第19章 The Bacteriological Detective(4)

If grey powder is sprinkled over the spot and then brushed off a distinct impression is seen.If the impression of the fingers is left on something soft, like wax, it is often best to use printers' ink to bring out the ridges and patterns of the finger-marks.And so on for various materials.Quite a science has been built up around finger-prints.

"I wish I had that enlarging camera which I have in my laboratory.However, my ordinary camera will do, for all I want is to preserve a record of these marks, and I can enlarge the photographs later.In the morning I will photograph these marks and you can do the developing of the films.To-night we'll improvise the bathroom as a dark-room and get everything ready so that we can start in bright and early."We were, indeed, up early.One never has difficulty in getting up early in the country: it is so noisy, at least to a city-bred man.City noise at five A.M.is sepulchral silence compared with bucolic activity at that hour.

There were a dozen negatives which I set about developing after Craig had used up all our films.Meanwhile, he busied himself adjusting his microscope and test-tubes and getting the agar slides ready for examination.

Shirt-sleeves rolled up, I was deeply immersed in my work when Iheard a shout in the next room, and the bath-room door flew open.

"Confound you, Kennedy, do you want to ruin these films!" Icried.

He shut the door with a bang."Hurrah, Walter!" he exclaimed."Ithink I have it, at last.I have just found some most promising colonies of the bacilli on one of my slides."I almost dropped the pan of acid I was holding, in my excitement.

"Well," I said, concealing my own surprise, "I've found out something, too.Every one of these finger-prints so far is from the same pair of hands."We scarcely ate any breakfast, and were soon on our way up to the hall.Craig had provided himself at the local stationer's with an inking-pad, such as is used for rubber stamps.At the hall he proceeded to get the impressions of the fingers and thumbs of all the servants.

It was quite a long and difficult piece of work to compare the finger-prints we had taken with those photographed, in spite of the fact that writers descant on the ease with which criminals are traced by this system devised by the famous Galton.However, we at last finished the job between us; or rather Craig finished it, with an occasional remark from me.His dexterity amazed me;it was more than mere book knowledge.

For a moment we sat regarding each other hopelessly.None of the finger-prints taken at the hall tallied with the photographed prints.Then Craig rang for the housekeeper, a faithful old soul whom even the typhoid scare could not budge from her post.

"Are you sure I have seen all the servants who were at the hall while Mr.Bisbee was here" asked Craig.

"Why, no, sir--you didn't ask that.You asked to see all who are here now.There is only one who has left, the cook, Bridget Fallon.She left a couple of days ago--said she was going back to New York to get another job.Glad enough I was to get rid of her, too, for she was drunk most of the time after the typhoid appeared.""Well, Walter, I guess we shall have to go back to New York again, then," exclaimed Kennedy."Oh, I beg pardon, Mrs.Rawson, for interrupting.Thank you ever so much.Where did Bridget come from?""She came well recommended, sir.Here is the letter in my writing-desk.She had been employed by the Caswell-Joneses at Shelter Island before she came here.""I may keep this letter" asked Craig, scanning it quickly.

"Yes."

"By the way, where were the bottles of spring water kept""In the kitchen."

"Did Bridget take charge of them"

"Yes."

"Did Mr.Bisbee have any guests during the last week that he was here?""Only Mr.Denny one night."

"H'm!" exclaimed Craig."Well, it will not be so hard for us to unravel this matter, after all, when we get back to the city.We must make that noon train, Walter.There is nothing more for us to do here."Emerging from the "Tube" at Ninth Street, Craig hustled me into a taxicab, and in almost no time we were at police headquarters.

Fortunately, Inspector Barney O'Connor was in and in an amiable mood, too, for Kennedy had been careful that the Central Office received a large share of credit for the Kerr Parker case.Craig sketched hastily the details of this new case.O'Connor's face was a study.His honest blue Irish eyes fairly bulged in wonder, and when Craig concluded with a request for help I think O'Connor would have given him anything in the office, just to figure in the case.

"First, I want one of your men to go to the surrogate's office and get the original of the will.I shall return it within a couple of hours--all I want to do is to make a photographic copy.

Then another man must find this lawyer, James Denny, and in some way get his fingerprints--you must arrange that yourself.And send another fellow up to the employment offices on Fourth Avenue and have him locate this cook, Bridget Fallon.I want her finger-prints, too.Perhaps she had better be detained, for Idon't want her to get away.Oh, and say, O'Connor, do you want to finish this case up like the crack of a whip tonight?""I'm game, sir.What of it?"