The Coolidge examiner., 1933-08-11

| cried in his astonishment. But how
is that possible?"
THE boy has been poisoned"
Doctor Thompson explained solemn
ly. THE effect of the drug is grad
ually to impede the respiratory sys-
TEN in some fashion, until breath
ing is checked altogether Then,
| due to the lack of oxygen, mus
| cular paralysis stops the heart"
At ten-thirty, that same Tuesday
/ evening. headquarters of the cen
/ trail detective bureau, at city hall,
received a phone call that was to
/ engage Tommy Rankin in the most
/ puzzling mystery he had ever en-
/ countered. Captain Thomas, on
duty at the time, took the message,
which came from Superintendent of
Police Wainright himself He was
| directed to dispatch an efficient and
intelligent plain-clothes man to the
Philadelphia campus and the Mu
Beta Sigma fraternity house on Lo-
/ Gust street. Rankin was ready to
leave for his bachelor quarters just
off Rittenhouse square, when
Thomas conveyed his instructions
| to him.
The old Fellow sounded quite
/ pleased when | told him you were
still around" the captain comment
ed. "He said there wasn't anyone
he'd rather have going out on the
case. Who would you like to take
along to help your
Rankin shook his head, smiling.
You know darned well, captain,
that I'll want a couple of policemen
to take charge" he returned, "for
! the present, at least, until / learn
the lay of the land. : Did the
Old Fellow say what it was about?"
Nothing, except to suggest that
whoever sent should use his com
mon sense and sound judgment. The
matter must be handled with a
! great deal of tact"
Rankin fitted, in few respects, the
| typical conception of plain
clothes sleuth. His keenness and
ability were at once apparent in his
/ dark piercing eyes, constantly alert
and quick to grasp a situation. His
was not, however, a brilliant intel
lect, capable of leaping TO correct
conclusions with Sherlockian accu-
racy. Rather, he carried on his in
vestigations by logic and persever-
ance, which, coupled with a faculty
for reasoning, enabled him to sue
ceed where others failed. Despite
his youth, he had already estab-
lished a reputation for himself. At
thirty years of age, he looked
scarcely more than twenty-five.
Rankin drove to the neighborhood
of the campus in West Philadelphia,
with two policemen. At eleven
o'clock, he parked his car behind
the yellow roadster, still standing
before the fraternity house, de-
scended and rang the bell of the iron
door.
A long and angular man, whose
face was equally long and cadaver-
Gus, answered him. Obviously per-
turbed, with deep lines about his
eyes, some unusual anxiety added
years to the forty he bore.
He appraised Rankin shrewdly,
but in some disapproval at his ap-
parent youth.
You're from headquarters, ! sup
pose," he greeted him and offered
his hand. "Come in, we're waiting
for you. l am Mr. Warwick,
superintendent of student welfare"
Rankin, with his two men, stepped
into a wide hall, itself the size Of
room, and shut the door.
MY name is Rankin, Mr.. War
wick. Superintendent wainwright
suggested that / might be Of service
to you," he said tactfully. You've
been in touch with him."
Eyes, l know him quite well, per
sonally. Doctor Thompson, here, our
university physician, was first sum-
moned by the students in the house
at about nine-thirty"
The physician, waiting on the
steps, came forward to acknowledge
the introduction
Then something has happened
that might require official inquiry?"
Rankin asked.
Perhaps we had better go into
the living ROOM" Doctor Thompson
put in. "Pd much prefer to discuss
the matter privately"
Rankin posted the two policemen
at the door and followed the uni
versity officials. A middle-aged man.
seated in the room in a comfortable
armchair, rose to greet them. He
had a thin, somewhat sharp face,
with cool impenetrable eyes and a
bony nose; compact, set lips held
hint of ruthlessness over an unyieId-
ing jaw. His bearing was dignified.
almost dominating, perhaps because
of his chill serenity.
The supervisor made the introduc-
tions. "Mr. Rankin, of the central
detective bureau. This is Mr..
! Y ~ l.