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THE CRAIG KENNEDY SERIES
THE POISONED PEN
BY
ARTHUR. B. REEVE
FRONTISPIECE BY WILL FOSTER
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I THE POISONED PEN
II THE YEGGMAN
III THE GERM OF DEATH
IV THE FIREBUG
V THE CONFIDENCE KING
VI THE SAND-HOG
VII THE WHITE SLAVE
VIII THE FORGER
IX THE UNOFFICIAL SPY
X THE SMUGGLER
XI THE INVISIBLE RAY
XII THE CAMPAIGN GRAFTER
THE POISONED PEN
I
THE POISONED PEN
Kennedy's suit-case was lying open on the bed, and he was literallythrowing things into it from his chiffonier, as I entered after ahurried trip up-town from the Star office in response to an urgentmessage from him.
"Come, Walter," he cried, hastily stuffing in a package of cleanlaundry without taking off the wrapping-paper, "I've got your suit-caseout. Pack up whatever you can in five minutes. We must take the sixo'clock train for Danbridge."
I did not wait to hear any more. The mere mention of the name of thequaint and quiet little Connecticut town was sufficient. For Danbridgewas on everybody's lips at that time. It was the scene of the nowfamous Danbridge poisoning case—a brutal case in which the prettylittle actress, Vera Lytton, had been the victim.
"I've been retained by Senator Adrian Willard," he called from hisroom, as I was busy packing in mine. "The Willard family believe thatthat young Dr. Dixon is the victim of a conspiracy—or at least AlmaWillard does, which comes to the same thing, and—well, the senatorcalled me up on long-distance and offered me anything I would name inreason to take the case. Are you ready? Come on, then. We've simply gotto make that train."
As we settled ourselves in the smoking-compartment of the Pullman,which for some reason or other we had to ourselves, Kennedy spoke againfor the first time since our frantic dash across the city to catch thetrain.
"Now let us see, Walter," he began. "We've both read a good deal aboutthis case in the papers. Let's try to get our knowledge in an orderlyshape before we tackle the actual case itself."
"Ever been in Danbridge?" I asked.
"Never," he replied. "What sort of place is it?"
"Mighty interesting," I answered; "a combination of old New England andnew, of ancestors and factories, of wealth and poverty, and above allit is interesting for its colony of New-Yorkers—what shall I callit?—a literary-artistic-musical combination, I guess."
"Yes," he resumed, "I thought as much. Vera Lytton belonged to thecolony. A very talented girl, too—you remember her in 'The Taming ofthe New Woman' last season? Well, to get back to the facts as we knowthem at present.
"Here is a girl with a brilliant future on the stage discovered by herfriend, Mrs. Boncour, in convulsions—practically insensible—with abottle of headache-powder and a jar of ammonia on her dressing-table.Mrs. Boncour sends the maid for the nearest doctor, who happens to be aDr. Waterworth. Meanwhile she tries to restore M