u to do some odd jobs for me." Littlefield thanked him,
and said that he would be glad to do anything for him that he could. The
janitor was the more surprised at Webster's generosity on this occasion,
as this turkey was the first present he had received at the Professor's
hands during the seven years he had worked in the College. Littlefield
saw the Professor again about half-past six that evening as the latter
was leaving the College. The janitor asked him if he wanted any more
fires lighted in his rooms, because owing to the holidays there were
to be no further lectures that week. Webster said that he did not, and
asked Littlefield whether he were a freemason. The janitor said "Yes,"
and with that they parted.

Littlefield was curious. The mysterious activity of the Professor of
Chemistry seemed to him more than unusual. His perplexity was increased
on the following day. Though on account of the holidays all work had
been suspended at the College for the remainder of the week, Webster was
again busy in his room early Wednesday morning. Littlefield could hear
him moving about. In vain did the janitor look through the keyhole, bore
a hole in the door, peep under it; all he could get was a sight of the
Professor's feet moving about the laboratory. Perplexity gave way to
apprehension when in the course of the afternoon Littlefield discovered
that the outer wall of the lower laboratory was so hot that he could
hardly bear to place his hand on it. On the outer side of this wall was
a furnace sometimes used by the Professor in his chemical experiments.
How came it to be so heated? The Professor had told Littlefield on
Tuesday that he should not be requiring any fires during the remainder
of the week.

The janitor determined to resolve his suspicions. He climbed up to the
back windows of the lower laboratory, found one of them unfastened, and
let himself in. But, beyond evidences of the considerable fires that had
been kept burning during the last few days, Littlefield saw nothing
to excite peculiar attention. Still he was uneasy. Those he met in
the street kept on telling him that Dr. Parkman would be found in the
Medical College. He felt that he himself was beginning to be suspected
of having some share in the mystery, whilst in his own mind he became
more certain every day that the real solution lay within the walls
of Professor Webster's laboratory. His attention had fixed itself
particularly on the lavatory at the foot