e
the name of a certain druggist and the initials 'Dr. C. W. H.' Now, I am
convinced that the initials are merely a blind and do not give any
clue. The druggist says that a maid from the Vandam house brought in
the prescription, which of course he filled. It is a harmless enough
prescription--contains, among other things, four and a half grains of
quinine and one-sixth of a grain of morphine. Six capsules were prepared
altogether.

"Now, of course my first thought was that she might have taken
several capsules at once and that it was a case of accidental morphine
poisoning, or it might even be suicide. But it cannot be either, to my
mind, for only three of the six capsules are gone. No doubt, also, you
are acquainted with the fact that the one invariable symptom of
morphine poisoning is the contraction of the pupils of the eyes to a
pin-point--often so that they are unrecognisable. Moreover, the pupils
are symmetrically contracted, and this symptom is the one invariably
present in coma from morphine poisoning and distinguishes it from all
other forms of death.

"On the other hand, in the coma of kidney disease one pupil is dilated
and the other contracted--they are unsymmetrical. But in this case
both the pupils are normal, or only a very little dilated, and they are
symmetrical. So far we have been able to find no other poison than the
slight traces of morphine remaining in the stomach after so many hours.
I think you are enough of a chemist to know that no doctor would dare go
on the stand and swear to death from morphine poisoning in the face of
such evidence against him. The veriest tyro of an expert toxicologist
could too easily confute him."

Kennedy nodded. "Have you the pill-box and the prescription?"

"I have," replied Dr. Hanson, placing them on the table.

Kennedy scrutinised them sharply. "I shall need these," he said. "Of
course you understand I will take very good care of them. Is there
anything else of importance?"

"Really, I don't know," said the physician dubiously. "It's rather out
of my province, but perhaps you would think it important. It's mighty
uncanny anyhow. Henry Vandam, as you doubtless know, was much more
deeply interested in the work of this medium than was his wife. Perhaps
Mrs. Vandam was a bit jealous--I don't know. But she, too, had an
interest in spiritualism, though he was much more deeply influenced by
Mrs. Popper than she.

"Here's the strange part of it. The old man belie