The Coolidge examiner., 1936-02-14

SOule OIc lulCHucu " poIoOh hAAAi'
that was a very good opportunity"
And I am beginning to think this
is what happened"
She looked at him doubtfully.
81 don't know much about such
things, Mr.. Stone, but is there a
poison that could be administered
at the tea or at the dinner, which
would leave him quite his usual self
for several hours, and then bring
bring about his sudden death
death without sound or quiver,
merely quick passing"
II know no such poison. I have
! found no one who knows of such,
but what else is there to assume"
"Why assume anything? Why not
get facts?"
ITO do that, in this case, would
necessitate post:mOrtem exam
nation"
"And have l objected to that?"
Madame Maiden objected so
strenuOusly that the question has
been dropped"
"Then take it up again. COM
mand it, If have right to do so.
If not, l beg of you that it be
done, though I regret the necessity.
Ignore Madame Maldens wishes,
and employ the best talent avail
able for such work"
Perilla was pale but determined,
and she did not waver at her own
distressing thoughts.
"Then," and Stones voice was Sc
rious, "if trace of some such
poison is found, you know, I sup
pose, what the immediate reac-
tion will be"
"You mean suspicion will be
strengthened against me. expect
so, but l prefer that to this en-
tire lack of knowledge. You must
know l want his murderer found
and punished, and if my going on
this trip will in any way retard
your work will gladly call it off,
mo, oh, no. And my notion that
we may find some evidence of poi
son is so slight as to be practically
negligible. l am not despairing.
you understand, haven't the slight
est doubt of ultimate success, but
there are so many obstacles that
must be overcome. Go along on
your trip. I'd much rather you were
already gone when Farman comes,
! if he does come"
So preparations for the journey
went on. Perilla brooded more or
less, but not when it might distress
| others.
Bob came home. Stopping only to
see his mother in Philadelphia, he
went straight to Fleming with his
report.
bad business all around" he
said succinctly. "Farman is on
the warpath. Madame Maiden, of
course, is behind him, prodding him
! if, when and as he falters. She
is getting really nutty now, or she
seems to be. The Washington man,
| Carleton, is the aloof sort, hard to
get at, and unsatisfactory when
found. Mr.. Carmichael, another
friend of COrey's, is much pleasant
er and l wish he'd been an ex-
ecutor instead Of Carleton. Now,
I've no business to say this, maybe,
but I can't help thinking there's
some jiggery-pokery going on to re-
duce the net proceeds due to come
to Perilla under that will"
"That's all to the good-what
you've deducted, / mean," and
Stone looked approvingly at young
Coles, "but, just now, stick to the
rumors about Mrs. Maiden and her
husband"
But those are so indefinite.
Boiled down they amount to this !:
she had motive and opportunity,
therefore she did the deed; or, she
was alone in the room with him,
| so it must have been her work.
They consider the motive settled !;
simply that Pril wanted the money
and not the man; they consider the
opportunity perfect; the method
they refuse to consider, but hold
that it might be one of several.
| Why, that unspeakable Farman says
he thinks Perilla used a hypoder-
mic needle, with poison in it! Now,
the devil of that is, it sounds so
ID plausible"
what became of the instru-
ment?" asked Stone.
Elementary. She could have hid
den it In a hundred places, or
passed it over to Sarah, or to Boyn-
ton-by the way, where is Boyn-
ton?"
His whereabouts are not un-
known. Why"
Nothing. But the servants at
Maiden House seem to have some
! thing on him"
"GO on; what else?"
"Well, not much else, only that
Farman is coming up here next
week, and Carleton will come when
you advise him to do so. They have
nothing to do with each other, out
wardly, you understand. But 1 did
a small bit of shadowing and caught