Evening star., 1922-09-09

everything except HdppihecS-
WAS il drowning that caused her
DEATH" asked Kennedy Of the local doc
tor. who also happened to be coroner
and had already arrived on the scene.
The doctor shook his head. Il don't
know" he said doubtfully. There was
congestion of the lungs-but II can't
say but what she might have been dead
before she fell or was thrown into the
water"
DIR. Jernyn stood on one side, now
and then putting in a word. but for the
most part silent unless spoken to. Ken
nedy, however. was making a most
minute examination.
As he turned the beautifr! head. al.
most reverently. he saw something tna1
evidently attracted his attention l was
standing next to him and, between US
! think we cut off the view Of the
others There on the back OF the neck
carefully, had been smeared something
transparent, almost skin-like, which had
easily escaped the attention Of the rest
Kennedy tried to pick it of, but only
succeeded in pulling Off a very minute
piece to which the flesh seemed &c
adhere
, That's queer" he whispered to me
water, naturally, has no effect on IT
else it would have been washed on
long before. Walter he added, Just
slip across the street quietly to the
drug store and get me piece OIL
gauze soaked with acetone.'
As quickly and unostentatiously as
/ could l did so and handed him the
wet cloth. contriving at the same time
to add Walden to our barrier, Tor
could see that Kennedy was anxious
to be observed as little as possible.
What is it?" l whispered, as ne
rubbed the transparent skin-like stuff
off. and dropped the gauze into his
pocket.
"A sort of skin varnish." he re.
marked under his breath, waterproof
and so adhesive that it resists pulling
off even with knife without taxing
the cuticle with it,
Beneath. as the skin varnish slowly
dissolved under his gentle rubbing, ne
had disclosed several very small. red
dish spots, like little cuts that had
been made by means OF very sharp
instrument. AS he did so he gave
them a hasty glance, turned the now
stony beautiful head straight again,
stood up and resumed his talk with
the coroner. who was evidently get
ting more and more bewildered by
the case.
Edwards, who had completed the
ARRANGEMENTS with the undertaken
for the care of the body as soon as
the coroner released it, seemed COM
pletely unnerved.
"Jermyn," he said to the doctor. as
he turned away and hid his eyes, Il
can't stand this: The undertaken
wants some stuff from the err
boat" His voice broke over the name
which had been hers. ''Will you get
it for me? I'm going up to a hotel
here, and I'll wait for you there. But
-
II think Mr.. waldon will be glad to
take you out in his tender" sug-
eested Kennedy. Besides. feel that
I'd like little fresh air as bracer,
too, after such a shock"
What were those little cutsT 1
ceded US through the crowd outside
to the pier.
Some one" he answered in a low
tone. has severed the pneumogastric
nerves"
"The pneumosastric nerves." 1 re-
peated.
nerve Unlike the other cranial
nerves. which are concerned with the
special senses or distributed to the
skin and muscles OF the head and
neck. the vagus, as its name implies.
strays downward into the chest and
abdomen. supplying branches to the
throat, lungs. heart and stomach. and
forms an important connecting link
between the brain and the sympa-
thetic nervous system
We had reached the pier and nod
from Kennedy discouraged further
conversation on the subject.
few minutes later we had reached
the Lucie and gone up over her side
Kennedy waited until Jcrmyn had
disappeared into the room of Mrs.
Edwards to get what the undertaken
had desired moment and he had
passed quietly into DR.. Jermyn's own
room. followed by me. Several quick
glances about told him what not to
waste time over. and at last his eye
fell on little portable case of medt-
cines and surgical instruments. He
opened it quickly and took out bot
tie of golden yellow liquid.
painted some on TIE back of his
hand. 1t dried quickly. like an arti-
icial skin. He had found a bottle of
skin varnish in DR.. Jermyns own
medicine chest!
We hurried back to the deck. and
few minutes later the doctor ap-
peared with a large package.
did you ever hear OF coating the
skin by substance which Is imper-
vious to water. smooth and elastic?"
asked heHUSuy QutClIy dS
tender sped along back to Seavil1e.
y "Why-er. yes he said frankly, rails
ing his eyes and looking at Craig in sur
prise. There have been a dozen or
moro such substances. The best is one
which I use. made OF psroxylin. the
amyl acetate and acetone with some
other substances that make 1t perfectly
sterile. Why do You ask?'
Because some one has used q lit
tie BIT of 1t to cover a few slight cuts
on the back of the neck of Mrs. Ed
wards"
'Indeed?" he said simply, In a tone
yes" pursued Kennedy. They
seem to me to be subcutaneous Incl
sions of the neck with a very fne
scalpel dividing the two. great pneu-
Know EHs What that would >mean-the
victim would pass away naturally by
slow and easy stages in three or four
days, and all that would appear
might be congestion Of the lungs.
they are delicate little punctures and
all it might be done as painlessly. as
simply and as safely as a barber
might remove some dead hairs. A
country coroner might easily pass
over such evidence at an autopsy
especially If it was concealed by skin
varnish.
I was surprised at the frankness
with which Kennedy spoke, but aoso-
Iutely amazed at the coolness Of Jer-
myn. At first he said absolutely moth
ing, He seemed to be as set in his
reticence as. he had been when we
drst met.
81 watched him narrowly. Waldon,
who was driving the boat, had not
heard what was said, but had, and
I could not conceive how any one could
take It SO calmly.
Finally Jermyn turned to Kennedy
and locked hfr. square In the eye.
. '.6ennedy," he said slowly, this Is