in our service? My car is waiting down-stairs. We can go right down to
Maiden Lane if you wish."

"You may retain me on one condition," said Craig without moving. "I am
to be free to get at the truth whether it benefits or hurts the company,
and the case is to be entirely in my hands."

"Hats on," agreed Mr. Andrews, reaching in his vest pocket and pulling
out three or four brevas. "My chauffeur is quite a driver. He can almost
beat the subway down."

"First, to my laboratory," interposed Craig. "It will take only a few
minutes."

We drove up to the university and stopped on the campus while Craig
hurried into the Chemistry Building to get something.

"I like your professor of criminal science;" said Andrews to me, blowing
a huge fragrant cloud of smoke.

I, for my part, liked the vice-president. He was a man who seemed
thoroughly to enjoy life, to have most of the good things, and a
capacity for getting out of them all that was humanly possible. He
seemed to be particularly enjoying this Morowitch case.

"He has solved some knotty cases," was all I said. "I've come to believe
there is no limit to his resourcefulness."

"I hope not. He's up against a tough one this trip, though, my boy."

I did not even resent the "my boy." Andrews was one of those men in
whom we newspaper writers instinctively believe. I knew that it would
be "pens lifted" only so long as the case was incomplete. When the time
comes with such men they are ready to furnish us the best "copy" in the
world.

Kennedy quickly rejoined us, carrying a couple of little glass bottles
with ground-glass stoppers.

Morowitch & Co. was, of course, closed when we arrived, but we had
no trouble in being admitted by the Central Office man who had been
detailed to lock the barn door after the horse was stolen. It was
precisely as Mr. Andrews had said. Mr. Kahan showed us the safe. Through
the top a great hole had been made--I say made, for at the moment I was
at a loss to know whether it had been cut, drilled, burned, blown out,
or what-not.

Kennedy examined the edges of the hole carefully, and just the trace
of a smile of satisfaction flitted over his face as he did so. Without
saying a word he took the glass stopper out of the larger bottle which
he had brought and poured the contents on the top of the safe near the
hole. There it lay, a little mound of reddish powder.

Kennedy took a little powder of another kind from the other bottle and
lighted i