Evening star., 1922-06-01
HAD begun to get a little wor-
ried at Kennedy's continued

tinkle of the telephone set my
heart throbbing almost as quickly as
the little bell hammer buzzed.
Jameson, for heavens sake find
Kennedy Immediately and bring him
over here to the Novella Beauty Par
lor. We've got the worst case I've
been up against in a long time. DR.:
Leslie, the coroner, is here, and says
we must not make a move until Ken
nedy arrives"
doubt whether in all our long ac-
quaintance l had ever heard First
Deputy OConnor more wildly ex-
cited and apparently more helpless
than he seemed over the telephone
that night.
What is it?" asked. sSss
Never mind, never mind. Find
Kennedy" he called back almost
brusquely. ITS Miss Blanche Blais.
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 eve8ng
and Kennedy had not come inl nor
had he sent any word to our apart
ment. O'Connor had already tried
the laboratory. AS for myself, ! had
not the slightest idea where Crais
was. knew the case must be urgent
if both the deputy and the coroner
were waiting for him. Still, after
half an hours vigorous telephoning
/ was unable to find a trace OF Ken
nedy in any of his usual haunts.
In desperation ! left message i1r
him with the bellboy in case he call
ed up. jumped into cab and rode
over to the laboratory, hoping that
some of the caretakers might sun
be about and might know something
Of his whereabouts. The janitor was
able to enlighten me to the extent
of telling me that big Limousine had
called for Kennedy an hour or so be-
fore and that he had left in great
haste.
/ had given it up as hopeless and
had driven back to the apartment 70
rush at me just as l was paying
mir. Kennedy on the wire. sir" he
cried as he half dragged me into the
hall.
walter" almost shouted Ken
Heights Hospital with DR.. Barron
you remember Barron. in our class
at college? He has very peculiar
case of poor girl whom he found
wandering on the street and brought
here. Most unusual thing. He came
over to the laboratory after me in
his car Yes. have the message that
you left with the bellboy. Come
up here and pick me up. and We'll
ride right down to the Novella.
Good bye"
1 had not stopped to ask questions
ing as l did the fuming impatience
of O'Connor. 1t was relief enough
to know that Kennedy was located
at last.
He was in the psychopathic ward
with Barron. as l hurried in. the
L., a
the telephone was then quietly sleep
ing under the influence of an opiate.
and they were discussing the case
outside in the hall.
What do you think of it your
self?" Barron was asking. noddlng
for my enlightment: Il found this
girl wandering bareheaded in the
street. To tell the truth. 1 thought
at first that she was intoxicated. but
good look showed me better than
that. So l hustled the poor thing
All the way she kept crying over
and over: Look. don't you see it?
She's afre! Her lips shine-they
shine, they shine ! think the girl
is demented and has had some
hallucina ton
remarked Kennedy decisiveiy. 1T was
too real to her. Even the opiate
couldn't remove the picture. what
ever 1t was. from her mind until you
had given her almost enough to Kill
her, normally. 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 5th avenue. on side
street not far :rom 42d street. A
special elevator, elaborately fitted up.
waited us up with express speed. AS
the door opened we saw a vista of
dull-green lattices. little gateways
hung with roses, windows of dia-
mond-paned glass set in white wood,
rooms with little soft enameled
manicure tables and chairs. amber
lights glowing with soft incan-
descence in deep bowers of fireproof
tissue flowers. There was a delight
full warmth about the place. and the
seductive scents and delicate odors
batokened the haunt of the twentieth
century Sybarite.
"A most peculiar thing" whispered
OConnor. dashing forward the mo-
can't seem to find single cause for
her death. The people up here say it
was suicide. but 1 never accept the
theory of suicide unless there are
undoubted proofs. So far there have
been none in this case. There was
Seated in one of the large easy
chairs of the reception room, in a
corner with two of O'Connor's men
standing watchfully near. was e man nj.
was nervous. He was alternately
wringing his hands and rumpling his
hair. Beside him was middle -sfzed,
middle-aged lady in a most amazing
presided over the cosmetic mysteries
beyond the male ken. She was so per-
fectly, groomed that she looked "a as $
which she had literally been poured.
otherwise Miller" whispered
o'Connor, noting .Kennedy's question
him down a long, softly carpeted cor
ridor flanked on either side by little
doors. They run. the shop. They
say one Of the girls just opened the
Near the end one Of the doors stood
open and before it DR.. Leslie, who had
preceded us, paused. He motfoned to
us to look in. It was a little dress
ing room. containing single white
enameled bed, a dresser and a mirror.
But 1t was not the scant though ele-
giant furniture that caused US to start
There under the full half-light Of
the corridor lay q woman, most su.
perbly formed. She was dark. and
thick masses of her hair, ready for
the hairdresser. fel In a tangle over
full, rounded shoulders and neck. A
scarlet bathrobe, loosened at the
throat, actually accentuated rather
than covered the voluptuous lines Of
her figure, down to the slender ankle
which had been the beginning of her
fortune as a danseuse.
Except for the marble pal1or Of her
face it was difeIlt to bsiieye lev, that that
she was, the famous Blanche Blaisdell,