Aunt Josephine frowned. Bennett and I could not conceal our surprise.
"Why, certainly," nodded Elaine, as she led the way upstairs.
It was a dainty little room, breathing the spirit of its mistress. In fact it seemed a sort of profanation as we all followed in after her. For a moment Kennedy stood still, then he carefully looked about. At the side of the bed, near the head, he stooped and picked up something which he held in the palm of his hand. I bent over. Something gleamed in the morning sunshine—some little thin pieces of glass. As he tried deftly to fit the tiny little bits together, he seemed absorbed in thought. Quickly he raised it to his nose, as if to smell it.
"Ethyl chloride!" he muttered, wrapping the pieces carefully in a paper and putting them into his pocket.
An instant later he crossed the room to the window and examined it.
"Look!" he exclaimed.
There, plainly, were marks of a jimmy which had been inserted near the lock to pry it open.
"Miss Dodge," he asked, "might I—might I trouble you to let me see your arm?"
Wonderingly she did so and Kennedy bent almost reverently over her plump arm examining it.
On it was a small dark discoloration, around which was a slight redness and tenderness.