The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-01-20

elan looked the surprise and curI-
 osity which he did not voice as he
 drew a notebooks from his pocket. Miss Browns address is Z720 West 10th street and Miss Risby-let me see-Miss Risby lives* at the Hotel for Professional Nurses in Fifty-sec. ond street."
 Have you employed them both on cases before? Do you know them weIl?'
 "I've had them each on several cases, but not toether. I've known Miss Brown since she graduated and Miss Risby for about two years, and I can vouch for them both in every way" The physician hesitated. You know that the chief medical exam finer has ordered autopsy on Mrs.
 Lorne? It is to take place on Mon day.
 'T knew that one was coftemplat- ed,' Ode1l responded. 'I shall see you again there, doctor. Thank you | for the addresses
 He left the house and made his way first uptown to the residence of Miss Brown, but found that she was l out on a case As he had intended | merely to sound her in a general way as to her opinion of her fellow-nurse, her absence was of small moment, and he hurried dowstown to the sec | ond address. Here fortune favored | him. Miss Risby was in and would | join him at once in the reception | room.
 w nile ne waited OdolIS thoughts | went back to that last half hour in | Rannies room.
 The medical books he had found | there were by no means confined in | subject to spinal diseases. They had | appeared rather to his unlearned eye
 to cover the whole field of materia | medica, but one small volume in par
 ticular had given him food for
 eases of the blood, and the chapter | on septicemia had been faintly mark | ed by the imprint of a thumb upon | the margin, a small, delicate thumb, | which had left a trace of aromatic
 grease upon the white surface of the | page The perfume had been dis | hnctly noticeable when he opened the l book. Was this another evidence of | the strange careleSSnSes which had | characterized each phase of this as- l tonishing series of crimes? | 'Mr. Odell?" A quiet, self-contain Ned voice at his side reused him from 1 his thoughts, and the detective rose
 to find confronting him tall, sIen- der girl with wide-set intelligent gray eyes and masses of golden hair bound l severely around her small head | Sergeant Odel1, from police head i quarters" he corrected her pleasant l ly, but in a lowered tone, with a cau- ! tious glance about the deserted re- | cepion room. We are investigat- | Lorne."
 i If he had hoped by the abruptnes | of the statement to shake the girl l from her attitude of serene. compos- I ure he was doomed to disappointment
 Murder? ?" she repeated, regarding him thoughtfuI1y. Do you mean it | has been decided that she was mur- dered?"
 | upon her. I understand, Miss Risby; | and yet you do not seem surprised '' | Odell observed' significantly | Because I am not It would be | to L,oI oo1, l pected my patient was being done to | death, but I could not understand | why she did not rally under the treat
 ment. My own impressions were too i vague for me to approach the physi clan in charge with them, but they were strong enough to make me take
 every precaution possible during my
 hours on duty. I am heartily glad that an investigation is to be made. 5 | Every precaution," the detective
 repeated; and a light broke sudden
 ly over him. "Is that why you would
 not leave Mrs. Lorne alone with her
 ] husband ?"
 A slight flush came into the girls
 face, but her eyes met his steadily.
 "Yes, Sergeant Ode1l. She was in
 my charge and didn't think it wise : I have no proof; I make neither ex-
 plantations nor defense of my con-
 duct It was my prerogative to deny my patient any communication, even
 with members of her family which
 might prove harmful to her in her
 | condition, and exercised it.'' "But you permitted her sister to be almost constantly with her; you must have had some special reason
 for denying that privilege to MT Lorne"
 The. girl hesitated, but only for a moment. Then she said slowly: i. If you understood the ethics ot ! my profession and the position ir l which we nurses stand in relation tt the physician in charge of a case vol would realize why I have mentioned this to no one until now. I noticed } that Mrs. Lorne grew rapidly worst after each interview alone with hel husband; and on at least one occasion 7 I am sure. although cannot prove it l that the bandage upon her hand ana arm had been tempered with'' For a moment after Miss Risby' yelled got unmistakably significan | statement Odell stared at her whil e his new and amazing possibilit, e swept over his consciousness. Wa - the girl lying. deliberately attempt = ing to throw upicion on Lorne evel :; as he had an hour before virtual1 q 1 accused her?
 y The detective was forced to admi l to himself that she did not appear t h be the type of woman who would com S init herself in any way without du S cause and after careful consideration n vet she had said more than the sit c | nation demanded. She might easil d have taken refuge in the excuse tha d she thought MT. Lorne's presence, o e that Of any other member of the fam j. >ly except Miss Meade, excited he g l patient; she need not have volunteer - ed that observation about the band y age. ,- "You> are absolutely sure in won tt own mind that the bandage was tam g | pered with? ?'' he asked = The girl shrugged. h To Be Continued