behind which sat a pretty girl, marched Colonel Ashley.

"Have you any books on poisons?" he asked.

"Poisons?" She looked up at him, startled, a flush mantling her fair
cheeks.

"Yes. Any works on poisons - a chemistry would do."

"Oh, yes, we have books on poisons. I'll jot down the numbers for you.
We have not many, I'm afraid. It is - it isn't a pleasant subject."

"No, I imagine not."

She busied herself with the card index, and came back to him in a moment
with a slip of paper.

"I'm sorry," said the pretty girl, "but we seem to have only one book on
poisons, and I'm afraid that isn't what you want. It is entitled
'Poisonous Plants of New Jersey,' and is one of the bulletins of the New
Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station at New Brunswick. But it is out
at present. Here is the number of it, and if it comes in - "

"I should be glad to see it," interrupted the colonel pleasantly.

"Here is the number," and the pretty girl extended to him a slip which
read:
58 C. H - i6i*

"What is the star for?" asked the colonel.