The Poisoned Pen (From the Craig Kennedy series)

he mellow spring night air and the opera had won, but we had scarcely begun to argue the vital point

face the lines of sorrow were almost visibly deepening. Her nervous manner interested me greatly, though I took pains to conceal the fact that I noticed it. It

disappearance of their daughter, Georgette. I am sure I need say nothin

ONN

ge for the Missing Persons Squad to

. Gilbert, eagerly scanning Kennedy's face and using a euphemism

t of what the papers have said. Let me introduce my friend, Mr. Jameson. Yo

tar which had occasioned the discussion. The article had been headed, "When Personalities Are Lost," and with the Gilbert case as a te

d baffled the police before this, disappearances that in their suddenness, apparent lack

reason and have left behind them untarnished reputations. Of these a small percentage are found to have met with violence; others have been victims of a suicidal mania; and sooner or later a clue has come to light, for the

tudious efforts are being made to understand and to explain the strange type of mental phenomena exhibited in these cases, but no one has as yet given a final, clear, and comprehensive explanation of them. Such cases are by no means always connected with d

ly and had, some several days and some even years later, suddenly "awakened" to their first

his bushy eyebrows, quickly shifting from my face to Kennedy's, and asked, "And what was your conclusion-what do you think of the case? Is it

opinion," Craig replied with precisely that shade of hesitancy that mig

nces, the purport of which was tha

we have heard of Georgette." His voice faltered a bit, but he proceeded: "As you know, she was last seen walking on Fifth Avenue. The police have traced her since she left home that morning. It is known that she went first to t

er face in a lace handkerchief as

k I need hardly impress upon you the advantage of complete frankness, the fact that anything you may tell me is of a much more confidential natur

reassure both the father and the mo

d have leaked out, for I should have said that that old affair had long since been forgotten even by the society gossips. The fact is that shortly after Georgette 'came out,' Dudley Lawton, who is quite on the road to becoming one of the rather notorious members of the younger set, began to pay her marked attentions. He is a fascinating, romantic s

ather exceptional beauty of Miss Georgette Gilbert. If it had, all the shortcomings of the newspaper photographic art would have been quickly glossed over by the almost ardent descriptions by those ladi

o respect and, I hoped, understand our wishes in the matter. I believe so yet. Mr. Gilbert in a roundabout way came to an understanding with old Mr. Dudley Lawton, who possesses a great influence over his son, and-well, Dudley Lawton seemed to have passed out of Georgette's life. I beli

ugh she was concealing nothing she was measuring her w

ewspapers bringing his name into the cas

e. And yet I cannot quite believe that Lawton is as uninterested as he seems. I know that he has often spoken about her to m

et communication between them? Miss Georgette left no letters or a

very carefully, and I can't say they furnish a clue. In fact, there were very few letters. S

no other things in her life that would cause a desire for freedom?" asked Kenn

h her mother and I did not altogether

u nor the police have received even a hint as

ut as completely as if the

no stone unturned until I have probed to the bottom of this mystery. I have seldom had a case that hung on more slender threads, yet if I can wea

arking: "We'll at least get our walk, if not the show. Let's st

enough in New York and is very fascinating to many girls. In fact, he was one of those fellows whose sins are readil

tory. For my part, I could not determine whether he was merely anxious to avoid any notoriety i

g under the lights of the avenue, "really I don't see how I can be of any assistance. You see, except for a mere passing acquaint

marked Kennedy, carefully concealing under his nonchalance what I knew was working in his mind

ed Lawton quickly, as if desirous of getting rid of us as soon as possible. Then perhaps as if regretting the brusqueness with which he had tried to end the interview, he added, "Don't misunderstand me. The mo

we walked up the avenue after this baffling interview. "Could he have cast her of

Kennedy, "for the simple reason that he himself doesn't know until he has

reach the end of my imagination and give up the case, but Kennedy continued to revolve the matter in his mind, looking at it from every angle and calling up

out of the crowded city into nowhere is something that is much harder to explain. And it isn't so difficult to disappear as some people imagine, either. You remember the case of the

say that disappearances are not mysterious. Disappearances except for money troubles are all mysterious. The first thing in such a case is to disco

ted down something on a piece of pape

family

antic di

insanity, sel

minal

Aph

idna

d those who have financial difficulties. Dream on that and see if you

t started with a visit to the public library, where he carefully went over the ground already gone over by the police. Finding nothing, he concl

ppearance; but Craig was proceeding on the assumption that this purchase indicated nothing except that there had been a sale of handkerchiefs which had caught her eye. Having stopped at the library

display in the window, but only for a moment, for Craig quickly pulled

HT, OCCULTISM, CLA

quickly down the record, he picked out a work on clairvoyance and asked to see the young woman who had made the sale. The clerk was, however, unable to recall to whom she had sold the book, though she finally admitted that she thought it might have been a young woman who had some difficulty in

positive that it was NOT Miss Gilbert to whom she sold the book. Since we are down in this neighbour

en his place of business. As we entered, we could see groups of clerks, evidently discussing the case. It was no wonder, I felt, for the head of the firm was a

scovered the body of his daughter in a lonely spot in the Croton Aqueduct. The report came in from the polic

the extras would be out, and the news would be spread broadcast. The affair would be in the h

s head and bolted for the door. "Hurry, Walter. We mu

cene of the tragedy not very long after the coroner. Mr. Gilbert was there, silent, and looking as if

they could tell nothing beyond the fact that one of them had discovered the body in a thicket where it could not possibly have lain longer than overnight. There was no reason, as yet, to suspect any of them, and indeed, as a much travelled

great physical agony or after a terrific struggle. Indeed, marks of violence o

adventures, the death of a human being, especially of a girl like Miss Gilbert, filled me with horror and revulsion. I could see, however, that he had noted something unusual. He pulled out a little pocket magnifying

it. It was a large clipping from the section of one of the metropolitan journals which carries a host of such advertisements as "spirit medium," "psychic palmist," "yogi mediator," "magnetic influences," "crystal gazer," "astrologer," "trance medium

on with the coroner's physician. The physician was of the opinion that Miss Gilbert had been drugged as well as strangled, and for many hours, down in his laboratory, his chemist

s the different tests failed, he had become more and more k

that sample?" he asked of the physician

nd the many reagents standing before him. He picked up one and poured a little liquid into the test tube. Then, removing the precipit

as he held the tube up

e to make further tests before I can be positive just what it is. If I may retain this sample I th

ted, and Craig quickly dispatched the t

d this morning. I suppose you have concluded, Walter, that we can be reasonably sure that the trail leads back through the fortune-tellers and soothsayers of New York,-which o

ent I was endeavouring to formulate a theory in which Du

from the advertisements in the clipping described himself as "Hata, the Veiled Prophet, born with a double veil, educated i

you power to attract and control those whom you may desire, tells you of living or dead, your secret troubles, the cause and remedy. Advice on all affairs of life, love, courtship, marriage, business

lished himself on a street near Times Square, just off Broadway, and there we found several automobile

front parlour and asked if we had come to se

nt. "We ask all visitors to do that simply as a guarantee of good faith. Then if you will write under it what you wish to find out

two sheets. The second is chemically prepared, with paraffin, I think. By dusting it over with powdered charcoal you can bring out what was written on the first sheet

He also took a small fee of two dollars. A few minutes later we were ushered into the awful presence of the "Veiled Pr

emnly by name and proceeded dire

dimly lighted. Then Hata, the crystal-gazer, solemnly seated himself in a chair. Before him, in his hands, reposing on a bag of satin, lay a huge oval piece

young girl. She is trying to avoid him. Ah-he seizes her by both ar

undoubtedly read, but Kennedy was leaning forward over the crystal-gazer,

ding from her mouth,

urged Kenn

rikes her. He fle

ightly on the arm of the clairv

rk, dark. You will have to come back

ennedy, however, seemed elated by ou

o vapourings like that? Why, there wasn't a thing the fellow couldn't have

ped under a light to read the address of the n

to gratify the idle curious, but to direct, advise, and help men and women"-at the usual low fee. He said in print that he gave ins

at is sweeter, better, or more to be desired than perfect harmony and happiness? If you want to win the esteem

t soothsayers in the next column (and almost next door) it seemed

e seated about as if waiting for some one. The pad and writing process was repeated with little variation. Since we were the la

was an altar on which burned several candles which gave out an incense. The atmospher

onograph buried in the depths of the altar, answered in an unknown language which sounded much like "Al-ya wa-aa haal-ya waa-ha." Across the dim room flashed a pale blue light with a crackling noise, the visible rays from a

it up, saying that the spirits had no revelation to make to-night in the matter in which we had called. Inasmuch as we had not written on the pad just what that matter was, I was not surprised. Nor wa

xious to get rid of us, moved toward the door. Kennedy sidled o

ngs to look over in the meantime

harge all my students," answered the Pandit with just a trace o

xamined the collar and neck very carefully under the least dim of the lights in the room. He seemed to find what he wished, yet he continued to examine the robe until the sound of retu

just the faintest shade of trepidation. "My servant

inancial activities of the fortune tellers, who worked in close harmony with certain bucket-shop operators in fleecing the credulous of their money by inspired investment advice.

t into an alley. There is the street not twenty

on our list, so that with this unceremonious dismissal

of police protection, or persecution, one could not say which. I was wondering what sort of vagary would come next. It proved to be

ke an open book; he overcomes evil influences, reunites the separated, causes speedy and happy marriage with the one of your choice, tells how to influence any one you desire, tells whether wife or sweetheart is true or false. Love, friendship, and influence

wonderful Swami and, falling into the spirit of his advertisement, posed as "come-ons" and pleaded to obtain this wonderful magnetism and a knowledge of the Karmic law-at a ridiculously low figure, considering its inestimable advantages to one en

ther as he motioned us

ircular divan with pil

flowers in vases about

e renewed vital

h was of a vile, muddy, Turkish variety. Then from the jar he took a box of rock crystal containing a sort of greenish compound which he kneaded into a little gum-gum tragacanth, I afte

, legs, and arms. Then came a subtle warmth. The whole thing seemed droll; the noise of the Swami's voice was most harmonious. His and Kennedy's faces seemed transformed. They were human face

r me caught my eye. The countenance really smiled and laughed and varied from moment to moment. Her figure became rounded and living and seemed

in. Thoughts came to me like fury, bewildering, sometimes as points of light in the most exquisite fireworks. Objects were clothed in most fantastic garbs. I looked at my two animal companions. I seemed to r

I could see Craig getting, whereas I was lost in a maze of dreams that I would not have stopped if I could. Seconds seemed to be years; minutes ages. Things at only a short distance looked much as they do

und salaam. In an instant Kennedy had seized with both hands the long flowing hair at the back of the

e and the pressure of my grasp, Craig sullenly and slowly relaxed his grip. A vacant look seemed to steal i

street, but out of the corner of my eye I could see that K

t somewhat vexed and feeling a sort of lassitude and h

of disgust on your face," he said as he opened his hand and showed me three or four of the gum lozenges that he had p

thoughts like sky rockets through my brain I gave it up and a

nd by his "magnetic monochrome," whatever that might be, he would "impart to you an a

d cross, the winged circle, and the winged orb. The Guru himself was a swarthy individual with a purple turban wound around his head. In his inner room were many statuettes, photographs of other Gurus

ake represents eternity, the star involution and evolution of the soul, while the wing

ot," the "bunny hug," and the "grizzly bear." The book, as we turned over its pages, gave directions for preparing everything from food to love-philtres and the elixir of life. One very interesting chapter was devoted to "electric marriage," which seemed to come to those only who, after searching patiently, at last found perfect mates. Another

ic influence over his disciples or those who came to seek his advice. Besides this indefinabl

ars." I think he hesitated, to see how much the traffic would bear, from one to one hundred, and compromised with only one

sted in the table and was examining it when the Guru returned. Just as the door opened he managed

good English, "let me know, and you must try one of my

ry in New York, and in fact in every large city of the world-love-philtres, love-pills, and all the rest of it. And it is no

e fakirs are not so gullible, af

omething interesting to say to-night

I put in the time speculating which of the fakirs had been in some mysterious way connected with the case and in what manner. Many were the theories which I had forme

othsayers, assembled a curiously cosmopolitan crowd in his laboratory. Besides the Gilberts were Dudley Lawton and his father, Hata, t

ly. "Human hair," he resumed, "has recently been the study of that untiring criminal scientist, M. Bertillon. He has drawn up a full, classified, and graduated table of all the known colours of the human hair, a complete palette, so to speak, of samples gathered in every quarter of the globe. Henceforth burglars, who already wear gloves or paint their fi

e it is practically always possible to distinguish human hair from animal. I shall not go into the distinctions, but I may add that it is also possible to determine very quickly

of glass, that was all. But on the glass was what appeared to be merely a faint line. "This slide," he said, holding it up, "has what must prove an unescapable clue to the identity of the man responsible for the disappea

re clenched, as if she had struggled with all her power against a force that had been too much for her. I examined her hands, expecting to find some evidence of a w

lier in the case-that it hung on slender thread

e visited several of the fortune-tellers and practitioners of the occult sciences in which we had reason to believe Miss Gilbert was interested. They all, by the way, make a specialty of giving advice in money matters and solving the problems of lovers. I suspect that at times Mr. Jameson has thought that I was demented, but I had to resort to many and various expedients to collect th

of astonishment from our little audience. Still

numbered envelopes the names of the persons who furnished them. But before I open the envelope numbered the same as the slide which contains the hair which corresponds precisely with that hair found in Miss Gilbert's hand-and it is slide No. 2--" said Kenned

which I sometimes thought he enjoyed more keenly than

his power. What was that force? At first I thought it might have been the hackneyed knockout drops, but tests by the coroner's physician eliminated that. Then I thought it might be one of the alkaloids, such as morphine, cocaine, and others. But it was n

sensibilities to distraction, producing what is really hysteria. If the weather is clear, this drug will make life gorgeous; if it rains, tragic. Slight vexation becomes deadly revenge; courage becomes rashness; fear, abject terror; and gentle affection or even a passing liking is transformed into passionate love. It is the drug derived from the Indian hemp, scientifically named Cannabis Indica, better known as hashish, or bhang, or a dozen other names in the East. Its chief characteristic is that it has a pr

ts, she was frantic. This place offered hope, and to it she went in all innocence, not knowing that it was only the open door to a life such as the most lurid disorderly resorts of the metropolis could scarcely match. There her credulity was preyed upon, and she was tricked into taking this drug, which itself has such marked and perverti

I could see that his fists were doubled up and that he was holding himself in leash as if waiting for something, eyei

t as I did so, he leaped behind me, and before I could

hair was the Swami's. Georgette Gilbert was one victim who fought and rescued herself from a slavery worse tha