-- ' —-., :-l’ L—1 ■ .1.1 ■
i
“By all means,” she replied,
rising with sudden energy, ns
though she were fearful that
Kennedy might reconsider his
offer. “I was almost afraid to
come to you at first—and then I
didn’t know whether it would be
fair to Mr. liavenal to do it any
how. There must be some way in
which we can all go ahead to
gether.”
A quarter of an hour later our
taxicab pulled up before an old
brown-stone house, which the up
ward march of trade had con
verted from a splendid dwelling
of the past generation to an in
different office building of the
present,
We entered the building and
climbed the stairs to the second
floor. Clr*9 tapped on the door
- of a froiw room and it was
•pened quickly by a colored boy.
At the sight of Miss Claremont
he bowed and ushered us in.
Whatever may be said of Rav
enal as a criminal investigator he
certainly was a connoisseur. I
had expected to find a detective
offiee with perhaps several op
eratives hanging about in a back
office. This place was the direct
• antithesis. Few artists might
have boasted a studio or den
Which was more beautifully fitted
than this headquarters of the so
ciety detective. But then, 1 re
flected that was probably the
very genius of the man and part
of his stock in trade.
Ravenal himself was a moder
ately tail, dark haired and olive
eomplexioned young man of a
type which one may see by the
score any afternoon on the ave
nue. The only difference be
tween Ravenal and the tpye was
that, if anything, he seemed to
be the mould from which the
others were cast. That, too, was
a point in his favor as a society
detective. There was no social
gathering at which Ravenal
would not pass as one of the inne'r
circle itself.
As Clare introduced us I
•watched Kavenal closely to see
how he was going to take the
change. Instead of showing any
annoyance, the young detective
stretched out his hand frankly to
Craig and smiled, showing a per
fect row of teeth.
To Work Hand In Hand.
“Really, Professor Kennedy,”
he greeted. “I cannot help say
ing I am delighted. When Miss
Claremont came to me at first I
was only too glad to take the
case, for it seemed as though it
must be that I possessed the con
fidence of other clients of her ac
quaintance. But the case is too
big. If I might be associated
with you and even share in the
credit of it I would be quite
satisfied.”
Kennedy said very little, al
though he had a way of putting
anyone at ,his ease. We sat
down in the wonderful easy
chairs that Ravenal had gathered
and with a few well-directed
questions Kennedy was straight
way into the heart of the ease.
If Ravenal had any expectation
of cross-examining Kennedy he
must have realised immediately
that he had met more than his
match. Kennedy interviewed
him with an art that I envied.
It would have been a wonderful
asset to anyone in the newspa
per business.
I shall not attempt to repeat
the long story of Hie fruitless ef
forts of Clare Claremont, Jack
Speed and Ravenal to trace out
even the slender clues contained
In the packet of notes found
among the effects of Martin
Dale. Ft was true that after re
viewing them I was forced to the
conclusion that none had actually
been a good clue. And yet all
seemed to have presented possi
bilities
wneiner uie duck Menace
was an individual as seemed to
be hinted at in Granby’s letter,
or a gang of blackmailers, as
Miss Claremont evidently
thought, was still as mysterious
as e,ver. That there was some
individual who was the head and
brains of the gang, if gang there
were, was at least certain. The
frustration of every attempt,
whether by Clare herself, or by
Jack Steed with his newspaper
connections, or by Ravenal,
seemed to point to the fact that
there was more than one.
Even the method of blackmail
ing was still a mystery, whether
it was through beautiful women
or shady finance, or both. But
that there was some powerful
weapon wielded by the Black
• Menace wa*> vnnd q '^ion
z
As we sat there, forgetful of
the minutes, it seemed that in
our Consideration of the case, we
were exhausting the list of the
best-known men and women of
the metropolis. There was every
reason to believe that the opera
tions of the Black Menace had
reached into the lives of which
we did not dream. The most dif
ficult, in fact seemingly impos
sible, part of it was that by the
very nature of the affair evi
dence against the Black Menace
was concealed, not only by the
Black Menace itself, but by its
very victims.
Waiting for Developments.
It was late in the afternoon
when we left Ravenal, and we
still had not arrived at any pro
gram of action, further than that
after thinking it over we were to
meet that night at dinner at the
Crystal Palace, a new and very
popular restaurant.
On the sidewalk again before
Ravenal’s den, we paused wait
ing for a taxicab. ^
“You think that we can do
something t inquire^ Miss Clare
mont, anxious and eager.
“We can do no more than
try,” replied Kennedy and the
words, though colorless, had a
ring of confidence in them which
caused her to press his hand in
thanks as he placed her in the*
cab which he had beckoned.
Another cab cruising down uie
street pulled up sharply at Ken
nedy’s nod.
“Jump in, Walter,” he said,
then turned to the driver, direct
ing him to Madison avenue and
East Thirty-fourth street. Then,
as he joined me in the cab, he
whispered, “It will be our only
Chance to see Granby unobserved
—if indeed we can do so even
now. We must pick up the trail
there.”
CHAPTER 2
The Green Death.
I reflected on the danger of
the visit, not so much to our
selves as to Granby. If Granby
knew that Clare had been to see
us, others might knoAV it, too
—might even know of Granby’s
own attempt at secret communi
cation and assistance to her.
Kennedy, I saw also, felt that
we must observe the conditions
of the girl. Yet the Black Men
ace had covered up its tracks so
well that after our talk with
Ravenal we had no point of at
tack. Every lead that had oc
curred so far seemed to have
been exhausted. We were prac
tically forced into starting our
investigation with Granby. If
we could only see him once se
cretly we might never ne§d to
see him again until such time as
he himself determined that the
meeting was safe.
Accordingly, when our cab
stopped on the corner of Madi
son Avenue and Thirty-fourth
street, and Kennedy jumped out
and paid the driver, I knew that
he was doing everything in his
power to cover our trail. We
walked back into the Murry
Hill district of old houses, turn
ing corners and endeavoring to
sec that we were not trailed.
Finally we came out on the
block on Park avenue on which
I knew the Granby house to be,
in that little basis of splendid
dwellings between Thirty-fourth
and Forty-second street. Js we
walked up the street we could
see that a closed ear was already
standing before the door. Ken
nedy passed, looking intently at
the house and at others near it,
then both up and down the
street. Instead of going in he
walked about the block. When
Ave had nearly completed the cir
cuit, he turned, and Ave doubled
on our tracks. No one, apparent
ly, was paying the slightest at
tention to Avhat Ave were doing.
Admitted at Once.
The closed car, however, was
still standing before the house
when Kennedy turned into the
English basement and rang the
bell.
It was just a moment that we
waited. A Japanese butler op
ened the door, and his beady eyes
slanted at us subtly- Before he
could even refuse to admit us,
Kennedy had stepped inside fol
lowed by me.
“Give Mr. Granby my card,”
said Kennedy briskly. “Tell
him it is very important.”
The Japanese took the paste
board and fingered it, glancing
nt it out of the corner of his eye
and then at us hi perfect Eng
lish he purred. hut, sir, Mr.
Gpat» v can- . nvone just
1
now."
“Cannot see anyone? “Why?"
There was a noise of someone
coming down stairs, and I saw a
rather portly middle aged maa,
with a Van Dyke beard. As he
caught sight of us, half way
down, he looked quickly over at
the butler.
“Who are these gentlemen,
Kato?" he asked.
“I)r. Gilbert, I believe," has
tened Kennedy, before the Jap
could reply, recognizing at once
the well known society physi
cian.
“Yes," returned the doctor,
slightly elevating his eyebrows.
I don’t believe that we have
ever met," introduced Kennedy,
taking the card from the Jap and
handing it to the 4octoi\ “but
perhaps you have heard of me at
the university?"
Dr. Gilbert glanced at the card,
then his manner changed as he
looked up at Kennedy. “Oh,
yes, yes. Professor Kennedy.
You are here just a bit late. Mr.
Granby is dead."
Astounding News
The abruptness of the an
nouncement almost swept us off
our feet, but Kennedy quickly
recovered.
“Dead?" he repeated, "It
seems almost impossible. I know
that he must have been alive at
least two hours ago."
The doctor shook his head sad
ly- “Quite true," he replied,
“but this thing has been so sud
den that even I do not know as
yet what happened."
“But what was it?” persisted
Kennedy. “There must be some
thing that you know."
The doctor waved his hand to
ward the Jap. “It was Kato
who called me, perhaps an hour
ago. Mr. Granby, he says, went
out very hurriedly early in the
afternoon nad returned most agi
tated. He shut himself up in the
library, and not 10 minutes later,
Kato says he heard him ringing
the bell and calling frantically.
“Tell them again, Kato, just
What happened."
Keiuctantly the Jap looked
from us to the doctor, then con
cluded that he had better take
his orders from the physician.
“I heard the bell, as as I came
to the library door Mr. Granby
was standing by the library table.
He had his hands up before his I
eyes. As I entered he said,
“Kato, what color does this room
seem to you?” I was greatly
surprised, and I could think of
nothing to say except ‘Many col
ors, sir’. He stared around, and
I thought his eyes would jump
out of his head. ‘Kato it’s yel
low! Everything in the room
is yellow! Call Dr. Gilbert im
mediately-’
“I did so, aud before the doc
tor came we managed to get him
up to his room. He was very
weak and delirious. He seemed
to be getting worse, and just be
fore the doctor came we heard
him groaning: ‘It’s turning
green—everything is turning
green! ’
Dr. Gilbert nodded as though
to indicate that the butler had
told his story substfkitially as he
had already heard it.
Too Late to Save Him.
“Yes, Kennedy,” said Dr. Gil
bert, “When I got here he was
very far gone, almost in a state
of coma. His vision seemed to be
very strangely affected, and the
muscles which controlled his
throat were gradually becoming
paralyzed.
“I could make nothing out of
what he mumbled except that it
seemed to be that he feared
someone or something. Once or
twice He opened his eyes without
rccognUng me, and I could just
make out that, as his vision was
fading, he was muttering, “I see
everything green—green—green.
I see, everything green.”
In the face of two such wit
nesses there could bo no doubt
now of the tragedy into which
we had run.
jvxignt x see dibit asked
Kennedy quickly. “You have no
objection!”
“The doctor considered &
moment. ‘None,whatever. Per
haps you can give via some clue
to the mystery.”
He turned and led the way up
through the heavily carpeted
hall, and we came at last to the
huge front bedroam on the sec
ond floor.
Granby was a bachelor, al
though he kept the big Granby
house in the city open just as his
father and grandfather had done
before him. The big room was
luxurously furnished in the
style of a pftst generation. Just
now it was in disorder. In the
next room were a nurse and a
maid, stunned by the suddenness
of the death. v
As we entered we could see
Granby’s body stretched on the
bed, covered by a sheet. Kennedy
stepped over qiuwly to it and
lifted a corner of the sheet, re
garding the cold and distorted
face which he disclosed. He
seemed to be debating what to
do first. Ile«quickly replaced the
sheet and strode out into the hall
again where I stood with Dr. Gil
bert and Kato.
“What was he doing last in
the library?” demanded Ken
nedy of Kato.
“I don’t know, sir. I saw him
as he came in. He seemed very
nervous. When I saw him again
in the library, on the table were
a glass and a decamter. I should
say, sir, that he had taken a
drink.”
Without waiting to hear more,
Kennedy hurried down the hall
to the first floor, over the Eng
lish basement. A moment later,
as we followed, he eptered the
library.
A Sudden Move.
‘ ‘ I took away the glass and pul
the decanter back in the cel- j
laret,” explained Kato.
Kennedy turned toward a
beautiful mahogany and glass i
cellaret in an alcover of the den.
“Which decanter?” he de
manded.
Kato pointed it out.
As he did so, Kennedy bent
forward and lifted it, but his eyes
were not on the decanter. • With
two sheets of paper, which he
picked up from a writing desk,
he scraped up the slight dust
which had collected on the shelf.
Then he folded up the paper into ;
which he had scraped the dust
and drew from his pocket a small 1
case in which he always carried
some miniature test tubes. From ;
the decanter, he poured a bit of
the liquor and plugged the test
tube, restoring it to his pocket.
With scarcely a word of ex
planation further, Kennedy ex
cused himself to Dr. Gilbert, and
we were on our way up to the
laboratory. It was a quick ride
and silent. Kennedy had but one
idea, and that was first of all to
discover the manner in' which
Granby had met his sudden fate.
In the laboratory he set to
work at once, examining first
under a microscope the few
grains of dust in the* paper. I
stood beside him, eagerly watch
ing, as he finally he looked up
from the eye-piece.
“Some sort of powder,” he
remarked, “colorless or Derhaps
whitish, shining flat rAomblic
prisms.*”
“Held the dust and powder to
his nose, but it evidently had no
odor. Under a hand lens with a
pair of tweezers he picked out
what I assume to be some grains
and placed them on his tongue.
His face indicated that the taste
was a bit acrid, but I could not
tell whether it gave him a clue or
not .
He turned fr6m the micro
scope, taking the test tube from
the case in his pocket. Quickly
he poured the contents into a
large test tube, and I saw that he"
was making a hasty qualitative
analysis.
To Tell Clare.
I knew it would be some time
before Kennedy discovered any
thing.
“I think, Craig, “I suggested,
“Miss Claremont should know
about this, and perhaps I had
better tell her.”
Craig nodded assent, and, de
lighted by the mission, which at
least served as an outlet for my
own excitement, I hurried out.
Clare Claremont, however, was
not at home, nor could I find
her. I called up the Star, but
Steed was out on an assignment
and could not be located Raven
al, too, must have left his den di
rectly after we did, for his ser
vant could tell me nothing. Un
able to carry out my mission, I
was finally forced to go back
to the laboratory, trusting that
Kennedy had made some prog
ress.
As I entered, Kennedy *was ap
farently finishing up his work.
could see by his manner that he
had discovered something. I
told him hastily of my failure to
find Miss Claremont, and, even
before I had a chance to ask a
question, he beckoned me over to <
his table, where, before him in
a rack, stood a test tube about j
half full of some liquid.
“I didn’t have very many j
grains of the stuff,” he re
marked, “but from even the few
that I had I have discovered that
it is not soluble in water, al
though very soluble in alcohol.
That’s as far as I went with the
few grains, for I soon found that
I must have a great deal of the
stuff in the solution of the li
quor.”*
(To Be Continued Next Week.)
Tamaki Mlurl, Japanese prima dona,
who has Just completed tour of United
States, sailed for Italy wliore she will
sing "Madame Butterfly" In Milan and
Home. She will later ALT Frivace, Spain
and Germany.
Los Angeles Woman
Tells of Wonderful
Experience.
MRS. GUSSIE E. HANSEN.
Mrs. Gussle E. Hansen, of 916 West
62nd Street, Is now numbered with the
multitude of Los Angeles men and
fromen who have realized the wonder
ful merits of Tanlac. In relating her
experiences, Mrs. Hansen said:
“It Is wonderful what Tanlac will do
for one suffering from stomach trou
ble, nervousness and run-down con
dition. I have tried It,
“Before taking the treatment every
thing I ate disagreed with me so that
I actually dreaded to sit down to the
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jervous and run down I was in mis
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“Tanlac was helping so many
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and it certainly has. Why, my appe
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for Tanlac.”
Tanlac is for sale by all good drug
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Observant Daddy.
“There’s only one good thing about
that young puppy that came to see you
last night,” said the angry father,
"and that IS he’s healthy.”
“I’m surprised to hear you admit
that much,” replied the dutiful daugh
ter.
“I wouldn’t except for the fact that
khen you met him In the hall I heard
you say: “Oh, George, how cold your
nose Is I”
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change.
The Less tho More.
Husband—Dear mei Another dress?
Wife—But it’s only a little one, dear.
Husband—Well, It’s my experience
that the less there Is of your frocks
the more they cost.
WHY TAKE '
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Nujol is used In leading hospitals.
Get a bottle from your druggist
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__- »
Photographed Bones.
As an improvement on the finger*
print method of identification a French
criminologist makes X-ray photographs
of finger tips which include outlines of
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By recent legislative enactment,
women have been admitted to the
practice of medicine In India.
WOMAN’SHEALTH
. RESTORED
She Gains Lydia E. PinkhamV
Vegetable Compound Did It After *
Everything Eke Failed
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Lydia E. rinkham’s
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pound and I feel
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i mow. i ao every
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Letters like these testify to the value
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