ive minutes. The clock was
striking one when he appeared, bland and smiling. Hardly waiting for him
to select a seat Kent flung himself into a chair in front of Rochester's
desk and laid the pill box on the writing pad.

"Now, doctor," he began, and his manner gained in seriousness, "what, in
your opinion, killed Jimmie Turnbull?"

"The post-mortem examination proved that he had swallowed aconitine in
sufficient quantity to cause death," Stone replied. "He undoubtedly died
from the effects of that poison."

"Is aconitine difficult to procure?" asked Kent.

"It is often prescribed for fevers." Stone made himself comfortable in a
near-by chair. "Aconitine is the alkaloid of aconite. I believe that in
India it is frequently employed, not only for the destruction of wild
beasts, but for criminal purposes. The India variety is known as the
Bish poison."

Kent started--Bish poison--was he never to get away from the letter "B"?

"Can you procure Bish in this country?" he asked.

Stone considered the question. "You might be able to purchase it from
some Hindoo residing or traveling in the United States," he said, after
a pause. "I doubt if you could buy it in a drug store."

Kent heaved a sigh of relief as he hitched his chair closer to the
physician.

"Did you prescribe a dose of aconitine for Mrs. Brewster recently?" he
asked.

"I did, for an attack of rheumatic neuralgia." Stone eyed him curiously.
"What then, Kent?"

"Is this the box the medicine came in?" and Kent placed the cover in
Stone's hand.

Stone turned the paste-board over and studied the defaced label. "I
cannot answer that question positively," he said. "The label bears my
name and that of the druggist, but the directions are missing."

"But the number's on it," put in Kent swiftly. "Come, Stone, call up
the druggist, repeat the number to him, and ask if it calls for your
aconitine prescription."

Stone hesitated as if about to speak, then, reaching out his hand, he
picked up the telephone and held a short conversation with the drug
clerk of the Thompson Pharmacy.

"That is the box which contained the aconitine pills for Mrs. Brewster,"
he said, when he had replaced the telephone. "Now, Kent, I have secured
the information you wished; kindly tell me your reasons for desiring
it."

It was Kent's turn to hesitate. "Do you know many instances where
aconitine was used by murderers?" he questioned.

"N-no. I believe it was the drug used in the