“The water contains, I should say, from ten to fifteen hundredths of a grain of lead to the gallon,” he remarked finally.
“Where did it come from?” asked the druggist, unable longer to restrain his curiosity.
“I got it up at Pearcy’s,” Kennedy replied frankly, turning to observe whether the druggist might betray any knowledge of it.
“That’s strange,” he replied in genuine surprise. “Our water in Stratfield is supplied by a company to a large area, and it has always seemed to me to be of great organic purity.”
“But the pipes are of lead, are they not?” asked Kennedy.
“Y-yes,” answered the druggist, “I think in most places the service pipes are of lead. But,” he added earnestly as he saw the implication of his admission, “water has never to my knowledge been found to attack the pipes so as to affect its quality injuriously.”
He turned his own faucet and drew a glassful. “It is normally quite clear,” he added, holding the glass up.
It was in fact perfectly clear, and when he passed some of the gas through it nothing happened at all.
Just then a man lounged into the store.
“Hello, Doctor,” greeted the druggist. “Here are a couple of fellows that have been investigating the water up at Pearcy’s. They’ve found lead in it. That ought to interest you. This is Dr. Gunther,” he introduced, turning to us.