The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1933-06-16

He paused, his gaze travelling abo I
the gathering of listening, tense, VIII
faces.
!. "Suffocation, sir?" Ted Stanton cried
in his astonishment. s'But how is that
possible?"
1.-THE boy has been poisoned" Doc
tor Thompson explained solemnly.
1.-THE effect of the drug Is gradually
to. impede the respiratory system in
some fashion, until breathing is
checked altogether. Then, due to the
lack of oxygen, a muscular paralysis
stops the heart"
At ten-thirty, that same Tuesday
evening, headquarters of the central
detective bureau, at city hall, received
a phone call that was to engage Tom
my Rankin in the most puzzling mys-
terry he had ever encountered. Cap
tain Thomas, on duty at the time, took
the message, which came from Super
intendent of Police wainwright himself.
He was directed to dispatch an eff
cient and intelligent plain-clothes man
to the Philadelphia campus and the
Mu Beta Sigma fraternity house on
Locust 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 commented. "He
said there wasn't anyone he'd rather
have going out on the case. Who
would you like to take along to help
you?"
Rankin shook his head, smiling.
"You know darned well, captain, that
I'll want couple of policemen to take
charge" he returned, "for the present,
at least, until I 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 common
sense and sound judgment. The mat
ter must be handled with a great deal
Of tact"
Rankin fitted, in few respects, the
typical conception Of q 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, how
ever, brilliant intellect, capable of
leaping to correct conclusions with
Sherlockian accuracy. Rather, he car
ried on his investigations by logic and
perseverance. which, coupled with
faculty for reasoning, enabled him to
succeed where others failed. Despite
his youth, he had already established
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 fra
ternity house, descended and rang the
bell Of the iron door.
A long and angular man, whose face
was equally long and cadaverous, an
swered him. But for the saving grace
Of mobile mouth, indicative Of hui
NOR and geniality, his monastic fea-
lures might have been repellent. Only
an austere distressed expression well
coined the detective, however. Obvi-
ously perturbed, 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 apparent
youth.
you're from headquarters, l sup
pose," he greeted him and offered his
hand. "Come in, we're waiting for
you. am Mr.. Warwick, super
visor Of student welfare"
Rankin, with his two men, stepped
into a wide hall, itself the size of a
room, and shut the door.
'My name is Rankin, Mr.. Warwick.
Superintendent wainwright suggested
might be of service to you," he said
tactfully. you've been in touch with
him?"
"Yes, I know him quite we'll, per-
sonally. Doctor Thompson, here, our
university physician, was first sum-
moned by the students in the house at
about nine-thirty. He phoned me,
once he realized the need of an In
vestigation, and as / live in the
vicinity, 1 arrived in few minutes"
The physician, waiting on the steps,
came forward to acknowledge the IN
PRODUCTION.
"Then something has happened that
might require official inquiry?" Ran
kin asked.
Perhaps we had better go into the
living room," Doctor Thompson put
in. I'D much prefer to discuss the
matter privately"
Rankin posted the two policemen at
the door and followed the university
officials. A middle-aged man, seated
in the room in comfortable armchair,
rose to greet them. He had a thin,
somewhat sharp face, with cool i'm
penetrable eyes and bony nose; COM