Page:Arthur Stringer--The House of Intrigue.djvu/171

Rh motley throng had been herded out, for about that time I was having troubles of my own. Both Ezra and Enoch Bartlett had come to Doctor Klinger's help and were doing their best to hold me down. They weren't, however, having things all their own way. I'd broken the point off the hypodermic needle, and as these two old derelicts pawed and wheezed about me I managed to butt Ezra in the midriff. This bowled him over against the writing-table and sent both full length on the floor.

Then I started to show Brother Enoch and that fat-faced doctor just what I could do in the ju-jutsu line. Once I'd squirmed out of their clutch, I knew I could make things interesting with that Sheffield-plate candlestick of mine.

Things were made interesting, however, by quite another event. It was the hurried and unexpected appearance of Miss Ledwidge on the scene. She ran into the room with her eyes wide and her breath coming in stifled little jerks.

"What Is it this time?" piped old Ezra, once more on his feet.

"The body's gone!" she gasped, as she sank weakly into a chair.

Doctor Klinger turned slowly about. His hand was still on my arm, but the tension of his fingers