ge practice, but in all that
time he had never had a case exactly like this.

He made up his mind then and there that there was something about this
case which was beyond him--there was something about it that he could
not fathom, that was shrouded in mystery.

He wired without delay, an urgent message to an eminent physician with
whom he was on excellent terms. It was almost midnight when Doctor
Schimpf arrived at the Garner mansion.

His friend, Doctor Crandall, was awaiting him, and together they made
their way at once to the sick-room.

"This is an urgent case, I suppose," said Doctor Schimpf.

"I am afraid so," was the reply. "You will be able to judge when you see
the patient."

Doctor Schimpf's stern face grew sterner still as he made his
examination of poor Jessie. Then the doctors quitted the room and
commenced their consultation.

Nadine Holt looked after them with a strange smile on her face, her
black eyes glittering.

"Well," said Doctor Crandall, "I wonder if we both have the same opinion
in regard to this case."

"It can admit of but one," returned Doctor Schimpf, with a shake of his
head.

"And that is?"

"It is a case of slow poisoning," was the answer.

Doctor Crandall grasped his friend's hand.

"That was my view exactly," he said, huskily.

"There is but one way to proceed," returned Doctor Schimpf: "we must set
a watch upon the inmates of the sick-room, and discover who is the
perpetrator of this awful crime; and in the meantime make minute
inquiries if there is any one under this roof who would be likely to be
benefited by this poor girl's death. I propose that we proceed without
an hour's delay."

"Agreed!" returned the other, promptly. "And I would suggest, as well,
that a woman be secured, if possible, to undertake this task of
ferreting out who is responsible for this awful crime that will soon
terminate fatally if not nipped in the bud."

The next morning a young colored girl duly presented herself at the
Garner mansion.

"I have brought you an assistant," said Doctor Crandall, leading her
into the presence of Dorothy and Nadine Holt, and bowing to each in
turn. "She is to obey your orders implicitly, and wait upon you. The
medicines we have left are of an extremely pungent odor, and likely to
overcome a person unused to them. She can attend to mixing the
preparations for you, if you both consider her competent to do so, which
you can tell after a short trial;" adding,