The Circular Study | Page 9

spite of her. But I likes
money, sir; I don't get too much of it."
Mr. Gryce by this time was moving on. "Not young," he repeated to
himself. "Some old flame, then, of Mr. Adams; they're apt to be
dangerous, very dangerous, more dangerous than the young ones."
In front of the drug-store he paused. "Show me where she stood while
you went in."
The boy pointed out the identical spot. He seemed as eager as the
detective.

"And was she standing there when you came out?"
"Oh, no, sir; she went away while I was inside."
"Did you see her go? Can you tell me whether she went up street or
down?"
"I had one eye on her, sir; I was afraid she was coming into the shop
after me, and my arm was too sore for me to want her to clinch hold on
it again. So when she started to go, I took a step nearer, and saw her
move toward the curbstone and hold up her hand. But it wasn't a car
she was after, for none came by for several minutes."
The fold between Mr. Gryce's eyes perceptibly smoothed out.
"Then it was some cabman or hack-driver she hailed. Were there any
empty coaches about that you saw?"
The boy had not noticed. He had reached the limit of his observations,
and no amount of further questioning could elicit anything more from
him. This Mr. Gryce soon saw, and giving him into the charge of one
of his assistants who was on duty at this place, he proceeded back to
the ill-omened house where the tragedy itself had occurred.
"Any one waiting for me?" he inquired of Styles, who came to the door.
"Yes, sir; a young man; name, Hines. Says he's an electrician."
"That's the man I want. Where is he?"
"In the parlor, sir."
"Good! I'll see him. But don't let any one else in. Anybody upstairs?"
"No, sir, all gone. Shall I go up or stay here?"
"You'd better go up. I'll look after the door."
Styles nodded, and went toward the stairs, up which he presently

disappeared. Mr. Gryce proceeded to the parlor.
A dapper young man with an intelligent eye rose to meet him. "You
sent for me," said he.
The detective nodded, asked a few questions, and seeming satisfied
with the replies he received, led the way into Mr. Adams's study, from
which the body had been removed to an upper room. As they entered, a
mild light greeted them from a candle which, by Mr. Gryce's orders,
had been placed on a small side table near the door. But once in, Mr.
Gryce approached the larger table in the centre of the room, and placing
his hand on one of the buttons before him, asked his companion to be
kind enough to blow out the candle. This he did, leaving the room for a
moment in total darkness. Then with a sudden burst of illumination, a
marvellous glow of a deep violet color shot over the whole room, and
the two men turned and faced each other both with inquiry in their
looks, so unexpected was this theatrical effect to the one, and so
inexplicable its cause and purpose to the other.
"That is but one slide," remarked Mr. Gryce. "Now I will press another
button, and the color changes to--pink, as you see. This one produces
green, this one white, and this a bilious yellow, which is not becoming
to either of us, I am sure. Now will you examine the connection, and
see if there is anything peculiar about it?"
Mr. Hines at once set to work. But beyond the fact that the whole
contrivance was the work of an amateur hand, he found nothing strange
about it, except the fact that it worked so well.
Mr. Gryce showed disappointment.
"He made it, then, himself?" he asked.
"Undoubtedly, or some one else equally unacquainted with the latest
method of wiring."
"Will you look at these books over here and see if sufficient knowledge
can be got from them to enable an amateur to rig up such an

arrangement as this?"
Mr. Hines glanced at the shelf which Mr. Gryce had pointed out, and
without taking out the books, answered briefly:
"A man with a deft hand and a scientific turn of mind might, by the aid
of these, do all you see here and more. The aptitude is all."
"Then I'm afraid Mr. Adams had the aptitude," was the dry response.
There was disappointment in the tone. Why, his next words served to
show. "A man with a turn for mechanical contrivances often wastes
much time and money on useless toys only fit for children to play with.
Look at that bird cage now. Perched at a height