begged that Kennedy would not ask her to repeat the experiment.

"I can promise you, Marie," he said, "that you will rest better
to-night. But you must spend one more night in Mrs. Close's room.
By the way, can you arrange for me to go through the room this
morning when you go back?"

Marie said she could, and an hour or so later Craig and I quietly
slipped into the Close residence under her guidance. He was
carrying something that looked like a miniature barrel, and I had
another package which he had given me, both carefully wrapped up.
The butler eyed us suspiciously, but Marie spoke a few words to
him and I think showed him Mrs. Close's note. Anyhow he said
nothing.

Within the room that the unfortunate woman had occupied Kennedy
took the coverings off the packages. It was nothing but a
portable electric vacuum cleaner, which he quickly attached and
set running. Up and down the floor, around and under the bed he
pushed the cleaner. He used the various attachments to clean the
curtains, the walls, and even the furniture. Particularly did he
pay attention to the base board on the wall back of the bed. Then
he carefully removed the dust from the cleaner and sealed it up
in a leaden box.

He was about to detach and pack up the cleaner when another idea
seemed to occur to him. "Might as well make a thorough job of it,
Walter," he said, adjusting the apparatus again. "I've cleaned
everything but the mattress and the brass bars behind the
mattress on the bed. Now I'll tackle them. I think we ought to go