously as ,kennedy proceeded4 ,he seemed about to interrupt1 but managed to check himself4 ,craig reached over and picked out from the satchel the hat which we had found on a desk at the office of the cancer quack4 ,in the raid of ,dr4 ,loeb's1 he explained1 changing tone1 a man disappeared4 ,i have here a soft hat which he left behind in his hurry to escape1 as well as some of the filters he was carrying4 ,he turned the hat inside out4 ,you will see1 ,craig pointed out1 that on the felt of the inside there are numerous hairs1 from the head of the wearer4 ,i leaned forward1 breathlessly4 ,i began to see the part ,i had played in building up his case4 ,human hair1 he remarked1 differs greatly4 ,under the microscope one may study the oval-shaped medulla1 the long pointed cortex1 and the flat cuticle cells of an individual hair4 ,the pigment in the cortex can be studied also4 ,i have taken some of the hairs from the inside of this hat1 examined1 photographed1 and measured them4 ,i have compared them with a color scale perfected by the late ,alphonse ,bertillon4 ,in fact1 in ,france quite a science has been built up about hair by the so-called 'pilologists4' ,the ,german scientific criminalists have written minute treaties on the hair and astounding results have been obtained by them in detection4 ,i have been able to secure samples of the hair of everyone in this case and ,i have studied them also4 ,these hairs in the hat which was left over the package of filters have furnished me with a slender but no less damning clew to a veritable monster4 ,one could have heard a pin drop1 as if ,kennedy were a judge pronouncing a death sentence4 ,dr4 ,loeb is guilty of being one of the most heartless of quacks1 it is true1 ,kennedy's voice rang out tensely1 as he faced us4 ,but the slow murders1 one by one1 bringing the family estate nearer and nearer--they were done by one who hoped to throw the blame on ,dr4 ,loeb1 by the man whose hair ,i have here--,lionel ,moreton4 ,,chapter ,,xxxi ,,the ,,voodoo ,,mystery ,everybody's crazy1 ,kennedy4 ,the whole world is going mad6 ,our old friend1 ,burke1 of the ,secret ,service1 scowled at the innocent objects in ,craig's laboratory as he mopped his broad forehead4 ,and the ,secret ,service is as bad as the rest1 he went on1 still scowling and not waiting for any comment from us4 ,why1 what with these ,european spies and agitators1 strikers and dynamiters1 we're nearly dippy4 ,here1 in less than a week ,i've been shifted off war cases to ,mexico and now to ,hayti4 ,i don't mean that ,i've been away1 of course1--oh1 no4 ,you don't have to go to them4 ,they come to us4 ,confound it1 ,new ,york is full of plots and counterplots4 ,i tell you1 ,kennedy1 the whole world is crazy4 ,craig listened with sympathy mixed with amusement4 ,can ,i help you out8 he asked4 ,if you don't ,i'll be dippy1 too1 returned ,burke with a whimsical grimace4 ,what's the trouble with ,hayti1 then8 encouraged ,kennedy seriously4 ,trouble enough1 answered ,burke4 ,why1 here's that ,caribbean liner1 ,haytien1 just in from ,port au ,prince4 ,she's full of refugees--government supporters and revolutionists--you never saw such a menagerie since the ark4 ,i watched ,burke keenly as he cut loose with his often picturesque language4 ,somehow1 it seemed rather fascinating to have the opera bouffe side of the ,black ,republic presented to us4 ,at least it was different from anything we had had lately--and perhaps not at all opera bouffe1 either4 ,kennedy1 at least1 did not seem to think so1 for although he was very busy at the time1 seemed prepared to lay aside his work to aid ,burke4 ,you haven't heard about it yet1 continued the ,secret ,service man1 but on the ,haytien was a man--black of course--,guillaume ,leon4 ,he was a friend of the ,united ,states--at least so he called himself1 ,i believe--wanted a new revolution down there1 more ,american marines landed to bolster up a new government that would clean things up1 a new deal all around4 ,burke paused1 then added by way of explanation of his own attitude in the matter1 ,that may be all right1 perhaps1--may be just what they need down there1 but we can't let people come here and plot revolutions like that right in ,new ,york4 ,they're sore enough at us without our letting them think in ,latin ,america that we're taking a hand in their troubles4 ,quite right1 agreed ,kennedy4 ,about ,leon4 ,yes1 ,leon1 resumed ,burke1 getting back to the subject4 ,well1 ,i was told by the ,chief of the ,service to look out for this fellow4 ,and ,i did4 ,i thought it would make a good beginning to go down the bay on a revenue tug to meet the ,haytien at ,quarantine4 ,but1 by ,jingo1 no sooner was ,i over the side of the ship than what do you suppose ,i ran up against8 ,he did not pause long enough to give us a guess1 but shot out dramatically1 ,leon was dead--yes1 dead6 ,kennedy and ,i had been interested up to this point4 ,now we were eager to have him go on4 ,he died on the voyage up1 continued ,burke1 just after passing the ,gulf ,stream1 suddenly and from no apparent cause4 ,at least the ship's surgeon couldn't find any cause and neither could they down at ,quarantine4 ,so after some time they let the ship proceed up the bay and placed the whole thing in the hands of the ,secret ,service4 ,is there anyone you suspect8 ,i asked4 ,suspect8 repeated ,burke4 ,i suspect them all4 ,the ,haytien was full of niggers--as superstitious as they make 'em4 ,the ship's surgeon tells me that after the body of ,leon was discovered there was such a scene as he had never witnessed4 ,it was more like bedlam than a group of human beings4 ,some were for putting the body over into the sea immediately4 ,others threatened murder if it was done4 ,most of them didn't know what it was they wanted4 ,then1 there was a woman there4 ,she seemed to be nearly crazy-- ,there came a knock at the laboratory door4 ,if you'll just go into the next room with ,walter1 said ,craig to ,burke1 ,i'll see you in a few minutes4 ,sit down1 make yourself at home4 ,i went in with him and ,burke dropped into a chair beside my typewriter4 ,the laboratory door opened4 ,from where we were sitting we could see in a mirror on the opposite wall that it was a girl1 dark of skin1 perhaps a mulatto1 but extremely beautiful1 with great brown eyes and just a trace of kinkiness in her black hair4 ,but it was the worried1 almost haunted1 look on her face that attracted one's attention most4 ,i happened to glance at ,burke to see whether he had noticed it4 ,i thought his eyes would pop out of his head4 ,just then ,kennedy walked across the laboratory and closed our door4 ,what's the matter8 ,i whispered4 ,but before ,burke could reply1 a draught opened the door just a bit4 ,he placed his finger on his lips4 ,we could not close the door1 and we sat there in our corner unintentional but no less interested eavesdroppers4 ,mademoiselle ,collette ,aux ,cayes is my name1 she began1 with a strangely ,french accent which we could just understand4 ,i've heard of you1 ,professor ,kennedy1 as a great detective4 ,i should be glad to do what ,i can for you1 he returned4 ,but you mustn't expect too much4 ,you seem to be in some great trouble4 ,trouble--yes1 she replied excitedly4 ,my name isn't really ,aux ,cayes4 ,that is the name of my guardian1 a friend of my father's4 ,both my father and mother are dead--killed by a mob during an uprising several years ago4 ,i was in ,paris at the time1 being educated in a convent1 or ,i suppose ,i should have been killed1 too4 ,she seemed to take it as a matter of course1 from which ,i concluded that she had been sent to ,paris when she was very young and did not remember her parents very well4 ,at last the time came for me to go back to ,hayti1 she resumed4 ,there is nothing that would interest you about that--except that after ,i got back1 in ,port au ,prince1 ,i met a young lawyer--,guillaume ,leon4 ,she hesitated and looked at ,craig as though trying to read whether he had ever heard the name before1 but ,kennedy betrayed nothing4 ,there was more than that in her tone1 though4 ,it was evident that ,leon had been more than a friend to her4 ,hayti has been so upset during the past months1 she went on1 that my guardian decided to go to ,new ,york1 and of course ,i was taken along with him4 ,it happened that on the ship--the ,haytien--,monsieur ,leon went also4 ,it was very nice until-- ,she came to a full stop4 ,kennedy encouraged her gently1 knowing what she was going to tell4 ,one night1 after we had been out some time1 she resumed unexpectedly1 ,i could not sleep and ,i went out on the deck to walk and watch the moonlight4 ,as ,i walked softly up and down1 ,i heard voices1 two men1 in the shadow of one of the cabins4 ,they were talking and now and then ,i could catch a word4 ,it was about ,guillaume4 ,i heard them say that he was plotting another revolution1 that that was the reason he was going to ,new ,york--not because he wanted to be on the boat with me4 ,there was something about money1 too1 although ,i couldn't get it very clearly4 ,it had to do with an ,american banking house1 ,forsythe ,co41 ,i think1--money that was to be paid to ,guillaume to start an uprising4 ,i think they must have heard me1 for ,i couldn't hear any more and they moved off down the deck1 so that ,i couldn't recognize them4 ,you see1 ,i am not a revolutionist4 ,my guardian belongs to the old order4 ,she stopped again1 as though in doubt just how to go on4 ,anyhow1 she continued finally1 ,i determined to tell ,guillaume4 ,it would have made it harder for us--but it was he1 not his politics1 ,i loved4 ,she was almost crying as she blurted out1 ,but it was only the next day that he was found dead in his stateroom4 ,i never saw him alive after ,i overheard that talk4 ,it was some moments before she had calmed herself so that she could go on4 ,you know our people1 ,professor ,kennedy1 she resumed1 choking back her sobs4 ,some said his dead body was like ,jonah1 and ought to be thrown off to the sea4 ,then others didn't even want to have it touched1 said that it ought to be embalmed4 ,and others didn't want that1 either4 ,what do you mean8 ,who were they8 ,oh1 there was one man1--,castine1 she replied1 hesitating over the name1 as though afraid even to mention it4 ,he wanted it thrown overboard8 prompted ,craig4 ,n--no1 he didn't want that1 either1 she replied4 ,he urged them not to touch it--just to leave it alone4 ,she was very much frightened1 evidently at her own temerity in coming to ,craig and saying so much4 ,yet something seemed to impel her to go on4 ,oh1 ,professor ,kennedy1 she exclaimed in a sudden burst of renewed feeling1 don't you understand8 ,i--,i loved him--even after ,i found out about the money and what he intended to do with it4 ,i could not see his dear body thrown in the ocean4 ,she shivered all over at the thought1 and it was some time before she said anything more4 ,but ,kennedy let her do as she pleased1 as he often did when deep emotion was wringing the secrets from people's hearts4 ,he is dead6 she sobbed wildly4 ,was he poisoned8 ,oh1 can't you find out8 ,can't you help me8 ,suddenly her voice in wild appeal sank almost to a hoarse whisper4 ,you must not let anybody know that ,i came to you1 she implored4 ,why not8 ,oh--,i--,i am just afraid--that's all4 ,there was real fear in her tone and face now1 fear for herself4 ,where is the body8 asked ,kennedy1 to get her mind off whatever hung like an incubus over it4 ,down on the ,haytien1 at the pier1 over in ,brooklyn1 still1 she replied4 ,they kept us all interned there4 ,but my guardian had enough influence to get off for a time and while he is arranging for quarters for our stay after we are released1 ,i slipped away to see you4 ,you must go back to the boat8 ,oh1 yes4 ,we agreed to go back4 ,then ,i shall be down immediately1 ,craig promised4 ,if you will go ahead1 ,i will see you there4 ,perhaps1 at first you had better not recognize me4 ,i will contrive some way to meet you4 ,then they will not know4 ,thank you1 she murmured1 as she rose to go1 now in doubt whether she had done the best thing to come to ,craig1 now glad that she had some outside assistance in which she could trust4 ,he accompanied her to the door1 bidding her keep up her courage1 then closed it1 waiting until her footsteps down the hall had died away4 ,then he opened our door and caught sight of ,burke's face4 ,that's strange1 ,burke1 he began1 before he realized what the expression on his face meant4 ,there's a woman--what8 ,you don't mean to tell me that you knew her8 ,why1 yes1 hastened ,burke4 ,there was a rich old planter1 ,henri ,aux ,cayes1 aboard1 too4 ,she's his ward1 ,mademoiselle ,collette4 ,that's right1 nodded ,craig in surprise4 ,she's the woman ,i was telling you about4 ,she may be a little dark1 but she's a beauty1 all right4 ,i heard what she said4 ,no wonder she was so frantic1 then4 ,what do you know of the bankers1 ,forsythe ,co48 asked ,craig4 ,forsythe ,co48 considered ,burke4 ,well1 not much1 perhaps4 ,but for a long time1 ,i believe1 they've been the bankers and promoters of defunct ,caribbean islands1 reaping a rich harvest out of the troubles of those decrepit governments1 playing one against the other4 ,h-m1 mused ,kennedy4 ,can you go over to ,brooklyn with me now8 ,of course1 agreed ,burke1 brightening up4 ,that was what ,i hoped you'd do4 ,kennedy and ,i were just about to leave the laboratory with ,burke when an idea seemed to occur to ,craig4 ,he excused himself and went back to a cabinet where ,i saw him place a little vial and a hypodermic needle in his vest pocket4 ,,chapter ,,xxxii ,,the ,,fluoriscine ,,test ,our trip over to the other borough was uneventful except for the toilsome time we had to get to the docks where ,south and ,central ,american ships were moored4 ,we boarded the ,haytien at last and ,burke led us along the deck toward a cabin4 ,i looked about curiously4 ,there seemed to be the greatest air of suppressed excitement4 ,everyone was talking1 in ,french1 too1 which seemed strange to me in people of their color4 ,yet everything seemed to be in whispers as if they were in fear4 ,we entered the cabin after our guide4 ,there in the dim light lay the body of ,leon in a bunk4 ,there were several people in the room1 already1 among them the beautiful ,mademoiselle ,collette4 ,she pretended not to recognize ,kennedy until we were introduced1 but ,i fancied ,i saw her start at finding him in company with ,burke4 ,yet she did not exhibit anything more than surprise1 which was quite natural4 ,burke turned the sheet down from the face of the figure in the bunk4 ,leon had been a fine-looking specimen of his race1 with good features1 strong1 and well groomed4 ,kennedy bent over and examined the body carefully4 ,a very strange case1 remarked the ship's surgeon1 whom ,burke beckoned over a moment later4 ,quite1 agreed ,craig absently1 as he drew the vial and the hypodermic from his pocket1 dipped the needle in and shot a dose of the stuff into the side of the body4 ,i can't find out that there is any definite cause of death1 resumed the surgeon4 ,before ,craig could reply someone else entered the darkened cabin4 ,we turned and saw ,collette run over to him and take his hand4 ,my guardian1 ,monsieur ,aux ,cayes1 she introduced1 then turned to him with a voluble explanation of something in ,french4 ,aux ,cayes was a rather distinguished looking ,haytian1 darker than ,collette1 but evidently of the better class and one who commanded respect among the natives4 ,it is quite extraordinary1 he said with a marked accent1 taking up the surgeon's remark4 ,as for these people-- he threw out his hands in a deprecating gesture--one cannot blame them for being perplexed when your doctors disagree4 ,kennedy had covered up ,leon's face again and ,collette was crying softly4 ,don't1 my dear child1 soothed ,aux ,cayes1 patting her shoulder gently4 ,please1 try to calm thyself4 ,it was evident that he adored his beautiful ward and would have done anything to relieve her grief4 ,kennedy evidently thought it best to leave the two together1 as ,aux ,cayes continued to talk to her in diminutives and familiar phrases from the ,french4 ,were there any other people on the boat who might be worth watching8 he asked as we rejoined ,burke1 who was looking about at the gaping crowd4 ,burke indicated a group4 ,well1 there was an old man1 ,castine1 and the woman he calls his wife1 he replied4 ,they were the ones who really kept the rest from throwing the body overboard4 ,oh1 yes1 assented ,kennedy4 ,she told me about them4 ,are they here now8 ,burke moved over to the group and beckoned someone aside toward us4 ,castine was an old man with gray hair1 and a beard which gave him quite an appearance of wisdom1 besides being a matter of distinction among those who were beardless4 ,with him was ,madame ,castine1 much younger and not unattractive for a negress4 ,you knew ,monsieur ,leon well8 asked ,kennedy4 ,we knew him in ,port au ,prince1 like everybody1 replied ,castine1 without committing himself to undue familiarity4 ,do you know of any enemies of his on the boat8 cut in ,burke4 ,you were present when they were demanding that his body be thrown over1 were you not8 ,who was foremost in that8 ,castine shrugged his shoulders in a deprecatory manner4 ,i do not speak ,english very well1 he replied4 ,it was only those who fear the dead4 ,there was evidently nothing to be gained by trying on him any of ,burke's third degree methods4 ,he had always that refuge that he did not understand very well4 ,i turned and saw that ,collette and ,aux ,cayes had come out of the cabin to the deck together1 he holding her arm while she dabbed the tears away from her wonderful eyes4 ,at the sight of us talking to ,castine and the other woman1 she seemed to catch her breath4 ,she did not speak to us1 but ,i saw the two women exchange a glance of appraisal1 and ,i determined that ,madame ,castine was at least worth observing4 ,by the attitude of the group from which we had drawn them1 ,castine1 it seemed1 exercised some kind of influence over all1 rich and poor1 revolutionist and government supporter4 ,the appearance of ,collette occasioned a buzz of conversation and glances1 and it was only a moment before she retreated into the cabin again4 ,apparently she did not wish to lose anything1 as long as ,kennedy and ,burke were about4 ,kennedy did not seem to be so much interested in quizzing ,castine just yet1 now that he had seen him1 as he was in passing the time profitably for a few minutes4 ,he looked at his watch1 snapped it back into his pocket1 and walked deliberately into the cabin again4 ,there he drew back the cover over ,leon's face1 bent over it1 raised the lids of the eyes1 and gazed into them4 ,collette1 who had been standing near him1 watching every motion1 drew back with an exclamation of horror and surprise4 ,the voodoo sign is on him6 she cried4 ,it must be that6 ,almost in panic she fled1 dragging her guardian with her4 ,i1 too1 looked4 ,the man's eyes were actually green1 now4 ,what did it mean8 ,burke1 remarked ,kennedy decisively1 ,i shall take the responsibility of having the body transferred to my laboratory where ,i can observe it4 ,i'll leave you to attend to the formalities with the coroner4 ,then ,i want you to get in touch with ,forsythe ,co4 ,watch them without letting them know you are doing so--and watch their visitors1 particularly4 ,a private ambulance was called and1 with much wagging of heads and tongues1 the body of ,leon was carried on a stretcher1 covered by a sheet1 down the gangplank and placed in it4 ,we followed closely in a taxicab1 across the bridge and uptown4 ,for some days1 ,i may say1 ,kennedy had been at work in his laboratory in a little anteroom1 where he was installing some new apparatus for which he had received an appropriation from the trustees of the ,university4 ,it was a very complicated affair1 one part of which seemed to be a veritable room within the room4 ,into this chamber1 as it were1 he now directed the men to carry ,leon's body and lay it on a sort of bed or pallet that was let down from the side wall of the compartment4 ,i had been quite mystified by the apparatus which ,kennedy had set up1 but had had no opportunity to discuss it with him and he had been so busy installing it that he had not taken time1 often1 for meals4 ,in fact1 the only way ,i knew that he had finished was that when ,burke had called he had seemed interested in the call4 ,outside the small chamber ,i have spoken of1 in the room itself1 were several large pieces of machinery1 huge cylinders with wheels and belts1 run by electric motors4 ,no sooner had the body been placed in the little chamber and the door carefully closed than ,kennedy threw a switch1 setting the apparatus in motion4 ,how could ,leon have been killed8 ,i asked1 as he rejoined me in the outside laboratory4 ,what did ,collette mean by her frightened cry of the 'voodoo sign'8 ,the incident had made a marked impression on me and ,i had been unable quite to arrive at any sensible explanation4 ,of course1 you know that voodoo means literally anything that inspires fear1 remarked ,kennedy after a moment's thought4 ,the god of voodoo is the snake4 ,i cannot say now what it was that she feared4 ,but to see the eyeballs turn green is uncanny1 isn't it8 ,i should say so1 ,i agreed4 ,but is that all8 ,he shook his head4 ,no1 ,i don't believe it is4 ,hayti is the hotbed of voodoo worship4 ,the cult has inaugurated a sort of priesthood--often a priest and a priestess1 called 'papaloi' and 'mammaloi'--papa and mamma1 probably with a corruption of the ,french word1 'roi1' king4 ,they are1 as it were1 heads of the community1 father and mother1 king and queen4 ,some of the leading men of the communities in the islands of the ,caribbean are secret voodoists and leaders4 ,just what is going on under the surface in this case1 ,i cannot even hazard a guess4 ,but there is some deviltry afoot4 ,just then the telephone rang and ,craig answered it4 ,it was from ,burke1 he said as he hung up the receiver4 ,confidential agents of his have been about4 ,no one from the ship seems to have been down to see ,forsythe1 but ,forsythe has had people over at the ship4 ,burke says someone is sending off great bunches of messages to ,hayti--he thinks the powerful wireless apparatus of the ,haytien is being used4 ,for a moment ,kennedy stood in the center of the laboratory1 thinking4 ,then he appeared to make up his mind to something4 ,has that taxicab gone8 he asked1 opening a cabinet from which he took several packages4 ,i looked out of the window4 ,the ambulance had gone back1 but the driver of the car had evidently waited to call up his office for instructions4 ,i beckoned to him1 and together ,kennedy and ,i placed the packages in the car4 ,thus we were able quickly to get back again to the wharf where the ,haytien was berthed4 ,instead of going aboard again1 however1 ,kennedy stopped just outside1 where he was not observed and got out of the car1 dismissing it4 ,in the office of the steamship company1 he sought one of the employes and handed him a card1 explaining that we were aiding ,burke in the case4 ,the result of the parley was that ,kennedy succeeded in getting to the roof of the covered pier on the opposite side from that where the ship lay4 ,there he set to work on a strange apparatus1 wires from which ran up to a flag pole on which he was constructing what looked like a hastily improvised wireless aerial4 ,that part arranged1 ,kennedy followed his wires down again and took them in by a window to a sort of lumber-room back of the office4 ,outside everyone was too busy to watch what we were doing there and ,craig could work uninterrupted4 ,what are you doing8 ,i asked4 ,installing a wireless plant8 ,not quite1 he smiled quietly4 ,this is a home-made wireless photo-recording set4 ,of course1 wireless aerials of amateurs don't hum any more since war has caused the strict censorship of all wireless4 ,but there is no reason why one can't receive messages1 even if they can't be sent by everybody4 ,this is a fairly easy and inexpensive means by which automatic records can be taken4 ,it involves no delicate instruments and the principal part of it can be made in a few hours from materials that ,i have in my laboratory4 ,the basis is the capillary electrometer4 ,sounds very simple1 ,i volunteered1 trying not to be sarcastic4 ,well1 here it is1 he indicated1 touching what looked like an ordinary soft glass tube of perhaps a quarter of an inch diameter1 bent ,u-shaped1 with one limb shorter than the other4 ,it is filled nearly to the top of the shorter limb with chemically pure mercury1 he went on4 ,on the top of it1 ,i have poured a little twenty per cent sulphuric acid4 ,dipping into the acid is a small piece of capillary tube drawn out to a very fine point at the lower end4 ,he filled the little tube with mercury also4 ,the point of this1 he observed1 is fine enough to prevent the mercury running through of its own weight--about as fine as a hair4 ,he dipped the point and held it in the sulphuric acid and blew through the capillary tube4 ,when the mercury bubbled through the point in minute drops1 he stopped blowing4 ,it drew back for a short distance by capillary attraction and the acid followed it up4 ,you can see that connections are made to the mercury in the arm and the tube by short pieces of platinum wire1 he continued4 ,it isn't necessary to go into the theory of the instrument4 ,but the most minute difference of potential between the two masses of mercury will cause the fine point at the junction of the liquids to move up and down4 ,connected to the aerial and the earth1 with a crystal detector in series1 it is only a matter of applying an ordinary photo-recording drum1 and the machine is made4 ,he had been setting up a light-tight box1 inside of which was a little electric lamp4 ,opposite was a drum covered with bromide paper4 ,he started the clockwork going and after a few moments' careful observation1 we went away1 and left the thing1 trusting that no one was the wiser4 ,nothing further occurred that day1 except for frequent reports from ,burke1 who told us how his men were getting on in their shadowing of ,forsythe ,co4 ,apparently1 the death of ,leon had put a stop to revolutionary plots1 or at least had caused the plotters to change their methods radically4 ,the time was shortening1 too1 during which ,burke could keep the passengers of the ,haytien under such close surveillance1 and it was finally decided that on the next morning they should be released1 while all those suspected were to be shadowed separately by ,secret ,service agents1 in the hope that once free they would commit some overt act that might lead to a clew4 ,,chapter ,,xxxiii ,,the ,,respiration ,,calorimeter ,it was early the next morning1 about half an hour after the time set for the release of the passengers1 that our laboratory door was flung open and ,collette ,aux ,cayes rushed in1 wildly excited4 ,what's the matter8 asked ,kennedy anxiously4 ,someone has been trying to keep me on the boat1 she panted4 ,and all the way over here a man has been following me4 ,kennedy looked at her a minute calmly4 ,we could understand why she might have been shadowed1 though it must have been a bungling job of ,burke's operative4 ,but who could have wanted her kept on the boat8 ,i don't know1 she replied1 in answer to ,kennedy's question4 ,but somehow ,i was the only one not told that we could go4 ,and when ,i did go1 one of the ,secret ,service men stopped me4 ,are you sure it was a ,secret ,service man8 ,he said he was4 ,yes1 but if he had been1 he would not have done that1 nor let you get away1 if he had4 ,can't you imagine anyone who might want you detained longer8 ,she looked at us1 half frightened4 ,n--not unless it is that man--or the woman with him1 she replied1 clasping her hands4 ,you mean ,castine8 ,yes1 she replied1 avoiding the use of his name4 ,ever since you had the body removed1 he has been in great fear4 ,i have heard him ask fifty times1 ',where have they taken him8' and ',is he to be embalmed8' ,that's strange1 remarked ,kennedy4 ,why that anxiety from him8 ,i remember that it was he who wanted the body left alone4 ,is it for fear that we might discover something which might be covered up8 ,kennedy disappeared into the anteroom and ,i heard him making a great fuss as he regulated the various pieces of machinery that surrounded the little chamber4 ,some minutes later1 he emerged4 ,meet us here in an hour1 he directed ,collette1 with your guardian4 ,quickly ,craig telephoned for a tank of oxygen to be sent over to the laboratory1 then got ,burke on the wire and asked him to meet us down at the dock4 ,we arrived first and ,craig hurried into the lumber-room1 where fortunately he found everything undisturbed4 ,he tore off the strip of paper from the drum and held it up4 ,on it was a series of marks1 which looked like dots and dashes1 of a peculiar kind1 along a sort of base line4 ,carefully he ran his eye over the strip4 ,then he shoved it into his pocket in great excitement4 ,hello1 greeted ,burke1 as he came up puffing from the hurried trip over from the ,customs ,house1 where his office was4 ,what's doing now8 ,a great deal1 ,i think1 returned ,kennedy4 ,can you locate ,castine and that woman and come up to the laboratory--right away8 ,i can put my finger on them in five minutes and be there in half an hour1 he returned1 not pausing to inquire further1 for1 like me1 ,burke had learned that ,kennedy could not be hurried in any of his revelations4 ,together1 ,craig and ,i returned to the laboratory to find that ,collette ,aux ,cayes was already there with her guardian1 as solicitous as ever for her comfort and breathing fire and slaughter against the miscreants who had tried to detain her1 without his knowledge4 ,some minutes later ,castine and ,madame ,castine arrived4 ,at sight of ,collette she seemed both defiant and restless1 as though sensing trouble1 ,i thought4 ,few words were spoken now by anyone1 as ,burke and ,i completed the party4 ,will you be so kind as to step into the little anteroom with me8 invited ,craig1 holding open the door for us4 ,we entered and he followed2 then1 as he led the way1 stopped before a little glass window in the compartment which ,i have described4 ,collette was next to me4 ,i could feel the tenseness of her senses as she gazed through the window at the body on the shelf-like pallet inside4 ,what is this thing8 asked ,aux ,cayes1 as ,collette drew back1 and he caught her by the arm4 ,for the moment ,kennedy said nothing1 but opened a carefully sealed door and slid the pallet out1 unhinging it1 while ,i saw ,castine trembling and actually turning ashen about the lips4 ,this1 ,kennedy replied at length1 is what is known as a respiration calorimeter1 which ,i have had constructed after the ideas of ,professors ,atwater and ,benedict of ,wesleyan1 with some improvements of my own4 ,it is used1 as you may know1 in studying food values1 both by the government and by other investigators4 ,a man could live in that room for ten or twelve days4 ,my idea1 however1 was to make use of it for other things than that for which it was intended4 ,he took a few steps over to the complicated apparatus which had so mystified me1 now at rest1 as he turned a switch on opening the carefully sealed door4 ,it is what is known as a closed circuit calorimeter1 he went on4 ,for instance1 through this tube air leaves the chamber4 ,here is a blower4 ,at this point1 the water in the air is absorbed by sulphuric acid4 ,next the carbon dioxide is absorbed by soda lime4 ,here a little oxygen is introduced to keep the composition normal and at this point the air is returned to the chamber4 ,he traced the circuit as he spoke1 then paused and remarked1 ,thus1 you see1 it is possible to measure the carbon dioxide and the other respiration products4 ,as for heat1 the walls are constructed so that the gain or loss of heat in the chamber is prevented4 ,heat cannot escape in any other way than that provided for carrying it off and measuring it4 ,any heat is collected by this stream of water which keeps the temperature constant and in that way we can measure any energy that is given off4 ,the walls are of concentric shells of copper and zinc with two of wood1 between which is 'dead air1' an effective heat insulator4 ,in other words1 he concluded1 it is like a huge thermos bottle4 ,it was all very weird and fascinating4 ,but what he could have been doing with a dead body1 ,i could not imagine4 ,was there some subtle1 unknown poison which had hitherto baffled science1 but which now he was about to reveal to us8 ,he seemed to be in no hurry to overcome the psychological effect his words had on his auditors1 for as he picked up and glanced at a number of sheets of figures1 he went on3 ,in the case of live persons1 there is a food aperture here1 a little window with air locks arranged for the passage of food and drink4 ,that large window through which you looked admits light4 ,there is also a telephone4 ,everything is arranged so that all that enters1 no matter how minute1 is weighed and measured4 ,the same is true of all that leaves4 ,nothing is too small to take into account4 ,he shook the sheaf of papers before us4 ,here ,i have some records which have been made by myself1 and1 in my absence1 by one of my students4 ,in them the most surprising thing that ,i have discovered is that in the body of ,leon metabolism seems still to be going on4 ,i listened to him in utter amazement1 wondering toward what his argument was tending4 ,i got my first clew from an injection of fluoriscine1 he resumed4 ,you know there are many people who have a horror of being buried alive4 ,it is a favorite theme of the creepy-creep writers4 ,as you know1 the heart may stop beating1 but that does not necessarily mean that the person is dead4 ,there are on record innumerable cases where the use of stimulants has started again the beating of a heart that has stopped4 ,still1 burial alive is hardly likely among civilized people1 for the simple reason that the practice of embalming makes death practically certain4 ,at once1 when ,i heard that there had been objections to the embalming of this body1 ,i began to wonder why they had been made4 ,then it occurred to me that one certain proof of death was the absolute cessation of circulation4 ,you may not know1 but scientists have devised this fluoriscine test to take advantage of that4 ,i injected about ten grains4 ,if there is any circulation1 there should be an emerald green discoloration of the cornea of the eye4 ,if not1 the eye should remain perfectly white4 ,i tried the test4 ,the green eye-ball gave me a hint4 ,then ,i decided to make sure with a respiration calorimeter that would measure whatever heat1 what breath1 no matter how minute they were4 ,collette gave a start as she began to realize vaguely what ,craig was driving at4 ,it was not the voodoo sign1 ,mademoiselle1 he said1 turning to her4 ,it was a sign1 however1 of something that suggested at once to me the connection of voodoo practices4 ,there was something so uncanny about it that my own heart almost skipped beating1 while ,burke1 by my other side1 muttered something which was not meant to be profane4 ,collette was now trembling violently and ,i took her arm so that if she should faint she would not fall either on my side or on that of her guardian1 who seemed himself on the verge of keeling over4 ,castine was mumbling4 ,only his wife seemed to retain her defiance4 ,the skill of the voodoo priests in the concoction of strange draughts from the native herbs of ,hayti is well known1 ,kennedy began again4 ,there are among them fast and slow poisons1 poisons that will kill almost instantly and others that are guaged in strength to accumulate and resemble wasting away and slow death4 ,i know that in all such communities today no one will admit that there is such a thing still as the human sacrifice1 'the lamb without horns4' ,but there is on record a case where a servant was supposed to have died4 ,the master ordered the burial1 and it took place4 ,but the grave was robbed4 ,later the victim was resuscitated and sacrificed4 ,most uncanny of the poisons is that which will cause the victim to pass into an unconscious condition so profound that it may easily be mistaken for death4 ,it is almost cataleptic4 ,such is the case here4 ,my respiration calorimeter shows that from that body there are still coming the products of respiration1 that there is still heat in it4 ,it must have been that peculiar poison of the voodoo priests that was used4 ,racing on now1 not giving any of us a chance even to think of the weird thing1 except to shudder instinctively1 ,kennedy drew from his pocket and slapped down on a table the photographic records that had been taken by his home-made wireless recording apparatus4 ,from ,mr4 ,burke1 he said1 as he did so1 ,i received the hint that many messages were being transmitted by wireless1 secretly perhaps1 from the ,haytien4 ,i wanted to read those messages that were being flashed so quietly and secretly through the air4 ,how could it be done8 ,i managed to install down at the dock an apparatus known as the capillary electrometer4 ,by the use of this almost unimaginably delicate instrument ,i was able to drag down literally out of the air the secrets that seemed so well hidden from all except those for whom they were intended4 ,listen4 ,he took the roll of paper from the drum and ran his finger along it hastily1 translating to himself the ,morse code as he passed from one point to another4 ,here1 cried ,craig excitedly4 ',leon out of way for time safely4 ,revolution suppressed before ,forsythe can make other arrangements4 ,conspiracy frustrated4' ,just a moment4 ,here's another4 ',have engaged bridal suite at ,hotel ,la ,coste4 ,communicate with me there after tomorrow4' ,still holding the wireless record1 ,kennedy swung about to ,burke and myself4 ,burke1 stand over by the door1 he shouted4 ,walter--that tank of oxygen1 please4 ,i dragged over the heavy tank which he had ordered as he adjusted a sort of pulmotor breathing apparatus over ,leon4 ,then ,i dropped back to my place beside ,collette1 as the oxygen hissed out4 ,castine was now on his knees1 his aged arms outstretched4 ,before ,god1 ,mr4 ,kennedy--,i didn't do it4 ,i didn't give ,leon the poison6 ,kennedy1 however1 engrossed in what he was doing1 paid no attention to the appeal4 ,suddenly ,i saw what might have been a faint tremor of an eyelid on the pallid body before us4 ,i felt ,collette spring forward from my side4 ,he lives6 ,he lives6 she cried1 falling on her knees before the still cataleptic form4 ,guillaume6 ,there was just a faint movement of the lips1 as though as the man came back from another world he would have called1 ,collette6 ,seize that man--it is his name signed to the wireless messages6 shouted ,kennedy1 extending his accusing forefinger at ,aux ,cayes1 who had plotted so devilishly to use his voodoo knowledge both to suppress the revolution and at the same time to win his beautiful ward for himself from her real lover4 ,,chapter ,,xxxiv ,,the ,,evil ,,eye ,you don't know the woman who is causing the trouble4 ,you haven't seen her eyes4 ,but--,madre de ,dios6--my father is a changed man4 ,sometimes ,i think he is--what you call--mad6 ,our visitor spoke in a hurried1 nervous tone1 with a marked foreign accent which was not at all unpleasing4 ,she was a young woman1 unmistakably beautiful1 of the dark ,spanish type and apparently a ,south ,american4 ,i am ,senorita ,inez de ,mendoza of ,lima1 ,peru1 she introduced herself1 as she leaned forward in her chair in a high state of overwrought excitement4 ,we have been in this country only a short time--my father and ,i1 with his partner in a mining venture1 ,mr4 ,lockwood4 ,since the hot weather came we have been staying at the ,beach ,inn at ,atlantic ,beach4 ,she paused a moment and hesitated1 as though in this strange land of the north she had no idea of which way to turn for help4 ,perhaps ,i should have gone to see a doctor about him1 she considered1 doubtfully2 then her emotions got the better of her and she went on passionately1 but1 ,mr4 ,kennedy it is not a case for a doctor4 ,it is a case for a detective--for someone who is more than a detective4 ,she spoke pleadingly now1 in a soft musical voice that was far more pleasing to the ear than that of the usual ,spanish-,american4 ,i had heard that the women of ,lima were famed for their beauty and melodious voices4 ,senorita ,mendoza surely upheld their reputation4 ,there was an appealing look in her soft brown eyes and her thin1 delicate lips trembled as she hurried on with her strange story4 ,i never saw my father in such a state before1 she murmured4 ,all he talks about is the 'big fish'--whatever that may mean--and the curse of ,mansiche4 ,at times his eyes are staring wide open4 ,sometimes ,i think he has a violent fever4 ,he is excited--and seems to be wasting away4 ,he seems to see strange visions and hear voices4 ,yet ,i think he is worse when he is quiet in a dark room alone than when he is down in the lobby of the hotel in the midst of the crowd4 ,a sudden flash of fire seemed to light up her dark eyes4 ,there is a woman at the hotel1 too1 she went on1 a woman from ,truxillo1 ,senora de ,moche4 ,ever since she has been there my father has been growing worse and worse4 ,who is this ,senora de ,moche8 asked ,kennedy1 studying the ,senorita as if she were under a lens4 ,a ,peruvian of an old ,indian family1 she replied4 ,she has come to ,new ,york with her son1 ,alfonso1 who is studying at the ,university here4 ,i knew him in ,peru1 she added1 as if by way of confession1 when he was a student at the ,university of ,lima4 ,there was something in both her tone and her manner that would lead one to believe that she bore no enmity toward the son--indeed quite the contrary--whatever might be her feelings toward the mother of de ,moche4 ,kennedy reached for our university catalogue and found the name1 ,alfonso de ,moche1 a post-graduate student in the ,school of ,engineering1 and therefore not in any of ,kennedy's own courses4 ,i could see that ,craig was growing more and more interested4 ,and you think1 he queried1 that in some way this woman is connected with the strange change that has taken place in your father8 ,i don't know1 she temporized1 but the tone of her answer was sufficient to convey the impression that in her heart she did suspect something1 she knew not what4 ,it's not a long run to ,atlantic ,beach1 considered ,kennedy4 ,i have one or two things that ,i must finish up first1 however4 ,then you will come down tonight8 she asked1 as ,kennedy rose and took the little white silk gloved hand which she extended4 ,tonight surely1 answered ,craig1 holding the door for her to pass out4 ,well1 ,i said1 when we were alone1 what is it--a romance or a crime8 ,both1 ,i think1 he replied abstractedly1 taking up the experiment which the visit had interrupted4 ,i think1 he remarked late in the afternoon1 as he threw off his acid-stained smock1 that ,i will go over to the ,university library before it closes and refresh my mind on some of those old ,peruvian antiquities and traditions4 ,the big fish or peje grande1 as ,i remember it1 was the name given by the natives to one of the greatest buried treasures about the time of ,pizarro's conquest4 ,if ,i remember correctly1 ,mansiche was the great cacique1 or something of that sort--the ruler in northern ,peru at that time4 ,he is said to have left a curse on any native who ever divulged the whereabouts of the treasure and the curse was also to fall on any ,spaniard who might discover it4 ,for more than an hour ,kennedy delved into the archeological lore in the library4 ,then he rejoined me at the laboratory and after a hasty bite of dinner we hurried down to the station4 ,that evening we stepped off the train at ,atlantic ,beach to make our way to the ,beach ,inn4 ,the resort was just springing into night life1 as the millions of incandescent lights flooded it with a radiance which we could see reflected in the sky long before our train arrived4 ,there was something intoxicating about the combination of the bracing salt air and the gay throngs seeking pleasure4 ,instead of taking the hotel 'bus1 ,kennedy decided to stroll to the inn along the boardwalk4 ,we were just about to turn into the miniature park which separated the inn from the walk when we noticed a wheel chair coming in our direction4 ,in it were a young man and a woman of well-preserved middle age4 ,they had evidently been enjoying the ocean breeze after dinner1 and the sound of music had drawn them back to the hotel4 ,we entered the lobby of the inn just as the first number of the evening concert by the orchestra was finishing4 ,kennedy stood at the desk for a moment while ,senorita ,mendoza was being paged1 and ran his eye over the brilliant scene4 ,in a minute the boy returned and led us through the maze of wicker chairs to an alcove just off the hall which later in the evening would be turned into a ballroom4 ,on a wide settee1 the ,senorita was talking with animation to a tall1 clean-cut young man in evening clothes1 whose face bore the tan of a sun much stronger than that at ,atlantic ,beach4 ,he was unmistakably of the type of ,american soldier of fortune4 ,in a deep rocker before them sat a heavy-set man whose piercing black eyes beetled forth from under bushy eyebrows4 ,he was rather distinguished looking1 and his close-cropped hair and mustache set him off as a man of affairs and consequence in his own country4 ,as we approached1 ,senorita ,mendoza rose quickly4 ,i wondered how she was going to get over the awkward situation of introducing us1 for surely she did not intend to let her father know that she was employing a detective4 ,she did it most cleverly1 with a significant look at ,kennedy which he understood4 ,good-evening4 ,i am delighted to see you1 she greeted4 ,then1 turning to her father1 she introduced ,craig4 ,this is ,professor ,kennedy1 she explained1 whom ,i met at the reception of the ,hispano-,american ,society4 ,you remember ,i told you he was so much interested in our ,peruvian ruins4 ,don ,luis's eyes seemed fairly to glitter with excitement4 ,they were prominent eyes1 staring1 and ,i could not help studying them4 ,then1 ,senor ,kennedy1 he exclaimed1 you know of our ruins of ,chan-,chan1 of ,chima--those wonderful places--and have heard the legend of the peje grande8 ,his eyes1 by that time1 were almost starting from their sockets1 and ,i noticed that the pupils were dilated almost to the size of the iris4 ,we must sit down1 he went on1 and talk about ,peru4 ,the soldier of fortune also had risen as we approached4 ,in her soft musical voice1 the ,senorita now interrupted her father4 ,professor ,kennedy1 let me introduce you to ,mr4 ,lockwood1 my father's partner in a mining project which brings us to ,new ,york4 ,as ,kennedy and ,i shook hands with the young mining engineer1 ,i felt that ,lockwood was something more to her than a mere partner in her father's mining venture4 ,we drew up chairs and joined the circle4 ,kennedy said something about mining and the very word mine seemed to excite ,senor ,mendoza still further4 ,your ,american financiers have lost millions in mining in ,peru1 he exclaimed excitedly1 taking out a beautifully chased gold cigarette case1 but we are going to make more millions than they ever dreamed of1 because we are simply going to mine for the products of centuries of labor already done1 for the great treasure of ,truxillo4 ,he opened the cigarette case and handed it about4 ,the cigarettes seemed to be his own special brand4 ,we lighted up and puffed away for a moment4 ,there was a peculiar taste about them1 however1 which ,i did not like4 ,in fact1 ,i think that the ,latin-,american cigarettes do not seem to appeal to an ,american very much1 anyhow4 ,as we talked1 ,i noticed that ,kennedy evidently shared my own tastes1 for he allowed his cigarette to go out1 and after a puff or two ,i did the same4 ,for the sake of my own comfort ,i drew out one of my own cigarettes as soon as ,i could do so politely4 ,we are not the only ones who have sought the peje grande1 resumed ,mendoza eagerly1 but we are the only ones who are seeking it in the right place1 and1 he added1 leaning over with a whisper1 ,i am the only one who has the concession1 the monopoly1 from the government to seek in what we know to be the right place4 ,others have found the little fish4 ,we shall find the big fish4 ,he had raised his voice from the whisper and ,i caught the ,senorita looking anxiously at ,kennedy1 as much as to say1 ,you see8 ,his mind is full of only one subject4 ,senor ,mendoza's eyes had wandered from us and he seemed all of a sudden to grow wild4 ,we shall find it1 he cried1 no matter what obstacles man or devil put in our way4 ,it is ours--for a simple piece of engineering--ours6 ,the curse of ,mansiche--pouf6 ,he snapped his fingers almost defiantly as he said it in a high-pitched voice4 ,there was an air of bravado about it and ,i could not help feeling that perhaps in his heart he was not so sure of himself as he would have others think4 ,it was as though some diabolical force had taken possession of his brain and he fought it off4 ,kennedy quickly followed the staring glance of ,mendoza4 ,out on the broad veranda1 by an open window a few yards from us1 sat the woman of the wheel chair4 ,the young man who accompanied her had his back toward us for the moment1 but she was looking fixedly in our direction1 paying no attention apparently to the music4 ,she was a large woman1 with dark hair1 and contrasting full red lips4 ,her face1 in marked contradiction to her ,parisian costume and refined manners1 had a slight copper swarthiness about it4 ,but it was her eyes that arrested and held one's attention4 ,whether it was in the eyes themselves or in the way that she used them1 there could be no mistake about the hypnotic power that their owner wielded4 ,she saw us looking at her1 but it made no difference4 ,not for an instant did she allow our gaze to distract her in the projection of their weird power straight at ,don ,luis himself4 ,don ,luis1 on his part1 seemed fascinated4 ,he rose1 and1 for a moment1 ,i thought that he was going over to speak to her1 as if drawn by that intangible attraction which ,poe has so cleverly expressed in his ,imp of the ,perverse4 ,instead1 in the midst of the number which the orchestra was playing1 he turned and1 as though by a superhuman effort1 moved away among the guests out into the brighter lights and gayety of the lobby4 ,i glanced up in time to see the anxious look on the ,senorita's face change momentarily into a flash of hatred toward the woman in the window4 ,the young man turned just about that time1 and there was no mistaking the ardent glance he directed toward the fair ,peruvian4 ,i fancied that her face softened a bit1 too4 ,she resumed her normal composure as she said to ,lockwood1 ,you will excuse me1 ,i know4 ,father is tired of the music4 ,i think ,i will take him for a turn down the boardwalk4 ,if you can join us in our rooms in an hour or so1 may we see you6 she asked1 with another significant glance at ,kennedy4 ,craig had barely time to reply that we should be delighted before she was gone4 ,evidently she did not dare let her father get very far out of her sight4 ,we sat for a few moments smoking and chatting with ,lockwood4 ,what is the curse of ,mansiche8 asked ,kennedy at length4 ,oh1 ,i don't know1 returned ,lockwood1 impatiently flicking the ashes from his cigar1 as though such stories had no interest for the practical mind of an engineer4 ,some old superstition4 ,i don't know much about the story2 but ,i do know that there is treasure in that great old ,chimu mound near ,truxillo1 and that ,don ,luis has got us the government concession to bore into it1 if we can only raise the capital to carry it out4 ,kennedy showed no disposition to leave the academic and become interested in the thing from the financial standpoint1 and the conversation dragged4 ,i beg pardon1 apologized ,lockwood at length1 but ,i have some very important letters that ,i must get off before the mail closes4 ,i'll see you1 ,i presume1 when the ,senorita and ,don ,luis come back8 ,kennedy nodded4 ,in fact1 ,i think he was rather glad of the opportunity to look things over unhampered4 ,,chapter ,,xxxv ,,the ,,buried ,,treasure ,senora de ,moche--for ,i had no doubt now that this was the ,peruvian ,indian woman of whom ,senorita ,inez had spoken--seemed to lose interest in us and in the concert the moment ,don ,luis went out4 ,her son also seemed restive4 ,he was a good-looking fellow1 with high forehead1 nose slightly aquiline1 chin and mouth firm1 in fact the whole face refined and intellectual1 though tinged with melancholy4 ,we strolled down the wide veranda1 and as we passed the woman and her son ,i was conscious of that strange feeling 7which psychologists tell us1 however1 has no foundation7 of being stared at from behind4 ,kennedy turned suddenly and again we passed1 just in time to catch in a low tone from the young man1 ,yes1 ,i have seen him at the ,university4 ,everyone knows that he-- ,the rest was lost4 ,it was quite evident now that they thought we were interested in them4 ,there was1 then1 no use in our watching them further4 ,indeed1 when we turned again1 we found that the ,senora and ,alfonso had risen1 gone through the long1 open window inside1 and were making their way slowly to the elevator4 ,the door of the elevator had scarcely closed when ,kennedy turned on his heel and quickly made his way back to the alcove where we had been sitting4 ,lying about on the ash tray on a little wicker table were several of ,mendoza's half-burned cigarettes4 ,we sat down a moment and1 after a hasty glance around1 ,craig gathered them up and folded them in a piece of paper4 ,leisurely ,kennedy strolled over to the desk1 and1 as guests in a summer hotel will do1 looked over the register4 ,the ,mendozas1 father and daughter1 were registered in rooms #haj and #hab1 a suite on the eighth floor4 ,lockwood was across the hall in #haa4 ,turning the pages1 ,kennedy paused1 then nudged me4 ,senora de ,moche and ,senor ,alfonso de ,moche were on the same floor in #hci and #hda1 just around an ,l in the hall4 ,the two parties must meet frequently not only downstairs in the inn1 but in the corridors and elevators4 ,kennedy said nothing1 but glanced at his watch4 ,we had nearly three-quarters of an hour to wait yet until our pretty client returned4 ,there's no use in wasting time or in trying to conceal our identity1 he said finally1 drawing a card from his pocket and handing it to the clerk4 ,senora de ,moche1 please4 ,much to my surprise1 the ,senora telephoned down that she would see us in her own sitting-room1 and ,i followed ,kennedy into the elevator4 ,alfonso was out and the ,senora was alone4 ,i hope that you will pardon me1 began ,craig with an elaborate explanation1 but ,i have become interested in an opportunity to invest in a ,peruvian venture and they tell me at the office that you are a ,peruvian4 ,i thought that perhaps you could advise me4 ,she looked at us keenly4 ,i fancied that she detected the subterfuge1 yet she did not try to avoid us4 ,on closer view1 her eyes were really remarkable--those of a woman endowed with an abundance of health and energy--eyes that were full of what the old phrenologists used to call amativeness1 denoting a nature capable of intense passion1 whether of love or hate4 ,yet ,i confess that ,i could not find anything especially abnormal about them1 as ,i had about ,mendoza's4 ,i suppose you mean that scheme of ,senor ,mendoza and his friend1 ,mr4 ,lockwood1 she returned1 speaking rapidly4 ,let me tell you about it4 ,you may know that the ,chimu tribes in the north were the wealthiest at the time of the coming of the ,spaniards4 ,well1 they had a custom of burying with their dead all their movable property4 ,sometimes a common grave or huaca was given to many4 ,that would become a cache of treasure4 ,back in the seventeenth century1 she continued1 leaning forward eagerly as she talked1 a ,spaniard opened a ,chimu huaca and found gold that is said to have been worth a million dollars4 ,an ,indian told him of it4 ,after he had shown him the treasure1 the ,indian told the ,spaniard that he had given him only the little fish1 the peje chica1 but that some day he would give him the big fish1 the peje grande4 ,the ,indian died1 she went on solemnly1 flashing at ,craig a glance from her wonderful eyes4 ,he was poisoned by the other members of his tribe4 ,she paused1 then flashed1 ,that is my tribe1 my family4 ,she paused a moment4 ,the big fish is still a secret--or at least it was until they got it from my brother1 to whom the tradition had been intrusted4 ,they drove him crazy--until he talked4 ,then1 after he had told the secret1 and lost his mind1 he threw himself one day into ,lake ,titicaca4 ,she stopped dramatically in her passionate out-pouring of the tragedies that had followed the hidden treasure4 ,i cannot tell you more than you probably already know1 she resumed1 watching our faces intently4 ,you know1 ,i suppose1 that the treasure is believed to be in a large mound1 a tumulus ,i think you call it1 visible from our town of ,truxillo4 ,many people have tried to open it1 but the mass of sand pours down on them and they have been discouraged4 ,but ,senor ,mendoza believes that he knows just where to bore and ,mr4 ,lockwood has a plan for a well-timbered tunnel which can be driven at the right point4 ,she said it with a sort of quiet assurance that conveyed the impression without her saying it that the venture was somehow doomed to failure1 that these desecrators were merely toying with fate4 ,all through her remarks one could feel that she suspected ,mendoza of having been responsible for the downfall and tragedy of her brother1 who had betrayed the age-old secret4 ,her eyes assumed a far-away1 dreamy look as she went on4 ,you must know that we ,peruvians have been so educated that we never explore ruins for hidden treasure--not even if we have the knowledge of engineering to do so4 ,apparently she was thinking of her son and his studies at the ,university4 ,one could follow her thoughts as they flitted from him to the beautiful girl with whom she had seen us4 ,we are a peculiar race1 she proceeded4 ,we seldom intermarry with other races4 ,we are as proud as ,senor ,mendoza1 as proud of our unmixed lineage as your 'belted earls4' ,she said it with a quiet dignity quite in contrast with the nervous1 hasty manner of ,don ,luis4 ,there was no doubt that the race feeling cut deep4 ,kennedy had been following her closely and ,i could see that the cross currents of superstition1 avarice and race hatred in the case presented a tangle that challenged him4 ,thank you1 he murmured1 rising4 ,you have told me quite enough to make me think seriously before ,i join in any such undertaking4 ,she smiled enigmatically and we bowed ourselves out4 ,a most baffling woman1 was ,craig's only comment as we rode down again in the elevator to wait for the return of ,don ,luis and the ,senorita4 ,scarcely had their chair set them down at the inn than ,alfonso seemed to appear from nowhere4 ,he had evidently been waiting in the shadow of the porch for them4 ,we stood aside and watched the little drama4 ,for a few minutes the ,senorita talked with him4 ,one did not need to be told that she had a deep regard for the young man4 ,she wanted to see him1 yet she did not want to see him4 ,don ,luis1 on the contrary1 seemed to become quite restive and impatient again and to wish to cut the conversation short4 ,it was self-evident that ,alfonso was deeply in love with ,inez4 ,i wondered whether1 after all1 the trouble was that the proud old ,castilian ,don ,luis would never consent to the marriage of his daughter to one of ,indian blood8 ,was he afraid of a love forbidden by race prejudice8 ,in any event1 one could easily imagine the feelings of ,alphonso toward ,lockwood1 whom he saw carrying off the prize under his very eyes4 ,as for his mother1 we had seen that the ,peruvians of her caste were a proud old race4 ,her son was the apple of her eye4 ,who were these to scorn her race1 her family8 ,it was a little more than an hour after our first meeting when the party1 including ,lockwood1 who had finished his letters1 gathered again up in the rooms of the ,mendozas4 ,it was a delightful evening1 even in spite of the tension on which we were4 ,we chatted about everything from archeology to ,wall ,street1 until ,i could well imagine how anyone possessed of an imagination susceptible to the influence of mystery and tradition would succumb to the glittering charm of the magic words1 peje chica1 and feel all the gold hunter's enthusiasm when brought into the atmosphere of the peje grande4 ,visions of hidden treasure seemed to throw a glamour over everything4 ,kennedy and the ,senorita had moved over to a window1 where they were gazing out on the fairyland of ,atlantic ,beach spread out before them1 while ,lockwood and ,don ,luis were eagerly quizzing me on the possibilities of newspaper publicity4 ,oh1 ,professor ,kennedy1 ,i heard her say under her breath1 sometimes ,i fear that it is the mal de ojo--the evil eye4 ,i did not catch ,craig's answer1 but ,i did catch time and again narrowly observing ,don ,luis4 ,our host was smoking furiously now1 and his eyes had even more than before that peculiar1 staring look4 ,by the way his veins stood out ,i could see that ,mendoza's heart action must be rapid4 ,he was talking more and more wildly as he grew more excited4 ,even ,lockwood noticed it and1 ,i thought1 frowned4 ,slowly the conviction was forced on me4 ,the man was mad--raving mad6 ,really1 ,i must get back to the city tonight1 ,i overheard ,craig say to the ,senorita as finally he turned from the window toward us4 ,her face clouded1 but she said nothing4 ,if you could arrange to have us dine with you tomorrow night up here1 however1 he added quickly in a whisper1 ,i think ,i might be prepared to take some action4 ,by all means1 she replied eagerly1 as though catching at anything that promised aid4 ,on the late train back1 ,i half dozed1 wondering what had caused ,mendoza's evident madness4 ,was it a sort of auto-hypnotism8 ,there was1 ,i knew1 a form of illusion known as ophthalmophobia--fear of the eye4 ,it ranged from mere aversion at being gazed at1 all the way to the subjective development of real physical illness out of otherwise trifling ailments4 ,if not that1 what object could there be for anyone to cause such a condition8 ,might it be for the purpose of robbery8 ,or might it be for revenge8 ,back in the laboratory1 ,kennedy pulled out from a cabinet a peculiar apparatus4 ,it seemed to consist of a sort of triangular prism set with its edge vertically on a rigid platform attached to a massive stand4 ,next he lighted one of the cigarette stubs which he had carried away so carefully4 ,the smoke curled up between a powerful light and the peculiar instrument1 while ,craig peered through a lens1 manipulating the thing with exhaustless patience and skill4 ,finally he beckoned me over and ,i looked through1 too4 ,on a sort of fine grating all ,i could see was a number of strange lines4 ,that1 he explained in answer to my unspoken question as ,i continued to gaze1 is one of the latest forms of the spectroscope1 known as the interferometer1 with delicately ruled gratings in which power to resolve the straight close lines in the spectrum is carried to the limit of possibility4 ,a small watch is delicate1 but it bears no comparison to the delicacy of these detraction spectroscopes4 ,every substance1 you know1 is1 when radiating light1 characterized by what at first appears to be almost a haphazard set of spectral lines without relation to one another4 ,but they are related by mathematical laws and the apparent haphazard character is only the result of our lack of knowledge of how to interpret the results4 ,he resumed his place at the eye-piece to check over his results4 ,walter1 he said finally with a twinkle of the eye1 ,i wish you'd go out and find me a cat4 ,a cat8 ,i repeated4 ,yes--a cat--felis domesticus1 if it sounds better that way1 a plain ordinary cat4 ,i jammed on my hat and1 late as it was1 sallied forth on this apparently ridiculous mission4 ,several belated passers-by and a policeman watched me as though ,i were a house-breaker and ,i felt like a fool1 but at last by perseverance and tact ,i managed to capture a fairly good specimen of the species and transported it in my arms to the laboratory without an undue number of scratches4 ,,chapter ,,xxxvi ,,the ,,weed ,,of ,,madness ,in my absence ,craig had set to work on a peculiar apparatus1 as though he were distilling something from several of the other cigarette stubs4 ,i placed the cat in a basket and watched ,craig until finally he seemed to be rewarded for his patient labors4 ,it was well along toward morning when he obtained in a test-tube a few drops of a colorless1 almost odorless liquid4 ,i watched him curiously as he picked the cat out of the basket and held it gently in his arms4 ,with a dropper he sucked up a bit of the liquid from the test-tube4 ,then he let a small drop fall into the eye of the cat4 ,the cat blinked a moment and ,i bent over to observe it more closely4 ,the cat's eye seemed to enlarge1 even under the light1 as if it were the proverbial cat's eye under a bed4 ,what did it mean8 ,was there such a thing as the drug of the evil eye8 ,what have you found8 ,i queried4 ,something very much like the so-called 'weed of madness1' ,i think1 he replied slowly4 ,the weed of madness8 ,i repeated4 ,yes1 something like that ,mexican toloache and the ,hindu datura which you must have heard about1 he continued4 ,you know the jimson weed--the ,jamestown weed8 ,it grows almost everywhere in the world1 but most thrivingly in the tropics4 ,they are all related in some way1 ,i believe4 ,the jimson weed on the ,pacific coast of the ,andes has large white flowers which exhale a faint1 repulsive odor4 ,it is a harmless looking plant with its thick tangle of leaves1 a coarse green growth1 with trumpet-shaped flowers4 ,but1 to one who knows its properties1 it is quite too dangerously convenient4 ,i think those cigarettes have been doped1 he went on positively4 ,it isn't toloache that was used4 ,i think it must be some particularly virulent variety of the jimson weed4 ,perhaps it is in the preparation of the thing4 ,the seeds of the stramonium1 which is the same thing1 contain a higher percentage of poison than the leaves and flowers4 ,perhaps they were used4 ,i can't say4 ,he took a drop of the liquid he had isolated and added a drop of nitric acid4 ,then he evaporated it by gentle heat and it left a residue which was slightly yellow4 ,next he took from the shelf over his table a bottle marked alcoholic solution1 potassium hydrate1 and let a drop fall on it4 ,instantly the residue became a beautiful purple1 turning rapidly to violet1 then to dark red and finally disappeared4 ,stramonium all right1 he nodded with satisfaction4 ,that was known as ,vitali's test4 ,yes1 there was stramonium in those cigarettes--datura stramonium--perhaps a trace of hyocyamino4 ,they are all1 like atropine1 mydriatic alkaloids1 so-called from the effect on the eye4 ,one one-hundred-thousandth of a grain will affect the cat's eye4 ,you saw how it acted4 ,it is more active than even atropine4 ,better yet1 you remember how ,don ,luis's eyes looked4 ,how about the ,senora8 ,i put in4 ,oh1 he answered quickly1 her pupils were normal enough4 ,didn't you notice that8 ,this concentrated poison which has been used in ,mendoza's cigarettes does not kill1 at least not outright4 ,it is worse4 ,slowly it accumulates in the system4 ,it acts on the brain4 ,of all the dangers to be met with in superstitious countries1 these mydriatic alkaloids are among the worst4 ,they offer a chance for crimes of the most fiendish nature--worse than the gun or the stiletto1 and with little fear of detection4 ,it is the production of insanity6 ,horrible though the idea was ,i could not doubt it in the face of ,craig's investigations and what ,i had already seen4 ,in fact1 it was necessary for me only to recall the peculiar sensations ,i myself had experienced after smoking merely a few puffs of one of ,mendoza's cigarettes in order to be convinced of the possible effect of the insidious poison contained in the many that he smoked4 ,it was almost dawn before ,craig and ,i left the laboratory after his discovery of the manner of the stramonium poisoning4 ,i was thoroughly tired1 though not so much so that my dreams were not haunted by a succession of baleful eyes peering at me from the darkness4 ,i slept late1 but ,kennedy was about early at the laboratory1 verifying his experiments and checking over his results1 carefully endeavoring to isolate any other of the closely related mydriatic alkaloids that might be contained in the noxious fumes of the poisoned tobacco4 ,though he was already convinced of what was going on1 ,i knew that he considered it a matter of considerable medico-legal importance to be exact1 for if the affair ever came to the stage of securing an indictment1 the charge could be sustained only by specific proof4 ,early in the forenoon ,kennedy left me alone in the laboratory and made a trip downtown1 where he visited a ,south ,american tobacco dealer and placed a rush order for a couple of hundred cigarettes1 duplicating in shape and quality those which ,senor ,mendoza doza preferred1 except1 however1 the deadly drug which was in those he was smoking4 ,i had some writing to do and was busily engaged at my typewriter when ,i suddenly became conscious of that feeling of being watched4 ,perhaps ,i had heard a footstep outside and did not remember it1 but at any rate ,i had the feeling4 ,i stopped tapping the keys suddenly and wheeled about in my chair just in time to catch a glimpse of a face dodging back from the window4 ,i don't think that ,i would be prepared to swear just who it was1 but there was just enough that was familiar about the fleeting glimpse of the eyes to make me feel uncomfortable4 ,i ran to the door1 but it was too late4 ,the intruder had disappeared4 ,still1 the more ,i thought about it1 the more determined ,i was to verify my suspicions1 if possible4 ,i put on my hat and walked over to the registrar's office4 ,sure enough1 ,alfonso de ,moche was registered in the summer school as well as in the regular course4 ,i was now fully convinced that it was he who had been watching us4 ,not satisfied1 ,i determined to make further inquiries about the young man4 ,he had been at the ,university that morning1 ,i learned from one of his professors1 and that convinced me more than ever that he had employed at least a part of the time in spying on us4 ,as ,i had expected1 the professor told me that he was an excellent student1 though very quiet and reserved4 ,his mind seemed to run along the line of engineering and mining1 especially1 and ,i could not help drawing the conclusion that perhaps he1 too1 was infected by the furore for treasure hunting1 in spite of his ,indian ancestry4 ,nothing further occurred1 however1 during the day to excite suspicion and ,craig listened with interest1 though without comment1 when ,i related what had happened4 ,he divided his time during the rest of the day between some experimental work of his own and fits of deep reverie in which he was evidently trying to piece together the broken strands of the strange story in which we were now concerned4 ,the package of cigarettes which he had ordered was delivered late in the afternoon4 ,kennedy had already wrapped up a small package of a powder and filled a small atomizer with some liquid4 ,stowing these things away in his pockets as best he could1 with a little vial which he shoved into his waistcoat pocket1 he announced that he was ready at last to take an early train to ,atlantic ,beach4 ,we dined that night1 as ,craig had requested1 with the ,mendozas and ,lockwood up in the sitting-room of ,don ,luis's suite4 ,it was a delightfully situated room1 overlooking the boardwalk and the ocean1 and the fresh wind that was wafted in from the water made it quite the equal of a roof garden4 ,dinner had been ordered but not served1 when ,craig maneuvered to get a few minutes alone with ,inez4 ,although ,i could not hear1 ,i gathered that he was outlining at least a part of his plans to her and seeking her co-operation4 ,she seemed to understand and approve1 and ,i really believe that the dinner was the first in a long time that the distracted girl had really enjoyed4 ,while we were waiting for it1 ,i suddenly became aware that she had contrived to leave ,kennedy and myself alone in the sitting-room for a moment4 ,it was evidently part of ,craig's plan4 ,instantly he opened a large case in which ,mendoza kept cigarettes and hastily substituted for those in it an equal number of the cigarettes which he had had made4 ,the dinner itself was more like a family party than a formal dinner1 for ,kennedy1 when he wanted to do so1 had a way of ingratiating himself and leading the conversation so that everyone was at his ease4 ,everything progressed smoothly until we came to the coffee4 ,the ,senorita poured1 and as she raised the coffee pot ,kennedy called our attention to a long line of colliers just on the edge of the horizon1 slowly making their way up the coast4 ,i was sitting next to the ,senorita1 not particularly interested in colliers at that moment4 ,from a fold in her dress ,i saw her hastily draw a little vial and pour a bit of yellowish1 syrupy liquid into the cup which she was preparing for her father4 ,i could not help looking at her quickly4 ,she saw me1 then raised her finger to her lips with an explanatory glance at ,kennedy1 who was keeping the others interested in colliers4 ,instantly ,i recognized the little vial that ,kennedy had shoved into his vest pocket4 ,more coffee and innumerable cigarettes followed4 ,i did my best to aid in the conversation1 but my real interest was centered in ,don ,luis himself1 whom ,i could not help watching closely4 ,was it a fact or was it merely imagination8 ,he seemed quite different4 ,the pupils of his eyes did not seem to be quite so dilated as they had been the night before4 ,even his heart action appeared to be more normal4 ,i think the ,senorita noticed it1 too4 ,dinner over and darkness cutting off the magnificent sweep of ocean view1 ,inez suggested that we go down to the concert1 as had been their custom4 ,it was the first time that ,kennedy had not seemed to fall in with any of her suggestions1 but ,i knew that that1 too1 must be part of his preconcerted plan4 ,if you will pardon us1 he excused1 ,mr4 ,jameson and ,i have some friends over at ,stillson ,hall whom we have promised to run in to see4 ,i think this would be a good opportunity4 ,we'll rejoin you--in the alcove where we were last night1 if possible4 ,no one objected4 ,in fact ,i think ,lockwood was rather glad to have a chance to talk to ,inez1 for ,kennedy had monopolized a great deal of her attention4 ,we left them at the elevator1 but instead of leaving the ,inn ,kennedy edged his way around into the shadow of a doorway where we could watch4 ,fortunately the ,senorita managed to get the same settee in the corner which we had occupied the night before4 ,a moment later ,i caught a glimpse of a familiar face at the long window opening on the veranda4 ,senora de ,moche and her son had drawn up chairs1 just outside4 ,they had not seen us and1 as far as we knew1 had no reason to suspect that we were about4 ,as we watched the two groups1 ,i could not fail to note that the change in ,don ,luis was really marked4 ,there was none of the wildness in his conversation1 as there had been4 ,once he even met the keen eye of the ,senora1 but it did not seem to have the effect it had had on the previous occasion4 ,what was it you had the ,senorita drop into his coffee8 ,i asked ,craig under my breath4 ,you saw that8 he smiled4 ,it was pilocarpine1 jaborandi1 a plant found largely in ,brazil1 one of the antidotes for stramonium poisoning4 ,it doesn't work with everyone4 ,but it seems to have done so with ,mendoza4 ,besides1 the caffeine in the coffee probably aided the pilocarpine4 ,did you notice how it contracted his pupils almost back to normal again8 ,kennedy did not take his eyes off the two groups as he talked4 ,i've got at the case from a brand-new angle1 ,i think1 he added4 ,unless ,i am mistaken1 when the criminal sees ,don ,luis getting better1 it will mean another attempt to substitute more cigarettes doped with that drug4 ,satisfied so far with the play he was staging1 ,kennedy moved over to the hotel desk1 and after a quiet conference with the head clerk1 found out that the room next to the suite of the ,mendozas was empty4 ,the clerk gave him several keys and with a last look at the ,senora and her son1 to see whether they were getting restive1 ,i followed ,craig into the elevator and we rode up to the eighth floor again4 ,the halls were deserted now and we entered the room next to the ,mendozas without being observed4 ,it was a simple matter after that to open a rather heavy door that communicated between the two suites4 ,instead of switching on the light1 ,kennedy first looked about carefully until he was assured that no one was there4 ,quickly he sprinkled on the floor from the hall door to the table on which the case of cigarettes lay some of the powder which ,i had seen him wrap up in the laboratory before we left4 ,then with the atomizer he sprayed over it something that had a pungent1 familiar odor1 walking backwards from the hall door as he did so4 ,don't you want more light8 ,i asked1 starting to cross to a window to raise a shade to let the moonlight stream in4 ,don't walk on it1 ,walter1 he whispered1 pushing me back4 ,first ,i sprinkled some powdered iodine and then ammonia enough to moisten it4 ,it evaporates quickly1 leaving what ,i call my anti-burglar powder4 ,he had finished his work and now the evening wind was blowing away the slight fumes that had risen4 ,for a few moments he left the door into the next room open to clear away the odor1 then quietly closed it1 but did not lock it4 ,in the darkness we settled ourselves now for a vigil that was to last we knew not how long4 ,neither of us spoke as we half crouched in the shadow of the next room1 listening4 ,slowly the time passed4 ,would anyone take advantage of the opportunity to tamper with that box of cigarettes on ,mendoza's table8 ,who was it who had conceived and executed this devilish plot8 ,what was the purpose back of it all8 ,once or twice we heard the elevator door clang and waited expectantly1 but nothing happened4 ,i began to wonder whether if someone had a pass-key to the ,mendoza suite we could hear them enter4 ,the outside hall was thickly carpeted and deadened every footfall if one exercised only reasonable caution4 ,don't you think we might leave the door ajar a little8 ,i suggested anxiously4 ,sh6 was ,kennedy's only comment in the negative4 ,i glanced now and then at my watch and was surprised to see how early it was4 ,the minutes were surely leaden-footed4 ,in the darkness and silence ,i fell to reviewing the weird succession of events which had filled the past two days4 ,i am not by nature superstitious1 but in the darkness ,i could well imagine a staring succession of eyes1 beginning with the dilated pupils of ,don ,luis and always ending with those remarkable piercing black eyes of the ,indian woman with the melancholy-visaged son4 ,suddenly ,i heard in the next room what sounded like a series of little explosions1 as though someone were treading on match-heads4 ,my burglar powder1 muttered ,craig in a hoarse whisper4 ,every step1 even those of a mouse running across1 sets it off6 ,he rose quickly and threw open the door into the ,mendoza suite4 ,i sprang through after him4 ,there1 in the shadows1 ,i saw a dark form1 starting back in retreat4 ,but it was too late4 ,in the dim light of the little explosions1 ,i caught a glimpse of a face--the face of the person who had been craftily working on the superstition of ,don ,luis1 now that his influence had got from the government the precious concession1 working with the dread drug to drive him insane and thus capture both ,mendoza's share of the fortune as well as his daughter1 well knowing that suspicion would rest on the jealous ,indian woman with the wonderful eyes whose brother had already been driven insane and whose son ,inez ,mendoza really loved better than himself--the soldier of fortune1 ,lockwood4