Evening star., 1922-08-24

|
mond in the ring is as blue as the
famous Hope diamond that has brought
misfortune through half the world.
This stone, they say, was prted from
the mouth Of dying, negro in South
from the mine, and when he was
caught cursed the gem and every one
who ever should own 1t. One owner In
Amsterdam failed; another in Ant
werp committed suicide; a Russian
another went bankrupt and lost his
home and family. Now here 1t Is in
Mr.. Mansfield's life. IL hate it,"
l could not tell whether 1t was the
selves which weighed most in her
mind. but. at any rate. she resumed.
somewhat bitterly, moment later:
"M-1273! NJ Is the thirteenth letter
to thirteen. The first ana last num-
bers make thirteen. and John Mans
field has thirteen letters in his name.
l wish he had never worn the thing
never bought it,"
The more listened to her the more
impressed I was with the fact that
there was something more here than
the feeling of a private secretary.
Who were in the supper party?"
asked Kennedy.
grave-the pretty little actress. you
know. who took New York by storm
! last season in The Sport and Is
booked. next week. to appear in the
new show. The, Astor Cup"
Miss Grey said 1t. I thought, with
a sort of wistful envy. Mansf1eld's
gay little bohemian gatherings were
| we'll known. Though he was not
young. he was still somewhat Of a
| Lothario.
"Who else was there?" asked Ken
"Then there was Nina Leitch,
member of Miss Hargrave's new
company" she went on. Another
was Fleming Lewis. the Wall street
broker I0a DR.: Murray and myself COM
"Dr. Murray is the personal physi
/ cian?" ventured Craig.
Yes. You know when Mr.. Mans
fields stomach went back on him
last year it was DIR. Murray who really
cured him.
Kennedy nodded.
Might this present trouble be a
recurrence of the old trouble?"
entirely different. Oh. 1 wish that
you could go with me and see him."
she pleaded.
II WILL" agreed Kennedy.
A moment later we were speeding
in a taxicab over to the apartment.
Really" she remarked. nervously.
II feel lost with Mr.. Mansfield so i'll.
He has so many interests downtown
that require, constant attention that
just the loss of time means a great
deal OF course. I understand many
of them-but. you know, a private
secretary can't conduct a mans busi-
ness. And just now. when l came up
from the office. / couldn't believe that
he was too i'll to care about things
until I actually saw him.
We entered the apartment. A mere
glance about showed that. even
though Mansfelds hobby was dia-
mondS. he was no mean collector of
other articles of beauty. In the big
a studio, we met a tall. spare, polish
ed-mannered man, whom I quickly
recognized as DR.. Murray.
''Is he any better" blurted out Miss
Grey. even before our introductions
were over. DR.. Murray shook his head
gravely.
About the same" he answered.
though one could find little reassur-
rance in his tone.
II should like to see him." limited
Kennedy unless there is some real
reason why I should not"
No" replied the doctor: absent
ly; "on the contrary, it might per-
haps rouse him.
He led the way down the hall, and
Kennedy and 1 followed, while Miss
Grey attempted to busy herself over
some affairs at a huge mahogany
table in the library just off the living
room.
Mansfield had shown the same love
Of luxury and the bizarre even in the
furnishing of his bedroom, which
was a black-and-white room with
furniture Of Chinese lacquer and teak
wood.
Kennedy looked at the veteran
plunger long and thoughtfuly as he
lay stretched out, listless. on the
handsome bed. Mansfield seemed
completely Indifferent to our pres
ence. There was something uncanny
about him. Already his face was
shrunken, his skin dark, and his eyes
were hollow.
What do you suppose 1t is?" asked
Kennedy, bending over him, and then
rising and averting his head so that
vagrant faculties should be attracted.
His pulse is terribly weak and his
,heart scarcely makes a sound"
De Murrays face knit in deep lines.
tone, that l will have to admit not
trouble. was just considering
whom I might call in"
What have you done?" asked
Kennedy, as the two moved a little
farther out Of earshot of the patient.
tient.
well" replied the doctor. slowly.
when his valet called me in I must
admit that my first impression was
that I had to deal with a case Of
diphtheria. I was so impressed that
II even took a blood smear and ex-
amined 1t. 1t showed the presence
of tox albumin. But it isn't diph-
iberia. The anti-toxin has had no
effect. No; it isn't diphtheria. But
the poison is there. I might have
seems so impossible here in New
Kennedy with no effort to Conceal
his perplexity. "Over and over I have
asked myself what it could be-" he
went on. TT seems to me that
have thought over about everything
to the fact that there is that tox
I 1t seems like the bite Of a poisonous
lanimal. There are no marks. of
course. and 1t seems altogether i'm
have seen snake bites affect people.
am that desperate that would try
the Noguchi antivenene, but 1t would
have no more effect than the anti
toxin. No: I can only conclude that
there Is some narcotic frritant which
. especially affects the lungs and
heart"
will you let me have one. Of the
blood smears?' asked Kennedy.
II Certainly" replied the doctor.
Preaching over and taking a glass
slide from several lying on a table.
For some time. after, we left the
sidering what DIR. Murray had said.
Seeking to find Miss Grey in the
library, we found ourselves in the
: handsome. all-wood-paneled dining
l'room, 1t still showed evidences Of
the late banuuet Of the night before.
which way to go, then picked up
from the table a beautifully deco