Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-02-23
1.-THE Psychological
Detective"
One of The Stars Weekend Fiction Series,
Complete in Three Installments.
BY ARTHUR B. REEVE.
y ENNEDY was deeply immersed

| x In writing a lecture on the
chemical compositions of va
! rious bacterial toxins and
| antitoXins. d thing which was as I'M
| familiar to me as KamChatka. but as
| familiar to Kennedy as Broadway and
| 42d street.
| Really" he remarked, laying down
| his fountain pen and lighting MS
cigar for the hundredth time. 1.-The
more one thinks of how the modern
| criminal misses his opportunities the
more astonishing it seems. Why do
J they stick to pistols, chloroform sAtd
| prussic acid when there is such a
splendid assortment of refined meth
DDS they might employ"
"Give it up, old man." ] replied
/. helplessly, unless it is because they
/ haven't any imagination. ] hope they
don't use them. What would become
/, of my business If they did! no"
would you ever get really dramatic
| news feature for The Star out OF such
a thing? .DotteT line marks route
taken by fatal germ: cross indicates
| spot where antitoxin attacked II
ha! ha! not much for the yellow jour-
nails in that, Craig
| ITO my mind, Walter. it would be
the height of the dramatic-far more
| dramatic than sending a bullet mo
i Il man. ANY fool can shoot pistol
or cut throat, but it takes brains
to be upto-date.'
!; ut may be so,'' I admitted. and
/, went on reading. while Kennedy
scratched away diligently on his lee
ture. l mention this conversation
both because ii bears on my story, by
a rather peculiar coincidence. and
because it showed me a new side OF
. kennedy'S amazing researches he
/ was as much interested in bacteria
| as in chemistry, and the story Is one
| of bacteria.
1t was perhaps a quarter of an hour
later when the buZZer on our hall
door sounded. Imagine my surprice
on opening the door to discover the
Slight figure OF what appeared to ne
a most fascinating young lady VINO
state almost bordering on hysteria
as even /, in spite of my usual OBJ
/ tuseness. noticed.
as Prof. Kennedy in?" she inquiraa
tanXiously.
door into our study.
she advanced toward him, repeat
| ing her inquiry.
Il am Prof; Kennedy. Pray be
seated" he said.
| The presence Of lady in gu.
apartment was such novelty thai
! really forgot 10 disappear. but
busted myself Strengthening the Iur'
niture and opening d window to allo"
the odor of stale tobacco to escape.
MY name is Eveline Bisbee. She
began Il have heard, Prof. kenne'
dy, that you are an adept at getting
at the bottom of difficult mysteries"
You flatter me-" he said In &C.
acknowledgement. Who was SO foolish
as to tell you that?
"A friend who has heard OF the
Kerr Parker case" she replied.
Il II beg your pardon" l interrupted
Il didn't mean to intrude. l think II
i go out. I'll be back in an hour OF
two"
Jameson, is it not
1 I bowed in surprise.
IF it is possible, I wish you woult
stay and hear my story. l am tole
that you and Prof. Kennedy always
work together.
1t was my turn to be embarrassed
by the compliment.
Mrs. Fletcher of Great Neck" she
explained, has told me. pelleFt
Prof Kennedy performed grea,
service for the Fletchers. though
do not know what it was. At any
rate. I have come to you with my
case. in which I have small nope OF
obtaining assistance unless you car
help me. If Prof Kennedy canno,
solve it-well. I'm afraid nobody can;
She paused moment. then aaaeu
NO doubt you have read of the deatf
of my guardian the other day.
| OF course we had. Who did moi
know that Jim Bisbee. the south!
crn California oil magnate, had diec
suddenly of typhoid fever at the pri
nf Nv
had been taken from his magnificen
.apartment on Riverside Drive? Ken
nedy and l had discussed 1t at tht
time. We had commented on I'M
artificiality of the twentieth century
No longer did people have homes
they had apartments, I had said. The,
! didn't fall i'll in the good, old-fash
toned way any more. either-in fact
they even hired rooms to die in. The!
hired halls for funeral services. i
. was a wonder that they didn't MR.
graves. 1t was all part of our TWEEN
tieth century breakup of tradition
Indeed we did not know about the dealt
of Jim Bisbee. But there was notn
ing mysterious about it. 1t was Jus
Typical in all it's surroundings OF tn
first decade of the tWenueth cen.ur r
in great artificial city-a lionel!
death of q great man surrounded b!
all that money could buy.
We had read of his ward, too, tn
beautiful Miss Eveline Bisbee. dis
tant relation. AS under the heat o
raised her veil. we were very mucl
interested in her. At least. / am SUR
that even Kennedy had by this TIM
completely forgotten the lecture OF
toxins.
guardians DEATH. she began IN low
and tremulous voice. that I am SURE
will bear investigating. 1t may b'
only woman's foolish fears. but
butt haven't told this to soul III
now. except Mrs. Fletcher. NJ,
guardian had. as you perhaps know
lat Bisbee Hall. New Jersey. from
which he returned rather suddenly ahou
A week ago. Our friends thought il
merely a strange within that he shoulc
return to the city before the summer
was fairly over. but it was not. The
fell sick of typhoid. That decided Mr.
Bisbee to return to the CITY on the
following day. Imagine his con
sternation to find his valet stricken
the very next morning. OF course ne
motored to New York imme diately
then he wired to me at Newport, ant
together we opened his apartment Al
the Louis QuinZe.
"But that was not to be the end Of
IT One after another, the servants
at Eisbee Hall were taken with the
disease until five of them were down
fell a victim in New York. So far
have been spared. But who knows
how much longer it will last? I have
! been so frightened that I haven,
! eaten a meal in the apartment since
I came back. When I am hungry
emit one every time. I never drink
ony water except that which I have