The Project Gutenberg EBook of Master Tales of Mystery, Volume 3
by Collected and Arranged by Francis J. Reynolds

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Title: Master Tales of Mystery, Volume 3

Author: Collected and Arranged by Francis J. Reynolds

Release Date: April 8, 2004 [EBook #11949]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MASTER TALES OF MYSTERY, VOLUME 3 ***

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MASTER TALES of MYSTERY

COLLECTED AND ARRANGED BY FRANCIS J. REYNOLDS

VOLUME III

CONTENTS

ARTHUR B. REEVE
THE POISONED PEN
THE INVISIBLE RAT
THE SILENT BULLET
THE DEADLY TUBS
THE BLACK HAND
THE STEEL DOOR

PAUL L. FORD
GREAT K. & A. TRAIN ROBBERY

MAX PEMBERTON
THE RISEN DEAD

GEO.B. McCUTCHEON
COWARDICE COURT

BURTON E. STEVENSON
THE CASE OF MRS. MAGNUS

JOSEPH ERNEST
THE EPISODE or THE BLACK CASQUETTE

MARJORIE L.C. PICKTHALL
CHEAP

The Poisoned Pen

BY ARTHUR B. REEVE

I

Kennedy's suit-case was lying open on the bed, and he was literally
throwing things into it from his chiffonier, as I entered after a
hurried trip up-town from the _Star_ office in response to an urgent
message from him.

"Come, Walter," he cried, hastily stuffing in a package of clean
laundry without taking off the wrapping-paper, "I've got your suit-case
out. Pack up whatever you can in five minutes. We must take the six
o'clock train for Danbridge."

I did not wait to hear any more. The mere mention of the name of the
quaint and quiet little Connecticut town was sufficient. For Danbridge
was on everybody's lips at that time. It was the scene of the now
famous Danbridge poisoning case--a brutal case in which the pretty
little actress, Vera Lytton, had been the victim.

"I've been retained by Senator Adrian Willard," he called from his
room, as I was busy packing in mine. "The Willard family believe that
that young Dr. Dixon is the victim of a conspiracy--or at least Alma
Willard does, which comes to the same thing, and--well, the senator
called me up on long-distance and offered me anything I would name in
reason to take