New Britain herald., 1921-07-09

in your opinion killed Jimmie Turn.
 bull?"
 "The post mortem examination 1 proved that he had swallowed aconi-
 tine in sufficient quantity, to cause
 death,' Stone replied. He undoubt- edly died from the effects of that poison"
 l Kent hitched his chair closer to
 tha physician.
 Did you prescribe a dose of aco-
 nitine for Mrs. Brewster recently 9"
 he asked.
 | II did. for an attack of rheumatic
 neuralgia" Stone eyed him curious ]! ly. 'Wha. then, Kent?' | ''Ia this the box the medicine came
 in?' and Kent placed. the cover in l Stono'a hand. l Stone turned the pasteboard over
 and studied the defaeed label. II
 cannot answer that question positive 1 ly," he said. ''Thc label bears my l name and that of the druggist, but
 the directions arc missing" But the numbers on it." put in
 Kent swiftly. Come, Stone, call up the druggist, repeat the number to
 him. and ask if it calls for your aco- | nitina prescription That is the box which contained the aconitine pills for Mrs. Brewster .. declared the doctor after having done l this.
 Stone picked up the small pills and, l as he balanced them in his palm, his 1 manner grew moro alert Suddenly he dropped two back in the box and 1 touched the third pill with the tip of his tongue; not content with that he crushed it in his fingers, sniffed the l drug. and again tested it with his ] tongue. His expression was peculiar az he looked up at Kent. '"They arc not aconitino pills" he stated positively. They are nitro | glycerine."
 l The physicians statement fell on | deaf ears. Raising his head after contemplating the pills, Kent had
 looked across the room and his glance had fallen on wing chair. standing | just inside the doorway of the living room.
 Bounding toward the chair, Kent saw that tho brown shape which had seemed a part of the tufted uphol- stery was the sleek brown hair of | mans well-shaped head. He halted abruptly on meeting the gaze of a pair of mockine eyes,
 "Rochester?" he gasped unbeliev- ingly. Rochester," His partner laughed softly as Stone approached. q havo been an inter- ested listener" he said. Let me complete the good doctors argument. Nitro -glycerine would have benefited
 Jimmie Turnbull and his feeble heart: whereas the missing aconitine pills killed him." "Whero hava you been?" demand ed Kent, partly recovering from his astonishment.
 '1 decided to take vacation at moments notice.' Rochester spoke with the same slow drawl which was characteristic of him. You should be accustomed to my eccentricities by this time, Harry We are," announced Detective Ferguson from the hallway, where he had been silent witness of the scene. And we'll give you chance to ex- plain them in tho police court ''On what charge" demanded Ro- chester.
 Poisoning your roommate, MT. Turnbull," replied the detective, draw | ing cit pair of handcuffs | Kent stepped forward at sight of | the IdnucuHS ana lalO a restraining 1 hand on tho detectives shoulder. Ro- | chester saw the movement. guessed | Kent'a intention, and smiled "We can settle tho case here" ho l said cheerfully. No need oi trou-
 bling the police judge. Now. MT. De-
 tective, how did I kill Jimmie Turn
 bull?" l Slipped the poison In tho glass of
 water you handed him." answer Fer l guson promptly "A nervy sleight- 1 of-hand, but You'n swing for it. Rochester'a smile was eXasperatins | as he turned to Dr. Stone. l "Judging from Stones remarks | about aconitine. which I overheard" he interpolated, 'I gather the doctor l 1& tolerably familiar with the action l of the drug. Does aconitine kill in- -l stantly, doctor?"
 Stono cleared his throat before 1 speaking.
 No; the fatal period averages | about four hours" ho said, and Ro-
 chcster's eyes sparkled as he looked
 up at the detective.
 Jimmie died almost Immediately
 after I handed him that drink of wa ter,' he declared. "If you wish to know who administered that aconitino
 poison, you'll have to find out who
 Jimmie was with at tho Mcintyre
 house in the early hours of Tuesday
 Il >rnins."