But it was a peril that only
knowledge and patience could meet. Instinctively I turned toward
Kennedy, my own mind being an absolute blank.
"Is there anyone you suspect of being the cause of such an
epidemic?" he asked. "I may as well tell you right now that I
have already formed two theories--one perfectly natural, the
other diabolical. Tell me everything."
"Well, I had expected to receive a fortune of one million
dollars, free and clear, by his will and this morning I am
informed by his lawyer, James Denny, that a new will had been
made. It is still one million. But the remainder, instead of
going to a number of charities in which he was known to be
interested, goes to form a trust fund for the Bisbee School of
Mechanical Arts, of which Mr. Denny is the sole trustee. Of
course, I do not know much about my guardian's interests while he
was alive, but it strikes me as strange that he should have
changed so radically, and, besides, the new will is so worded
that if I die without children my million also goes to this
school--location unnamed. I can't help wondering about it all."
"Why should you wonder--at least what other reasons have you for
wondering?"
"Oh, I can't express them. Maybe after all it's only a woman's
silly intuition. But often I have thought in the past few days
about this illness of my guardian.
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