Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1914-12-05
CHAPTER n.
Professor Kent Makes a Case.


you graduated. wasn't it,
"ies. Then knew you In college.
You must have been before my class"
The bearded one nodded. Senior TO
your freshman" suld he.
The younger man scritinized him.
Chester Kent said he softly. What
ON earth are you doing behind that
bush:"
Kent carcssed the maligned whisk-
ers Utility" he explained. Patent.
impeurtr;l',lc mosquito screen. I've
been on Ia the wilds and amor was
going back presently"
Not until you've stopped long
enough Ia get reacqumlntcd." declared
Scdgwick. Just nj present you're go
ing To stay IL dinner
VERY guh Just now you happen
to be- In my immediate line Of interest
to lind you here possibly for yom too"
Old Interests sprang To- lik, and
speech between them. Presently Fran
els Sedgwick was telling his friend
the story ~ his feverish and thwarted
ten years IN the world Within "A year
of his graduation his only surviving
relative had died. willing To him a
considerable fortune. the income OF
which he used In furtherance of IA
hitherto suppressed ambition To study
art Paris. his Mecca. was first
taskmistreSS. then II temptress. finally
hnA
gone far IN "a few years toward the
development OF curious technique of
his own Followed then Two years OF
dissipation. "a year uf travel To recn-
peritc and the return to Paris. which
was To be- once more the taskmistrcss.
But. To his terror and self loathing. he
found the power OF application gone.
The muscles uf his mind had become
habby
"All by virtue OF a womans laugh:
the laugh of woman without virtue"
he told Kent 1T WITS at the Moulin
de III Galrit..-r.rhaI'S you know the
dance hall an the slope of Montmnrtre
AMI sli. WAS one of the dancers. the
wreck of what had once been beauty
and. one must suppose. innocence
Probably She thought me too much
absinth soaked io hear or understand
~ ! sat half asleep III my table At
all events she answered fun voiced
her companions question. Who Is the
drunken foreigner 10y saying: lie
was an artist The studios talked OF
him i've years ago Look ut him now
That Is what life does 10 ls. mon ami
I'm the woman of It. That's the man
Of IL staggered M. made her II
bow and II promise and left her laugh
Ing Last month redeemed the prom
lse: sent her the first thousand dol
lars | nni,le by my own work and de
clar,-l my debt discharged How about
yOursclf:'
Postgraduate science Agrlcultur.
nj department job. Lectures lnyen
ton judiciary department expert
Signed. chester Kent Ten words
count them ten
Interesting but unsatisfying." re-
torted his friend Cant you expand
bit: | sulposc you haven't any dark
secret Ia your ilfe?"
M secret dark or light" sighed the
other. The newspapers won't let me
have
Eli: Won't let you: Am TO infer
that you've become u famous person.
What are you. anyway
What | told you. an expert In the
service al the department OF justice
| like to natter myself that my pur.
suit in scientific
Pursuit: What do you pursuef"
Men and motives.
Sc,igwick : Intelligent eyes wldened
Walt. he said: something occurs TO
mo. an article Ia u French journal
about II wonderful new American ex-
pert in crimnology who knows all
there Is Ia know and takes only the
most abSirus. cases. | recall now that
the article called him lie Professor
Cheire k.nmt That would be about
ms near aS they would come 10
your name The Frenchman made
you out most superior species OF
highfnlutin detective. working along
lines peculiarly your own
Rot intcriected Kent. ''fhe only
lines a detective can work along sue.
c.>SfGlly mr., the lines laid down for
him by the nhn he Is after
Sounds more reasonable than TO.
mantle. admitted the artist Come
now Kent. open up and tell me some
thing about yourself
You remember got into trouble
my senior year with the college au.
thorities by proving the typhoid cpl
demic direct against IA forgotten de
feet In the sewer system IL nearly
cost me my diploma. but II helped me
too. later. for u scientist In the depart
ment OF agriculture NJ Washington
learned III IL and sent for me after
graduation lie niapl.d gut for me u
three Wears postgraduate course. which
had iu>i al1ut enough money &"
take While I specialized nn hptany.