t help noticing that Haynes was patently jealous
of even the nod of recognition she gave to Ames.

"I don't think I need say that this is one of the most baffling cases
that we have ever had," began Kennedy, with a glance at Dr. Leslie.

"It certainly is," chimed in the coroner, as though he had been appealed
to for corroboration.

"In the first place," resumed Kennedy, "I discovered in the air up there
in Delaney's room just a trace of cyanogen."

Haynes nodded approvingly, glancing from one to the other of us.

"But," added Craig, as if he had built up a house of cards merely to
demolish it, "I don't think that cyanogen was the cause of Delaney's
death--although it furnished the clew."

"What could it have been, then?" demanded Haynes, his face clouding.

Kennedy looked at him calmly. "You've heard of anthrax?" he asked
simply.

"Y-yes," replied Haynes, meeting his eye fixedly. "Murrain--the cattle
disease."

"That is so deadly to human beings sometimes," added Craig. "Well, I've
found something very much like anthrax germs in the sweepings that I
took up with the vacuum cleaner up there."

Dr. Leslie was listening intently.

"I can't see how it could have been anthrax," he put in, slowly shaking
his head. "Why, Kennedy, the symptoms were entirely different."

"No, this was a poisoning of some kind," added Dr. Haynes. "Dr. Leslie
himself tells me that you found traces of cyanogen in the air--and you
have just said so, too."

Kennedy indicated the microscope. "Take a look at that slide under the
lens," he said simply.

I was nearest and as he evidently meant each of us to look, I did so.
Under the high-power lens I could see some little roundish dots moving
slowly through the field.

Haynes looked next. "But, Professor Kennedy," he objected, almost as
soon as he had time for a good look, "the bacilli of anthrax have
normally the form of straight bars strung together in a row."

"Yes, rod bacilli," added Dr. Leslie, also looking. "Like long rows of
hyphens, slender cylindric, non-motile chains joined end to end."

We looked at Craig inquiringly.

"Like that," he indicated, substituting another slide.

We looked again. The field had somewhat the appearance of an exaggerated
war map with dark units of supposed troops.

"That's it," nodded Haynes.

Kennedy removed the slide. "Those are some anthrax germs I obtained here
in the city from a pathologist," he said, turning a switch that threw on
in a