Allison.

"Thank you," smiled Kennedy. "I'm afraid I won't have time for dining
tonight. I'll be back after dinner, though."

Mrs. Ferris's car had returned and Craig's next step was to go on into
the town of Briar Lake.

On the way he decided first to stop at the Evans house, which took us
only a little bit out of our way. There he made a minute examination of
the body of the young man.

Irving Evans had been a handsome fellow and the tragedy of his death
had been a sad blow to his family. However, I shall not dwell on that,
as it is no part of my story.

Kennedy was eager to see the red spot in the pit of the stomach of the
dead man of which everyone had spoken.

He looked at it closely, as I did also, although I could make nothing of
it. Evans had complained of a burning, stinging sensation, during his
moments of consciousness and the mark had had a flushed, angry look. It
seemed as though a sort of crust had formed over it, which now was ashen
white.

Craig did not spend as long as I had anticipated at the Evans house,
but, although he said nothing, I could tell by the expression of his
face that he was satisfied with the conclusions which he drew from the
examination. Yet I could not see that the combination of circumstances
looked much better for Fraser Ferris.

We went on now to the town and there we had no trouble in meeting the
authorities and getting them to talk. In fact, they seemed quite eager
to justify themselves.

As we passed down the main street, Mrs. Ferris's chauffeur mentioned the
fact that a local physician, Dr. Welch, was also the Coroner of the
county. Kennedy asked him to stop at the doctor's office, and we
entered.

"A most unfortunate occurrence," prefaced the doctor as we seated
ourselves.

"You assume, then, that it was the blow that killed Evans?" asked
Kennedy pointedly.

The doctor looked at him a moment. "Of course--why not?" he demanded
argumentatively, as though we had come all the way from the city for the
sole purpose of impugning his medical integrity. "I suppose you know the
classical case of the young man who was coming out of the theater, when
some of the party began indulging in rather boisterous horse play? One
bent another quietly over his arm and tapped him a sharp blow with the
disengaged hand on the stretched abdomen. The blow fell right over the
solar plexus and, to the surprise of everyone, the young man died."

The Coroner had risen and was pacing the