Evening capital. [volume] (Annapolis, Md.) 1922-1981, 1922-12-12
BY WOMAN'S WIT
BvLOUISE HELEN GOODHUE


wv VI vi! closest friends are aware
OF It. Even Mr.. Marion did not
know IT,"
A member or the detective force, ]
ought TO have suspected il: ought TO
nave known that her intense interesf
IN this case YVES not the casual infer
est OF novelist. But in view OF the
acumen she had displayed. I was not
greatly surprised at her admission.
Miss Carson, will you satisfy our
very natural curiosity as TO the iaen-
tity of Mr.. Whitmore's muraererq' %.
asked Dr. Woods. recovering himself
IN a small measure.
why not? when It was with that in
mind that ! desired those most init
mately concerned in the case to meet
me here today"
We all leaned forward hreathless
with eagerness. waiting for the prom.
isad solution, but Miss Carson seemed
in no haste.
1T has feen a very interesting and
unusual case" she said. From the
first there was lack of substantial
clues upon which TO work. and II was
not until IL was discovered that poi
son. not the dagger. was the veritable
cause of Mr.. Whitmore's death that !
felt ! had at last a tangible founda-
1 ton upon which TO begin investiea-
tons. Then came the question:: Who
had. obtained the poison? For two
days | went from one drug store 10
another, only 10 meet disappointment
On the third day. | visited several ex-
detrimental laboratories. and at one of
! these ] was told a man had presented
a written REQUEST for a minute auan-
titv OF prussic acid. which he desired
for experimental purposes. The
laboratory attendant turned to the
records and found the acid had beer
delivered upon a physicians order the
! afternoon OF January Goth. ! was
shown the order, which they said had
been honored because il was signed
by well-known physician of this
CITY The signature vcs that of DR.
! Woods"
Miss Carsor v" 'eh - order 10
me" interrupted the doctor. land
wished To know il had signed it,
had not hut the signature was so per-
feet il could easily have fooled an ex-
pert
"Then Il was forgod?" asked Jack
unbelievingly.
''Jrst that" responded the detective
! emDhatically.
A slight noise sounded from the
l'ttle office. | turned. The door had
been opened a bare crack. and ] knew
that Barry was listening iutently to
Harriet Carson's solution of the mys-
terv
"Dr. Woods was a friend OF the
| dead mems. and nv curicG'ty was
naturally aroused Miss Carson was
saving. 81 carefully Nonestioned the
lat oratory attendant He remember
! ed the person we'll. as the demand for
virulent poison was 50 very un-
usual. II was his description of the
man that gave me my first real sus-
p.cion With a suspect in mind | was
able to continue my search. end the
results are rather astonishing
Your results are ALWAYS astonish-
ing. dear" murmured Jack. who sa'
next TO her Miss Carson blusled and
! flashed a bright smile in his direction
ITO many persons" she resumed
| seriously. "Mr Whitmore's character
was considered unblemished; his rep
utation unsulied To them he was o
model of integrity They did not
know him. or they would never have
so misiuGged him. | admit freely that
he was a shrewd lawyer. and would
have made a better one had he work
! ed solely to uphold the law. Instead
! he was aware of countless means OF
/ evading II. OF Swing criminals from
| lust punishment. This he constantly
! did for substantial considerations
| From that time the unfortunate cul-
| prit was in his power BODY and soul
! 10 do with as ne willed. In short. this
upright lawyer. this model citizen
was nothing more nor less than
/ clever. INSCRIPTIONS blackmailer
/ with other and darker deeds TO his
credit. Naturally a man of that sort
| has many enemies. but no one dared
betray him. as no one could furnish
sufficient proof without discriminating
| themselves"
THAT was his real character" nod
| ded MIR. Ashton soberly.
ITO give the dead his due. | must
! say that whatever his faults Leonard
was no coward. He had an iron will
and marvellous ability. Had he chosen
to exert this power for good. the en-
| tire world would have heard of him.
Or. Woods spoke gravely He had
known Leonard for years. and ! did
not doubt it was bitter regret for
him to learn that he was not the vir-
tuous man he had thought him
And wac the murderer one Of
Whitmore's victims?" | looked at
Miss Carson curiously.
Il did not say he was one of the
victims" she replied. AT least. not
IN ths, ,Nax. x.o,, ,,aan f,,a, xxho