The Washington herald., 1915-05-30
Further Achievements of Craig Kennedy Scientific Detective REEVE

questioned her she remembered see
ing note lying on the dresser.
agnes" Miss Blaisdell had said,
will you go into the writing room
| and bring me some paper, pen, and
ink? | don't want to go in there this
! way. There's dear good girl" Agnes
had gone, though it was decidedly
no part OF her duty as one of the
highest paid employees of the Novella.
The next thing she remembered was
finishing the coiffure she was work
ing on and going to Miss Blaisdell.
There lay the beautiful actress. The
light in the corridor had not been
| lighted yet, and it was dark. Hep lips
| and mouth seemed literally to shine.
Agnes called her, but she did not
move; she touched her. but she was
cold. Then she screamed and fed.
That was the last she remembered.
"Thc little writing room," reasoned
Kennedy as we left the poor little
hairdreSser quite exhausted by her
narrative, was next to the sanctum
of Milleheur. where they found that
bottle OF ether phosphore and the oil
of turpentine. Some one who knew
OF that note or perhaps wrote it must
have reasoned that an answer would
be written Immediately That person
figured that the note would be the
next thing written and that the top
envelope OF the pile would be used.
That person knew Of the deadly quail
itles OF too much phosphorized ether,
and painted the gummed flap OF the
envelope with several grains OF it.
The reasoning held good. for Agnes
took the top envelope with its poi
soned flap to Miss Blaisdell No, there
was no chance about that 1t was all
clever, quick reasoning"
But" | objected, how about the
oil of turpentine."
Simply to remove the traces OF
the poison. | think you will see why
that was attempted before we get
through"
He spent the rest Of the day work
ing at the hospital with DR.. Barron,
adjusting very delicate piece of ap-
paratus down in a special room in
the basement
Close to the wall was a stereopti-
con which shot a beam OF light
through tube to which | heard them
refer as galvonometer, about three
feet distant. In front Of this beam
whirled fve-spindled wheel. gov
erned by chronometcr which erred !
only a second a day. Between the |
poles of the galvanometer was
stretched slender thread OF fused !
quartz plated with silver. only one
one-thousandth of a millimeter in
diameter. SO tenuous that it could not
be seen except in bright light
Three feet farther away was a |
camera with moving film on sensi-
tized material, the turning of which
was regulated by little f1ywheel. The
beam Of light focused on the thread
in the galvanometer passed to the
Photographic film, intercepted only
by the FIVE spindles of the wheel,
which turned once a second, thus /,
marking the picture off into exact
ffths OF a second. The vibrations OF !
the microscopic quartz thread were
enormously magnifed on the sensi-
tive film by lens and resulted in pro-
ducing long zigzag, wavy line. The
whole was shielded by wooden hood
which permitted no light, except the
slender ray. to strike it. The film re-
volved slowly across the field, its
speed regulated by the flywheel, and
all moved by an electric motor
While he and Dr. Barron were still
fussing with the machine he despatch
ed ME on the rather ticklish crrand
Of gathering together all those who
mad been at the Novella at the time
and might possibly prove important
in the case.
My first visit was to Hugh Dayton,
whom | found in his bachelor apart
ment on Madison avenue, apparently
for me. One OF O'Connor'S
men had already warned him that any
attempt to evade putting in an ap-
Dearance when he was wanted would
be of no avail. Dayton was one OF
hose typical young fellows, tall, with
'loping shoulders and carefully ac-
luired English manner. whom one
sees in scores on Fifth avenue late in
he afternoon. His face. which on the
stage was forceful and attractive. was
not prepossessing at close range
| was also charged with delivering
, note to Burke Collins at his office
The purport of it was, I knew, a re-
quest couched in language that veiled
summons that Mrs. Collins was OF
great importance in getting at the
ruth. and that it he needed an ex-
use himself for being present it was
that he appear as protect
ng his wife's interests as lawyer. i
vas rather relieved when this mission
vas accomplished, for | had expect
d Collins to demur violently. ,
Those who gathered that night,
sitting expectantly in the little arm. &;
hairs which kcnncdy's students used
Turing his lectures. included nearly
very one who could cast any light
m what had happened at the Novella
Professor and Madame Milleheur '
we're brought up from the house of ,
detention, to which both O'Connor t
nd DR.. Leslie had insisted that they |
e sent Agnes was so far recovered
S to be able to be present, though l I
oticed that she avoided the Mile S
Ieurs and sat as far from them as
'ossible.
Burke Collins and Mrs. Collins ar S
wed together Hugh Dayton swag- t
cred in, his nervousness gone or at
east controlled. OF course O'Connor f
nd DR.. Leslie were there, though in !
he background.
1t was a silent gathering. and Ken a
edy did not attempt to relieve the !
ension even by small talk as he /
trapped the forearms of each of us a