forever?

Mechanically the pulmotor pumped. Would it save her?

Constance was living over what she had already seen through the
detectascope. Suddenly she thought of the strange letter and of the
money.

She hurried into the drug store. Muller had already been taken away,
but before the officer left in charge could interfere she picked up the
carbon sheet on which the letter had been copied, turned it over and
held it eagerly to the light.

She read in amazement. It was a confession. In it Muller admitted to
Dr. Moreland Price that he was the head of a sort of dope trust, that
he had messengers out, like Sleighbells, that he had often put dope in
the prescriptions sent him by the doctor, and had repeatedly violated
the law and refilled such prescriptions. On its face it was complete
and convincing.

Yet it did not satisfy Constance. She could not believe that Adele had
committed suicide. Adele must possess some secret. What was it?

"Is--is there any change?" she asked anxiously of the young surgeon now
engrossed in his work.

For answer he merely nodded to the apparently motionless form on the
bed, and for a moment stopped the pulmotor.

The mechanical movement of the body ceased. But in its place was a
slight tremor about the lips and mouth.

Adele moved--was faintly gasping for breath!

"Adele!" cried Constance softly in her ear. "Adele!"

Something, perhaps a far-away answer of recognition, seemed to flicker
over her face. The doctor redoubled his efforts.

"Adele--do you know me?" whispered Constance again.

"Yes," came back faintly at last. "There--there's something--wrong with
it--They--they--"

"How? What do you mean?" urged Constance. "Tell me, Adele."

The girl moved uneasily. The doctor administered a stimulant and she
vaguely opened her eyes, began to talk hazily, dreamily. Constance bent
over to catch the faint words which would have been lost to the others.

"They--are going to--double cross the Health Department," she murmured
as if to herself, then gathering strength she went on, "Muller and
Sleighbells will be arrested and take the penalty. They have been
caught with the goods, anyhow. It has all been arranged so that the
detective will get his case. Money--will be paid to both of them, to
Muller and the detective, to swing the case and protect him. He made me
do it. I saw the detective, even danced with him and he agreed to do
it. Oh, I would do anything--I am his willing tool when