e following afternoon before I saw Kennedy again. He was
in his laboratory winding two strands of platinum wire carefully about
a piece of porcelain and smearing on it some peculiar black glassy
granular substance that came in a sort of pencil, like a stick of
sealing-wax. I noticed that he was very particular to keep the two wires
exactly the same distance from each other throughout the entire length
of the piece of porcelain, but I said nothing to distract his attention,
though a thousand questions about the progress of the case were at my
tongue's end.

Instead I watched him intently. The black substance formed a sort of
bridge connecting and covering the wires. When he had finished he said:
"Now you can ask me your questions, while I heat and anneal this little
contrivance. I see you are bursting with curiosity."

"Well, did you see Poissan?" I asked.

Kennedy continued to heat the wire-covered porcelain. "I did, and he is
going to give me a demonstration of his discovery to-night."

"His discovery!"

"You remember Morowitch's 'hallucination,' as the doctor called it? That
was no hallucination; that was a reality. This man Poissan says he has
discovered a way to make diamonds artificially out of pure carbon in an
electric furnace. Morowitch, I believe, was to buy his secret. His dream
of millions was a reality--at least to him."

"And did Kahan and Mrs. Morowitch know it?" I asked quickly.

"I don't know yet," replied Craig, finishing the annealing.

The black glassy substance was now a dull grey.

"What's that stuff you were putting on the wire?" I asked.

"Oh, just a by-product made in the manufacture of sulphuric acid,"
answered Kennedy airily, adding, as if to change the subject: "I want
you to go with me to-night. I told Poissan I was a professor in the
university and that I would bring one of our younger trustees, the son
of the banker, T. Pierpont Spencer, who might put some capital into his
scheme. Now, Jameson, while I'm finishing up my work here, run over to
the apartment and get my automatic revolver. I may need it to-night. I
have communicated with Andrews, and he will be ready. The demonstration
will take place at half-past-eight at Poissan's laboratory. I tried to
get him to give it here, but he absolutely refused."

Half an hour later I rejoined Craig at his laboratory, and we rode down
to the Great Eastern Life Building.

Andrews was waiting for us in his solidly furnished office. Outsid