forward to catch his words, "I find that the curves of Miss La
Neige, Mrs. Parker, and Mr. Downey are only so far from normal as
would be natural. All of them were witnessing a thing for the
first time with only curiosity and no fear. The curve made by Mr.
Bruce shows great agitation and--"

I heard a metallic click at my side and turned hastily. It was
Inspector Barney O'Connor, who had stepped out of the shadow with
a pair of hand-cuffs.

"James Bruce, you are under arrest," he said.

There flashed on my mind, and I think on the minds of some of the
others, a picture of another electrically wired chair.



II. The Scientific Cracksman

"I'm willing to wager you a box of cigars that you don't know the
most fascinating story in your own paper to-night," remarked
Kennedy, as I came in one evening with the four or five
newspapers I was in the habit of reading to see whether they had
beaten the Star in getting any news of importance.

"I'll bet I do," I said, "or I was one of about a dozen who
worked it up. It's the Shaw murder trial. There isn't another
that's even a bad second."

"I am afraid the cigars will be on you, Walter. Crowded over on