"Just at present I"m a limnologist."
"Pardon me?"
"A limnologist. Limnology is the science of the life found on the banks of small bodies of water. It is a fascinating study, I a.s.sure you. There is only one chair of limnology in the world."
"And you, I presume, are the inc.u.mbent?" asked the other politely.
"No, indeed! The merest amateur, on the contrary. I"m humbly hoping to discover the eggs of certain neuropterous insects. We know the insects, and we know they lay eggs; but how they conceal them has been a secret since the first dragon-fly rose from the first pool."
"Ah! You are an entomologist, then."
"To some extent."
"So was I, once-when I had more time. Business has drawn my attention, though never my interest, away from it. I"ve entirely dropped my reading in the last year. By the way, were you here in time to witness the swarm of _antiopas_ last month? Rather unusual, I think."
"No, I missed that. What was the feature, specially?"
"The suddenness of the appearance. You know, Helmund says that-"
"Pardon me, who?"
"Helmund, the Belgian."
"Oh, yes, certainly. Go on!"
The stranger went on at some length. He appeared to be an interested rather than a learned student of the subject. As he talked, sitting on the step of his car, from which he had descended, the other studied him, his quiet but forceful voice, his severely handsome face, with its high brows, harsh nose, and chiseled outlines, from which the eyes looked forth, thoughtful, alert, yet with the gaze of a man in pain. Presently he said courteously:
"If you are going back to the hotel, may I take you along? I am Alexander Blair."
"Thank you. I"ll be glad of a lift. My name is Chester Kent."
"Not the Professor Kent of the Ramsay case?"
"The same. You know, Mr. Blair, I"ve always believed that you had more of a hand in Ramsay"s death than I. Now, if you wish to withdraw your offer of a lift-"
"Not at all. A man who has been so abused by the newspapers as I, can stand a little plain speaking. For all that, on my word, Professor Kent, I had no hand in sending Ramsay on that dirty business of his."
The scientist considered him thoughtfully. "Well, I believe you," said he shortly, and got into the machine.
"This meeting is a fortunate chance for me," said Blair presently.
"Chance?" murmured Kent interrogatively.
The car swerved sharply, but immediately resumed the middle of the road.
"Certainly, chance," said the motorist. "What else should it be?"
"Of course," agreed Kent. "As you say."
"I said fortunate," continued the other, "because you are, I believe, the very man I want. There is an affair that has been troubling me a good deal. I haven"t been able to look into it personally, because of the serious illness of my son, who is at my place on Sundayman"s Creek.
But it is in your line, being entomological, and perhaps criminal."
"What is it?" asked Kent.
"An inexplicable destruction of our stored woolens by the clothes moth.
You may perhaps know that I am president of the Kinsella Mills. We"ve been having a great deal of trouble this spring, and our superintendent believes that some enemy is introducing the pest into our warehouses.
Will you take the case?"
"When?"
"Start to-night for Connecticut."
Chester Kent"s long fingers went to the lobe on his ear. "Give me until three o"clock this afternoon to consider. Can I reach you by telephone?"
"Yes, at Hedgerow House, my place."
"That is how far from here?"
"Fourteen miles; but you need not come there. I could return to the hotel to conclude arrangements. And I think," he added significantly, "that you would find the project a profitable one."
"Doubtless. Are you well acquainted with this part of the country, Mr.
Blair?"
"Yes, I"ve been coming here for years."
"Is there an army post near by?"
"Not within a hundred miles."
"Nor any officers on special detail about?"
"None, so far as I know."
Kent produced from his pocket the silver star with the shred of cloth hanging to it. "This may or may not be an important clue to a curious death that occurred here three days ago."
"Yes, I"ve heard something of it," said the other indifferently. "I took it to be mostly gossip."
"Before the death there was a struggle. This star was found at the scene of the struggle."
"It looks like the star from the collar of an officer. I should say positively that it was from an army or navy uniform."
"Positiveness is the greatest temptation and snare that I have to fight against," remarked Chester Kent. "Otherwise I should say positively that no officer, going to a dubious rendezvous, would wear a uniform which would be certain to make him conspicuous. Are you yourself an expert in woolen fabrics, Mr. Blair?"
"I have been."
"Could you tell from that tiny fragment whether or not the whole cloth is all wool?"
Without replying, Blair gave the steering handle a quick sweep, and the car drew up before a drug store. He took the star and was gone a few minutes.