The Washington herald., 1915-05-30
Copyright. 1851

here, and says we must not make
move until Kennedy arrives"
! doubt whether in all our long ac-
quaintance | had ever heard First
Deputy O'Connor more wildly *
cited and apparently more less
than he seemed over the pnone
that night
What is it," l asked.
"Never mind, never mind. Find
Kennedy" he called back almost
brusquely. ITS Miss Blanche Blals,
dell. the actress-she's been found
dead here. The thing is an absolute
mystery. Now get him. get him.
1t was still early in the evening. and
Kennedy had not come in, nor had
he sent any word to our apartment
O'Connor had already tried the lab
oratory.
In desperation | left message for
him with the hallbov in case he call
ed up. jumped into a cab, and rode
over to the laboratory, hoping that
some of the caretakers might still be
about and might know something of
his whereabouts.
had given it up as hopeless and
had driven back to the apartment to
wait for him, when the hallboy made
rush at me just as | was paying
my fare.
"Mr. Kennedy on the wire. sir" he
cried as he half dragged me into the
hall.
walter" almost shouted Kennedy,
"Tm over at the Washington Heights
Hospital with DR.. Barron-you re-
member Barron, in our class at col
lege? He has very peculiar case of
d poor girl whom he found wandering
on the street and brought here. Most
unusual thing. Come up here and
pick me up, and we'll ride right down
to the Novella. Goodbye.
He was in the psychopathic ward
with Barron, as hurried in and they
were discussing the case outside in
the hall
What do you think of it yourself?"
Barron was asking, nodding to me to
Join them. Then he added for my en-
lightenment: 81 found this girl wan
dering bareheaded in the street. so
| hustled the poor thing into my car
and brought her here. All the way she
kept crying over and over: Look,
don't YOU see it? She's ahre! Her lips
shine-they shine. they shine think
the girl is dcmented and has had some
hallucination."
"Too vivid for a hallucination," re-
marked Kennedy decisively. at was
too real to her. No, that wasn't any
hallucination. Now, Walter, I'm
ready"
We found the Novella Beauty Par
lor on the top floor of an Office build
ing just off Fifth avenue on a side
street not far from Forty-second |
street.
Both O'Connor and Leslie, strange
ly out OF place in the enervating lux
ury OF the now deserted beauty par
lor. were still waiting for Kennedy
with a grim determination.
"A most peculiar thing" whispered
O'Connor. dashing forward the mo-
ment the elevator door opened. 1--WE
can't seem to find single cause for
her death The people up here say
it was a suicide, but | never accept |
the theory OF suicide unless there are
undoubted proofs"
Seated in one of the large easy
chairs Of the reception room, in a cor
ner with two of O'Connor's men
standing watchfully near, was man
who was the embodiment OF all that
was nervous. He was alternately
wringing his hands and rumpling his
hair. Beside him was middle-sized,
middle-aged woman in a most amaz-
ing state of preservation, who evi
IDENTIFY presided over the cosmetic
mysteries beyond the male ken.
professor and Madame Mille1eur
otherwise Miller VIII ispered
O'Connor, noting kennedy's ques-
tioning gaze and taking his arm to
hurry him down long. softly car
pcted corridor. hanked on either side
by little doors. "They run the shop.
They say one OF the girls just opened
the door and found her dead"
Near the end, one of the doors
stood open. and before it DR.. Leslie,
who had preceded us. paused. He
motioned to us to look in. 1t was
4 little dressing room. containing a
single white enamcled bed, a dresser.
and a mirror But it was not the scant
though elegant furniture that caused i
us to start back.
There under the dull half light OF !
the corridor Law woman. most su- ,
perbly formed She was dark, and the {
thick masses OF her hair. ready for ,
the hairdresscr, fell in a tanglc over :
her beautifully chiscled features and I
full. rounded shoulders and neck A !
scarlet bathrobe, loosened at the 1
throat, actually accentuated rather :
than covered the voluptuous lines Of I
her figure, down to the slender ankle
which had been the beginning OF her &
fortune as a danseuse. r
Except for the marble pallor of her i
face it was difficult to believe that r
she was not sleeping. And yet there Z
she was, the famous Blanche Blais- t
dell, dead-dead in the little dressing {
room OF the Novella Beauty Parlor. 4
We stood for several moments
speechless, stupched. At last O'Con- t
nor silently drew letter from his t
pocket. 1t was written on the latest i
and most delicate OF scented station r
,ry. e
at was lying sealed on the dresser
when we arrived" explained O'Con- r
ror, holding it so that we could not c
zee the address. Il though at first she !
lad really committed suicide and that Ii
his was a note of explanation. But it il
s not. Listen. 1t is just line or II
wo. 1t reads: Am feeling better now, O
hough that was a great party last ii
light. Thanks for the newspaper puff b
which have just read. 1t was very n
lind of you to get them to print it. p
Ieet me at the same place and same
"