Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1922-01-25
Continued From Our Last Issue)

Continued From Our Last Issue)
Professor Semyonov replied bland
": "The policeman on guard out
side Miss Shaw's door happened to be
an old acquaintance. lie helped me
TO open the small skylight in the
main hall which led to the roof. From
hterc | descended the fire escape TO
the window of Miss Shaw's studio and
found her huddled up in a bare, hard
chair in slumber that | fear was
not normal one, for a small car
ton of tablets was beside her ] went
through the entire attic, examined
the pitifully few garments and other
things and found no paint or other
stains, nor any eradicator save soap.
climbing farther down the fire
escape past the windows of my own
apartment, | came to those Of my
neighbor, Henry Griswold. His
dreams must have been deep. He
smiled as / looked at him and made
sounds in his throat like those of an
exultant dog over bone. And mem
tioning dogs, that stuffed monstros-
ity which holds the place of honor in
his sitting room was the only objects
in the whole apartment that gave
any evidence of having been cleaned
in the last decade, and / found it
redolent of various chemicals, among
them also strong odor of turpen-
tine"
'The dog!" muttered Barry. "The
old stuffed dog!'
when | had completed my search
there I left as | had come. That
portion of the fire escape ends on
the floor below as you know, on the
skylight Of Mrs. Vanc's studio, but
walk-way runs around the edge to
the outside row of windows of the
extension, where the second section
of the fire escape being and con-
tinues to the street.
"Was Gordon Ladd out or asleep?"
demanded Barry, half incredulously.
Professor Smyonov smiled mean
ingly.
Neither, at first. When APP
peared at the window of his studio
could see through the door that led
into his living room. He was tramp
ing UP and down, and though do
not pretend to be a psychologist,
would be willing to swear that sor-
row alone, grief that tore at his
heart-strings, was reflected upon his
face. He was in solitude, aware Of
no eavesdropper, and yet / saw no
signs Of either grief or fear"
You returned then, Professor, the
way you had Gomez"
Yes; for soporific made from a
formula of my own which is less
harmless and more effective than that
in which Miss Shaw had INDUCED.
With it | returned by way of the fire
escape to Mr.. Ladd's window and
raped on the easement. He was
astonished and resentful, naturally,
but when | made myself known to
hm not only as his neighbor but as
the person you know at headquar-
tiers, he admitted me. | think the
peer young man was glad of some
one to talk to, for after your depar-
ture The full import OF what had
occurred must have descended upon
him. We had sympathetic little
hour, in which | learned much that
had no bearing upon the crime but
which will tell you of later, and at
its end he was quite willing to take
the opiate and get little rest alII
surcease from his grief. He fell
into dep sleep almost at once, but
1t was then morning and | could
make only a superficial search.
There was turpentine nowhere but in
his studio"
So we. drew blank, eh, Professor
Semyonow?" Barry shrugged. "Sorry
to have kept you up all night and
made that request OF your Tor moth
ing, but had bunch that someone
who had no business to do so had
touched that portrait of Mrs. Van
sittart last night while the paint was
wet and brought away traces that
they would try to get rid Of at all |
costs
1t was the professors turn to |
shrug.
Il know nothing of that, for have
not yet heard what you may have tol
tell me, my friend, but the turpen-
tine ! did find, and in. most UNI
likely place." he observed. you for