Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-01-16

ing thunder broke in upon MS
words.
I'VE are going to have a Storm"
The professor rose from his chair
and waddling over to the windows
pulled down the shades. He moyed
with astonishing rapidity and vigor.
II do not like to watch it APP
proach; it fills me with a of
suspense, of forebodlng. Iti is the
electricity in the air, 7 suppose.
You shall tell me all about your
| case, but first you must see my
apartment. My laboratories are
| quite on the other side OF the city,
you know, but here IN this old
square where the ~aristocracy of for
| gotten generations lived once upon
a time | find the absolutely differ
| ent atmosphere which brings relaxa-
ton"
Barry followed his host through n
spacious. old-fashioned dressing
room and bath to the bedroom at
the back.
Here, too. the professor paused to
pull down the shades and then OPP
ening a door at theright displayed
a modern kitchenette.
This house, you perceive, must
once have been a family mansion
but it has now been made over, an
apartment to each floor" Professor
ISemyonov explained. "A shop of
| hammered brasses and other atrocl
ties occupies the street level, a
young gentleman whom 1 40 not
| know has but lately arrived on the
second floor. His apartment Is iarg-
err thar mine, however, for an ex-
ira room Ia built out over the strir
Of garden but the extension ends or
the floor above his in a studio witf
a skylight. 1t is occupied, tha'
| third floor. by a woman VINO paints
n~ortraits. Mrs. McGrath tells me.
."The fourth apartment, that df-
rectly below mine here, buses a
| crochety gentleman with no ear for
music: he raps on his ceiling when
play my violin at unreasonable
hours.
.'Aboye me in an attic studio lives
one of the feminine freaks peculiar
to the neighborhood in it's declining
years; a shocked, thin, wraith-like
creature with bobbed hair n a
nointed chin. She might be 20 or
40. and it is understood that she
writes for the eccentric little maya
zines which spring up sporadicaliy
hereabout. So now, my dear SER
geant, YOU are acquainted with my
home and it's surroundings. What
do you think Of it?'
He chuckled as he led the way
back to the living room and Barry
followed, at a loss what to reply.
The professor was known on three
continents, his scientific discoveries
had made him rich; he might nave
lived in solitary state in a house or
his own or occupied the most ex-
pensive bachelor apartment In town:
WHY had he chosen to hide himseli
away in such singy, dreary quar-
ters?
.'You seem to be mighty comfor-
table, Professor Semyonov. Inc
detective spoke as heartily as ne
could and his host laughed OUT
right. ,,l ~
ed. Il saw that you were surprised
when YOU came, but my wants are
simple and here, you see, ! am Just
a queer. old foreigner named Semy-
onov. who minds his business ana
goes his way in peace; l am not
Professor Semyonov, the chemist, 10
whose laboratories all h world
comes. No one knows of my abode
except the few like yourself to whom
[ have given my address and L am
undfsturped. But now you must
tell me about your case. is IL an
affair Of poisoning"
Before Sergeant Barry could re-
ply another flash of lightning as
Keen as a knife thrust swept be-
meath the edges of the window
shades and for an instant dulled
the electric lights into an angry
orange glow.
Professor Semyonov started, then
shrugged.
THAT was nearer, Ell? l am as
bad perhaps as a hysterical u
maid out it does not seem as though
the very atmosphere waited o the
breaking of the storm" -,
ut is like the report of guns!
The professor pulled his worn, Sor-
geously-hued dressing gown more
closely about him as he sank once
more into his chair. Il w a
them in my own country many years
before the late war and the memory
of them is with me always. But let
us forget the storm if we can. The
case YOU mentioned; is it MURDER
Cranky, 1 don't know" Barry
responded. ut is similar to that
Tudor affair al Sandy Cove last sum-
mer-" Il.
A sudden, sharp defamation burst
cracking upon their ears and both
men leaped to their feet and STOOD
for the fraction of a second staring
at each other. The professors ner-
yousness had fallen from him and
he spoke with the calmness of fatal-
ism:
There was no lightning. That
was not thunder, but a shot'
Gomez.
The realization of the truth had
pierced the detectives consciousness
eve before his host voiced II ana
he sprang for the door. AS ne
flung it open, with the rotund figure
in the tattered dressing gown close
at his heels. he heard Enthusiastically
the sound of hurrying footsteps be-
low and plunged for the head OF n
stairs.