The Washington herald., 1915-05-30

OlnCer IN nall QOZen CndfltleS dn(
social organizations, patron of ar
and opera.
1t seemed to take some time to con
vince Kennedy What it was that in
terested him | did not know. bu
finally he bent down and shifted, no'
at the scented letter, but at the COW
ering on the dresser When he raised
| his head | saw that he had not beer
looking at the letter at all, but at q
spot on the cover near it.
"Sn-ff, sniff" he shifted. thought
fully closing his eyes as if consider.
ing something. "Yes-oil of turpen.
tine"
Suddenly he opened his eyes, and
the blank look OF abstraction that
had masked his face was broken
through by gleam of comprehension
that | knew flashed the truth to him
intuitively
Turn out that light in the corri-
dor" he ordered quickly
DR.. Leslie found and turned the
switch. There we were, alone, in the
now weird little dressing room, alone
with that horribly lovely thing lying
there cold and motionless on the lit
tie white bed
Kennedy moved forward in the
darkness. Gently, almost as il she
were still the living, pulsing, scntient
Blanch Blaisdell who had entranced
thousands, he opened her mouth.
A cry from O'Conner, who was
standing in front of me, followed.
"What's that. those little spots on
her tongue and throat? They glow.
1t is the corpse light
Surely enough, there were little lu-
minous spots in her mouth. Could
she have been poisoned by these
phosphorescent bacilli? What was it
"a strange new mouth malady that
had attacked this notorious adven-
turess and woman of luxury
Leslie had flashed up the light again
before Craig spoke. We were all
watching him keenly.
phosphorus, phosphoric acid, or
phosphoric salve." Craig said slowly
looking eagerly about the room as if
in search OF something that would cx-
plain it. He caught sight of the en-
velope still lying on the dresser. He
picked it up, toyed with it, looked
at the top where O'Connor had slit
it, then deliberately tore the flap off
the back where it had been glued in
sealing the letter.
Put the light out again." he ask
ed.
Where the thin line of gum was
on the back OF the flap, in the dark
ness there glowed the same sort of
brightness that we had seen in a
speck mere and there on Blanche
Blaisdcll's lips and in her mouth.
As the light went up again Ken
uedy added: coil of turpcntine re-
moves traces OF phosphorus, phos-
phoric acid, or phosphoric salve,
which are insoluble in anything else
except ether and absolute alcohol.
Some one who knew that tried to
eradicate them, but did not wholly
succeed. O'Connor, see if you can find
either phosphorus, the oil, or the
salve anywhere in the shop"
Then as O'Connor and Leslie hur-
riedly disappeared he added to me:
Another of those strange coin
cidences. Walter. You remember the
girl at the hospital? Look. don't you
see it, She's afre Her lips shine
they shine, they shinep"
Kennedy was still looking carefully
over the room. In little wicker bas-
ket was newspaper which was open
at the page of theatrical news. and
as | glanced quickly at it | saw a
most laudatory paragraph about her.
Beneath the paper were some torn
scraps. Kennedy picked them up and
pieced them together. Dearest
Blanche" they read. 81 hope you're
feeling better after that dinner last
night Can you meet me tonight?
Write me Immediately. Collie"
He placed the scraps carefully in
his wallet There was nothing more
passed down the corridor we could !
hear man apparently raving in good i
English and bad French. 1t proved !
to be Milleheur-or Millcr-and his !
raving was as overdone as that of a |
third-rate actor. Madame was trying
10 calm him.
Between them Monsieur and
Madame made out, however, to re7
peat to Kennedy their version OF what
1ad happened. 1t seemed that note
addressed to Miss Blaisdell had been
eft bv some one on the desk in the
room. No one knew who
eft it, but ono Of the girls had picked
t up and delivered it to her in her
ircssing room. A moment later she
ang her bell and called for one of
he girls named Agnes, who was to
lress her hair. Agnes was busy, and
he actress asked her to get paper.
pen, and ink At least it seemed
hat way, for Agnes got them for
Ter. A few minutes later her bell
ang again. and Agnes went down,
apparently to tell her that she was
low ready to dress her hair.
The next thing any one knew was
piercing shrek from the girl. She
an down the corridor, still shriek-
ng. out into the reception room and
ushed into the elevator. which hap I
ened to be up at the time. That was
he last they had seen Of her. The
thcr girls saw Miss Blaisdell lying
cad. and a panic followed.
From the line OF Kennedy's ques-
ions | could sec that he believed
hat there was hiatus somewhere
n their glib story, at least some ,
oint where some one had tried to /,
the marks of poison
Here it is. We found it." inter
upted O'Connor. holding up in his ,
excitement a bottle covered with I
lack cloth to protect it from the
ght. "1t was in the back of cab
let in the operating room, and it is
larked Ether phosphore.' Another I
t oil OF turpentine was on shelf