The Poisoned Pen (From the Craig Kennedy series)

ty of not knowing just what to expect from them next. Still, I was hardly prepared one evening to see a tall, nervou

orgotten to latch the door. Well, Dr. Kharkoff, what ca

think I eluded him this time," he exclaimed, as he nervously took a seat. "Professor Kennedy, I am being followed. Every step that I take somebody shadows me, from the moment I leave my offi

ery, so that I did not withdraw. Somehow, apparently, h

nd even attended a meeting of our central committee the other night. But in the meantime Olga Samarova, the little Russian dancer, whom yon have perhaps seen, fell ill in the same way. Samarova is an ardent revolutionist, you know. This morning the servant at my own home on East Broadway was also stricken,

and looked over the transom to be s

nuine interest that he never feigned over a particularly knotty problem in science and crime. "I had th

hoped you would see him to-nig

s urgent

estly. "We can call a taxicab-it will not take long, sir. C

will go," cons

arkoff stopped short

t in the shadow. There

appear; he is very cle

nd has been waiting

bs waiting at the sta

e first, and Jameson an

can't fo

grin of the figure, which glided impotently out of the shadow

" commented Kennedy, as

alt. "Have you eve

ill you guarantee that he wil

Why, Walter, he is the most gen

roat or scuttled a

an produce a man such as Saratovsky deserves and some day will win political freedom. I have heard of this Dr. Kharkoff before, too. His life would be a short one if he were in Russia. A remarkable man, who fled after those unfortunate upris

the past generation. As we passed through the wide hall, I noted the high ceilings, the old-fashioned marble mantels stai

orehead and deep-set, glowing coals of eyes which gave a hint at the things which had made his life one of the strangest among all the revolutionists of Russia and the works he had done among the most d

nd we remained standing. Kennedy said nothing for the mo

ltry afoot. The Russian autocracy would stop at nothin

ercome by a chill that seeme

, Doctor. I am too weak to talk, even at this cri

isclosed a man in a Russian peasant's blouse, bending laboriously over a writing-desk. So absorbed was he that not

a dream. I fancied I was on the old mir with

vitch. I had not at first connected the name with that of the author of those gloo

ing," he explained. "It is then that

it was unmistakable. At last my eye rested on a careless heap of dainty wearing apparel on a chair in

nd betrayal by Rosenberg. She will stay with friends on East Broadway to-night. She has d

ant woman is Mademoiselle Nevsky-devoted to the cause. I know only one who

azanovitch. Kharkoff said nothing for a time, thoug

, the beasts-burned her body with their cigarettes. It was unspeakable. But she would not confess, and finally they had to let her go. Nevsky, who was a student of biology at the University of St. Petersb

ere not a woman, or if your universities were less prejudiced, she would be welcome anywhere as a professor. See, here is her laboratory. It is the

, Metchnikoff, and a number of other scientists adorned the walls. T

e writer of the doctor, aside

He was too weak to talk, but he asked that you tell Mr. Kennedy a

eads, gentlemen," cried Kazanovitch passionately, turning toward us. "You will excu

e doctor away also at the same

involuntarily at the heap of feminine finery on t

ir. Everything was littered with books, and papers, and at last he leaned over and lifted the dress from

ck them up, and I saw a strange look of surprise on his face. Without a moment's hesitati

d, sir," he said to Kennedy, sweeping a mass of books and papers off a large divan. "

ight smoke we waited for Kaza

is subservient, it does not mean that all is over. Not at all. We are not asleep. Revolution is smouldering, ready to break forth at any moment. The agents of

prejudiced by a puritanical disapproval of the things that pass current in Old World morality? Or was it m

ispense with the rhetoric and to get down to facts. "Surely,

completely baffled. Your American doctors-two were called in to see Saratovsky-say it is the typhus fever. But Kharkoff knows better. There is n

. An idea had occurred to him, and only polite

you could get some perfectly clean test-tubes and sterile bouillon from

answered

at I am going to have a hard day to-morrow and-by the way, would you be so kind a

aside for a moment, and they talked e

ke a microscopic examination of the blood of Saratovsky, Samarova, and later of his servant. The tubes will be read

e passed a door on the second floor, a woma

plied the doctor. "It is Samarov

now? Before they left Paris, Kazanovitch showed some partiality for Olga, but now Nevsky has captured him. She is indeed a fascinating woman, but as for me, if Olga would consent to become Madame Kharkoff, it should be done tomorrow, and she need wo

on our journey uptown, for it was

pparently in deep thought. As I stood by the table to fill my pipe for a last smoke, I saw that he was carefully reg

leaving any trace," he remarked in answer to my u

. Alexander Alexandrov

, Fra

of steaming a letter open is followed by reburnishing the flap with a bone instrument, and no trace is left. I can't do that, for this letter is sealed with

e edges projected about a thirty-second of an inch. He flattened the proj

y a hair line of strong white gum, and unite the edges of

t flat on the table before us. Apparently it was a scientific paper on a rather

on the artificial fertilization of the eggs of frogs. I consider

is unnecessary, and, in fact, I merely set down part of its contents here b

n a strong solution of sea water, then in a bath where they were subjected to the action of butyric acid. Finally they were placed in ordinary sea water agai

rri pernitratis to one ounce of distilled water. The other was composed of the same amount of the silicate with six drops of dilute phosphoric acid and six grains of ammonium phosphat

e opened Dr. Bastian found organisms in them which differed in no way from real bacteria. They gre

ans of radium emanations. Daniel Berthelot in France last year announced that he had used the ultra-violet rays to duplicate nature's own process of

e crystals show all the apparent vital phenomena without being actually alive. His work is interest

Kennedy, noting the puzzled look

. "There are a good many chemicals mentioned here-I wonder if any of them is poisonous? But I a

illery. "What I wanted to know was how you

ut of it. Meanwhile Craig was busily fig

late. Perhaps we had better both turn in, an

n the paper. With a reluctant good-night I shut my door, determined to be

to go out when he hurried in, showing plainly the effects of having spent

"I tried to reach Kharko

s a well-known physician on the East Side, states that he has been constantly shadowed by some one unknown for the past week or two. He attributes his escape with his life to the fact that since he was shadowed he has observed extreme caution. Yesterday

ate it?" I asked of Kenned

script,"

ript? How?

ly left the tubes there, and I got them. Here they are. As for the manuscript in the letter, I was going to ask you to slip upstairs by some strategy

to see you to

too. Come, let us breakfast and go over to the laboratory. They may arri

arance. There was a slightly sensuous curve to her mouth, but on the whole her face was striking and intellectual. I felt that if she chose she could fascinate a man so that he wou

things that are happening to us. Oh, Professor Kennedy, it is awful! Last night I was staying with some friends on East Broadway. Suddenly we heard a terrific explosio

ted. There stood another bomb just inside. If I had moved the door a fraction of an inch it would have exploded. I screamed, and Olga, sick as she was, ran to my assistance-or perhaps she thought something had happened to Boris. It is standing there yet. None of us d

mbling before

s plan. I take it that it was a chemical bomb and not one with a fuse, or you would

utomobile. "I will drive it myself," he ordere

k our lives. But strangers must not. Think, Professor Kennedy. Suppose the bomb should explode at a tou

sky, I am quite willing to take the ris

"Kazanovitch himself could do no

culiar oblong box, swung on two concentric rings

mly. It was a tense moment. Suppose his hand should unnecessarily tremble, or he should tip it just a bit-it might explode and blow h

water?" I suggested, having read somewhere that th

. It is known as the Cardan suspension. It was invented by Professor Cardono, an Italian. You see, it is always held in a perfectly horizontal position, no matter how you jar

that bomb at the door. If Mr. Jameson can only find out what has become of Mr. Kazanovit

find Kazanovitch. I shall be back again shortly before noon to examin

mber of places where he was known. I consumed practically the whole morning going from one place to another on the East Side. Some of the picturesque haunts of the revolutionists would have furnished material for a story in themselves. But nowhere had they any word of Kazanovitch, unti

ce, furiously smoking cigarettes and showing evident signs of having something v

atory, but I called up Nevsky, and she said he would be here at noon." Then he put hi

g nothing of my long

to Kharkoff's assistance, I did the same. He saw me following him and ran, and I ran, too, and overtook him. Mr. Jameson, when I looked into his face I could not believe it. Revalenko-he is one of the most ardent members of our organisation. He would not tell me why he had followed Kharkoff. I could make him confess nothing. But I am

pression the story made on me, but I did not let my looks bet

spy system in the city. In fact, even that morning I had had pointed out to me some spies at work in the public libraries, watchin

an elaboration of a particularly dramatic point, Kennedy quickly examined the walls and floor of the

he could trust you, that it would be safe for him to visit you to-ni

him, will make him think I have misunderstood him, that I have not lo

night at eight I shal

e novelist and

alenko story?" I asked of Cra

in this case," he an

eaders of the world to-day. There is only one person that I have any real confidence i

reply. There was no getting anything out of Craig until he w

sky, in spite of his high fever, ordered that the door to his room be left open and his bed moved so that he could hear and see what passed in the room down the hall. Nevsky was there and Kazanovitch, and even brave Olga Samarova, her pretty face burning with the fever, would not be content

ed on the table a small wire basket containing some test-tubes, each tube corked with a small wadding of cotton. There was also a receptacle holding a dozen glass-hand

some clue. The slightest trace, even a drop of blood no larger than a pin-head, may suffice to convict a murderer. The impression made o

y become gaseous. You can't collect and investigate the gases. Still, the bomb-thrower is sadly deceived if he believes the bomb leaves

hem, and find them to be a peculiar species of blasting-gelatine. It is made at only one factory in this country, and I have a list of purchasers for some time back. One name, or rather the description of an

stared fixedly at the fragments of

long cord saturated in sulphur, was merely a blind. The real method of explosion was by means of a chemical contained in a glass tube which was inserted after the bomb was put in place. The least jar, such as o

their own number was playing false? In at least this instance in the

the bombs. Bombs are common enough weapons, after all. It is the evidence of almost diabolical cunning

es sufficient to cause thousands and thousands of deaths without giving any adequate explanation for what purpose he requires them. More than that, any person claiming to be a scientist or having some acquaintance with science and scientists can usually obtain germs without difficulty. Every pathological laborator

hese germs of death, whatever they were? Yet that was precisely what some

a little pin-point of a culture made from the blood of Saratovsky. I will stain the culture. Now-er-

erms like dancing points of coloured light," I said. "T

o on. "They are of the species known as Spirilla. Here

there, too,"

ding about for a glimp

" asked a hollow vo

ghost than a living being. Kennedy sprang forward and cau

psing fever, but of the most virulent Asiatic strain. Obermeyer, who

rth from Samarova. The rest of us

be unnecessarily alarmed. I have something

e-print and place

ay to the Russian minister to France in Paris. Some one in this room besides Mr. Jameson and m

blue-print and searchingly scanning the faces. No one betrayed by

" he cried, his eyes half starting f

o means of deciphering it unless you chance to know its secret. I happened to have heard of it a long time ago abroad, yet my recollection was vague, and I

ts face, may be used to carry a secret, hidden message. The letters which compose the words, instead of being written continuously along,

the end of the letter 'n,' between it and the 'y.' There are

is up, it means a break. The stroke at the end of the 'y' is plainly down. Therefore there is no break until after th

-2; 1-1; 1-5; 5-1. By consulting this tab

g the following arrangement o

F G H IJ K 3 L M N O P

and second line. That is 'H.' Then 1-1 is 'A '; 1-

at was the terrible secret in that scientific essay I

dded to the real numbers over and over again. Or the order of the alphabet

?" asked Saratovsky, leaning forward, forg

paper on which he had writte

th should appear natural. Samarova infected also. Cook unfortunately took dose in food intended Kharkoff.

uilty, for the plot had centred about him. Nor was little Samarova, nor Dr. Kharkoff. I noted Revale

ink bomb perhaps all right. K. case d

thought. Or was "K." Kazanovitch? I regarded Re

n consul-general. Will advise you plot against Czar as details

tents of the test-tubes, the effect could not have been more startl

lding the paper up de

vs

Revalenko sprang up and grasped Kazanovitch by the hand.

u," replied Kazanovitch, "but how

w Kharkoff secretly and

ato

y stood coldly, defiantly. If ever there was a consummate actress it was she, who ha

om me by your false beauty-yet all the time you would have killed him like a dog for the Czar's gold. At

ains. Bah! I will not stay with those who are so ready to suspect an old comrade on the mere word

nt ago and crossed the room. "Olga," he pleaded, "I have been a fool. Some

ng her arms about Boris, as he imprin

sky with curling lips.

which cause what we call, euphemistically, the 'black plague.' It is the same species as that of the African sleeping sickness and the Philippine yaws. Last year a famous doctor whose photograph I see in the next ro

so quickly and completely undone, Nevsky flung herself

temptuous smile, as Kennedy gently wit

this way, after al