The Washington herald., 1914-04-02

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I can't understand It. but father followed
his advice blindly. happened to be il
the outer office one day when daddy told
/, Slawry about the invention and his plan
| to purchase II from Walter.
"'You would be a fool to pay good
/ money for a blue print Slawry told him.
Aren't you paying Walter for his brains.
and isn't the blue print yours? Just
leave II to me-
ST was tempted to rush in and denounce
slawry as a coward and a thief. wish
now I had-it might have prevented the
awful things that followed l waited Till
i the superintendent had gone and then
| asked daddy how he could listen for a
/ moment to such a scoundrel as Slawry.
| He told me a woman could never under
| stand a mans affairs and advised me to
dismiss It from my mind. From that
time his attitude toward Walter was
changed. he discharged him and would
\ no longer permit him to come to the
/ house.
81 told Walter OF the plot to steal the
/ blue prints He could scarcely believe
father would stoop to anything like that.
We continued to meet. but We had TO
| be careful Walter called evenings when
father was absent or occupied in his
library. and he always entered and left
q
| evening he told me his apartment had
been robbed and the blue print stolen.
| and then I knew father had again yield
\ ed to Slawry's opportunities"
The doctors eyes had been fixed on
| the fragment of glass In his hand, but he
had listened intently TO the girls story.
| And the night of the-the night OF the
| fourteenth, l assume Walter called as
| usual?'
The girl nodded.
You did not happen to notice scratch
| or wound on his hand?-
Grace shook her head In bewilderment.
81 was asking because whoever II was
| that killed your father found II neces-
sary to break a window when he escaped
from the house. In doing so he tore his
hand on the ragged glass. l found this
piece of glass in the room short time
| after the crime had been discovered You
notice the clot. II is a drop Of the slay-
er's blood. l scarcely know why picked
II up. Blood analysis is a hobby OF mine.
This may not mean anything, but. Did
Walter have any suspicion as to who mad
stolen the blueprint
None. The landlady had seen a sailor
| loafing about the corner. In the after
noon he called and asked II she had any
rooms to let. She did not like his ap-
pearance and told him she had none.
He looked as II he had recently recovered
from a severe illness-sorne sort Of fever.
she thought"
We'll, that's interesting" exclaimed
the doctor. and suddenly the piece of
glass he held seemed to possess greater
interest. Now you go home. child. ana
forget your troubles for a few days. 1
am not a detective. only a grabbed and
dried up old doctor but Il think we can
do something. Good night. my dear"
Grace smiled as she stepped from the
office. The doctor had Utmost convinced
her that her troubles wpuld soon be over.
But her fresh happiness was all but shat
tered when she read in the evening paper
a statement in which the public prosecu-
tor declared the evidence against Walter
was complete and that conviction was
Inevitable. The next afternoon the doc
tor telephoned her that he wished to see
her at his office at once.
She thought she detected a triumphant
gleam in his eyes as she entered. At
want you to do me a little favor" he
said, handing her a sheet of paper. Take
this to the newspapers and have IL in
serted as an advertisement You may
read II II yCU wish
Her uncle smiled queerly while Grace
read. In the advertisement her uncle
offered to accept for demonstration pur.
poses limited number of cases of the
strange Oriental malady known as Kala
Asur and previously regarded as in
durable. Applicants were requested to
call at the Office of DR.. Frank w. Gra-
ham. at 4 o'clock. the following afternoon.
But l don't under stand Grace mur-
INJURED, looking perIlexedly at the doc
tor.
Never mind. Now run along. And II
you will be here at tomorrow afternoon
maybe / can tell you something interest
ing. i am not sure-but / have an idea
that there is only one person in this town
who is afflicted with Kala Asur. and
he is man we both are anxious to
see"
Grace pondered the mystery in vain as |
she visited the newspaper offices. and |
when she called at her uncle's office the |
following afternoon.
There are a couple of plain clothes |
men waiting in the next ROOM" he ex-
planned to her. They may be needed. |
Do you know that for a while / was al |
most convinced that old rascal Slawry
was our man? He had a hand in IL, of |
course. butt almost hate to do this.
It's too much like a chapter from a de-
tective novel;
Grace could not understand. 1t was
evident the doctor was struggling to sup
press his excitement and his manner gave
her a strange sense of comfort. Pres
entity steps were heard in the corridor,
there was rap at the door. and a man
in sailors uniform lurched into the room.
The doctor pointed to a chair
Saw my advertisement. I suppose? A
little touch Of the Kala Asur, eh? You
must have been on the east coast of
China-that's where 1t comes from. Let's
see" The doctor was examining the
mans eyes and skin. IT must make a
thorough diagnosis-but first want you
to tell m where you received that scratch
on the left hand"
Deathly pallor crept into the sailors
bronzed face. He wriggled desperately,
but the doctor held his arms in a vice
like grip.
You got that the night you murdered
Williams. No use denying II. I know all
about II, you see. You were first bribed
10 steal that blueprint. and during a
quarrel over the money you murdered old
The sailor groaned. The door leading
TO the inner Office was opened and a de-
tective stepped in. Seeing the hopeless
ness Of further resistance, the sailor
abandoned the struggle and sank Imply
INTO the chair.
Il think / shall make a demonstration
treatment of this case" said the doctor,
but 1 suggest you take him to Jail first.
He will be safer there" Under the re-
entless questioning of DR.. Graham the
man blurted out a confession. While
walking penniless and hungry in the
who bribed him to steal the blueprint.
l. 49, .--II -. - i