Evening star., 1922-05-25
ME telephone tinkled 1nsistent-
ly one morning when 1 went
up to Kennedy's apartment.

ly one morning when I went
up to Kennedy's apartment.
without a word, Kennedy
motioned to me to listen in" on the
extension on my desk. which ne hao
placed there as precaution SO thae
I could corroborate any conversation
that took place over our wires.
This is DIR. Leslie-the coroner.
Can you come to the Municipal Hos
pital-risht away?'
"Rixht away. doctor" answered
Craig. hanging up the receiver. wal
ter, you'll come, too?
in the courtyard of the city's largest
hospital In the balmy sunshine the
conyalescing patients were sitting on
benches or slowly trying their
strength, walking over the grass. clad
in faded hospital bath robes.
We entered the ONCE and quickly
were conducted by an orderly to
little laboratory In distant wing.
whats the natter" asked Craig
as we hurried along.
II don't know exactly" replied the
man. except that 1t seems that Price
Maitland. the broker. you know. was
picked up on the street and brought
here dying. He died before the ooc-
tors could relieve him.
DR.. Leslie was waiting impatiently
for US. What do you make OF that
Prof Kennedy"
The coroner spread out on the tahle
before US a folded half-sheet of type
writing and searched Craig's face
eagerly to see what impression 1t
'"s%. we 70 found ND it stured in Maitland's
outside coat pocket. he explained.
" was datelesS and brle1.
Dearest Madeline.
May God In His mercy forgive me
for what / am about to do. L nave
tust seen DR.. Ross. He has told me
the nature of your illness. l cannot
bear to think that am the cause, so
am going simply to drop out OF
your life I cannot live with you ana
cannot live without you. Do you
blame me. Always think the best you
can of me. even If you could not give
me all. Goodbye.
your distracted husband.
At once the idea flashed over me
that Maitland had found himself sur
terinE from some incurable disease
and had taken the quickest means OF
settling his dilemma.
Kennedy looked up suddenly from
the note.
DO you think it was a suicide?"
asked the coroner.
"suicide?" Craig repeated. Sui
cides don't usually write on type
writers. A hasty note scrawled on
a sheet of paper in trembling pen
or pencil that is what they usually
leave. No. some one tried TO escape
the handwriting experts this wav.
Exactly my idea" agreed DR..
leslie. with evident satisfaction.
Vow, listen. Maitland was con-
scious almost up to the last moment
and yet the hospital doctors tell me
they could not get syllable OF an
ant.-mortem statement from him.
You mean he refused to talk?" /
asked.
"No." he replied, sit was more per
picking than that. Even if the police
had not made the usual blunder OF
arresting him for intoxication instead
Of sending him Immediately to the
hospital. it would have made no dif,
ference. The doctors simply could
not have saved him. apparently. For
the truth is. Prof. Kennedy. We don't
even know what was the matter with
him."
DR.. Leslie seemed much excited by
. the case. az we'll he mJht he.
Maitland was found reelinE and
sta~rering on Broadway this morn
ing" continued the coroner. Per-
hapS the policen1a n ~ aeInot really
At fault at first for -arrAstine him.
but before the WAGON came Maitland
to move q muscle" -s-
DR.. Leslie paused as he recited the
strange facts. then resumed: His
eyes reacted. all right. He seemed
couldn't. A frothv saliva dribbied
from his mouth. but he could not
frame a word. He was paralyzed
and his breathing was peculiar. They
hurried him to the hospital as soon
as they could. But 1T was OF no
Kennedy was regarding the doctor
keenly as he nrocerdAd. DR.. Leslie
paused AGAIN 70 emphasize what he
we about to snv.
Here ia annth-- st-""~n thing. "
NAV or NAV not he Of 'r'"-ortanre, but
IT 10 strange nevertheless. Before
Maitland died thev sent for his wife.
He wos stf,l conscious when she
reached the hospital. could recognize
her seemed to want to speak. but
could neither talk nor move. 1t wa.
pathetic. She was grief-stricken. Of
course But she did not faint. She IL
not OF the faintinR kind 1t was what
she said that impressed everv one.
7 knew it knew it, she cried. She
had dropped on her knees by the side
night I had the horrible dream. !
saw him in a terrific struggle. !
could not see what It vast seemed
to be an invisible thing. I ran to him
then the scene shifted. / saw q
funeral procession. and in the casket
could see through the wood-his
face-oh. it was warning. 1t has
come true. feared it. even though J
knew it was only a dream. Ofton ]
have had the dream OF that funeral
nrocAasion and ALWAYS / saw the same
face. his face. Oh. it is horrible-ter-
rihIs!"
twas evident that Dr.. Leslie 1T
least was impressed by the dream.
what have you done since?" asked
Craig.
could nnd available" replied DR.. Les
lie handing over sheaf of reports,
Kennedy glanced keenly over them
, 90 they lay spread out on the table.
IT should like to see the body" he
said. at length.
It was living in the next room,
awaiting Or. Leslie's permission to be
> removed.
"At first" explairAd the doctor.
leading the way I'VE thought 1t
reieht be a case of Knockout drops.
choral. YOU know-or rerhaps chlo-
have tested for everything we can
think Of In fact. there seems to be
no trace of p. drug present. It is i'm
explfcable. II Maitland really COM
nitted suicide he must have taken
something, and as far as we can md
out there Is no trace Of anything. AS
far 81 we have gone we have always
. been forced back to the original idea
that Ii was q natural death-perhaps
due to shock Of some kind or organic
Weakness"
hnnedy had thouehtfully raised
one Of the lifeless hands and was ex-
aminipg II.