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Portable X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry
Capabilities for In Situ Analysis
Portable X-ray Fluorescence
Spectrometry
Capabilities for In Situ Analysis

Edited by

Philip J Potts
The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK

Margaret West
West X-ray Solutions Ltd, Sheffield, UK
ISBN: 978-0-85404-552-5

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

r The Royal Society of Chemistry 2008

All rights reserved

Apart from fair dealing for the purposes of research for non-commercial purposes or for
private study, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents
Act 1988 and the Copyright and Related Rights Regulations 2003, this publication may not
be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior
permission in writing of The Royal Society of Chemistry, or in the case of reproduction in
accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency in the UK,
or in accordance with the terms of the licences issued by the appropriate Reproduction
Rights Organization outside the UK. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside the terms
stated here should be sent to The Royal Society of Chemistry at the address printed on
this page.

Published by The Royal Society of Chemistry,

Thomas Graham House, Science Park, Milton Road,
Cambridge CB4 0WF, UK

Registered Charity Number 207890

For further information see our web site at www.rsc.org

Preface
Over the last 50 years, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry has evolved
from a manual wavelength dispersive analytical technique used by academics
and a few adventurous industrial chemists to an automated, major tool rec-
ognised for its ability to provide comprehensive, quantitative analytical data
for scientists and industrialists working in a laboratory, plant or field en-
vironment. Developments in excitation sources, detectors and microprocessor
technology have facilitated the design of energy dispersive configurations
capable of analysing most elements in the periodic table with detection limits
that, under optimum conditions, fall below the mg kg 1 level. In the last 20
years, portable XRF systems have also been developed and are now com-
mercially available, making it possible to take the spectrometer to the sample
rather than the other way round. These hand-held devices are particularly
appropriate for the inorganic analysis of a variety of sample types in situ in the
field to satisfy many needs of contemporary scientific interests.
This book brings together the knowledge and expertise of internationally
recognised scientists with practical experience of in situ analysis using portable
X-ray fluorescence technology. It offers a general introduction to the technique
and its applications, including the assessment of contaminated land, surfaces,
coatings and paints, workplace monitoring, metal and alloy sorting, geo-
chemical prospecting, archaeological investigations, museum samples and
works of art and extraterrestrial analysis. In addition, information is given on
the analytical capabilities, instrumentation, quantification, correction pro-
cedures and sampling considerations specific to hand-held systems. Whilst
many authors use commercially available instrumentation, applications such as
the analysis of works of art, geochemical prospecting and extraterrestrial
studies demonstrate the ingenuity of the authors to develop and build equip-
ment for specifically demanding studies.
The chapters in this book are designed to enable scientists and students alike
to appreciate the advantages offered by portable X-ray fluorescence spec-
trometry to support the concept of interactive sampling and analysis. In situ
analysis entails placing the analyser in contact with the surface of the material
of interest. No sample preparation is required – therefore the technique is
particularly appropriate for situations where it is not possible or desirable to

Portable X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry: Capabilities for In Situ Analysis

Edited by Philip J Potts and Margaret West
r The Royal Society of Chemistry 2008

v
vi Preface
move the test piece. In many cases quantification for in situ XRF analysis may
be complex, requiring careful consideration of physical matrix effects (related
to particle size, surface irregularity, sample mineralogy and moisture), chemical
matrix effects (including absorption and enhancement), and spectral inter-
ferences. All the interfering effects, together with the relevant correction pro-
cedures, are introduced and critically reviewed. In addition, parameters related
to the applications of portable XRF spectrometers are defined, such as critical
penetration depth, detection limit, precision, accuracy, role of blank samples,
and total uncertainty of the in situ XRF measurements.
Several chapters demonstrate the ability of in situ measurements to provide
supplementary information such as the determination of coating thickness and
the identification of a manufactured alloy. Hand-held systems are particularly
suited to situations where conformance to legislation is a priority, as demon-
strated in the chapters on surveying contaminated land and workplace
monitoring.
Future improvements in portable XRF systems are considered where the
analyser will be expected to be a tool to solve problems and enable decisions to
be made rather than simply produce data. Devices today may be equipped with
wireless technology to link the spectrometer to a larger computer or with GPS
capability for linking the measurement results with the geographical location.
Given the multitude of possible situations and objects that may require testing
there is still much untapped potential for the use of in situ hand-held XRF
spectrometry. The way this potential will be exploited in the future, especially in
the area of environmental analysis, will depend on changes in regulatory re-
quirements, recognizing the continuing societal concern about minimizing the
impact of human activities. Details in this book cover the contemporary
standing of the technique, but readers will need to check and monitor changes
that will influence the applicability of PXRF in the future.

Acknowledgements
The editors and authors thank the many scientists and practitioners who
generously shared the information and data used in this book.

Philip J. Potts
Margaret West
Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction, Analytical Instrumentation and

Application Overview
Philip J. Potts
1.1 Portable X-ray Fluorescence 1
1.2 Techniques Capable of In Situ Portable
Analytical Measurements 2
1.2.1 Spark Source Optical Emission Spectrometry 2
1.2.2 Gamma Spectrometry 2
1.2.3 Chemical Test Kits 4
1.2.4 Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) 4
1.2.5 Portable X-ray Fluorescence 4
1.3 PXRF Instrumentation 5
1.3.1 Excitation Sources 5
1.3.2 Sampling Positioning 7
1.3.3 Detectors 8
1.3.4 Pulse Processing and Data Analysis 9
1.4 Modes of Operation 10
1.5 Applications 11
1.5.1 Interactive Sampling and Analysis 11
1.5.2 Judgemental Sampling and Analysis 11
1.5.3 Conventional Sampling and Analysis
Not Possible 12
Reference 12

Chapter 2 Quantification and Correction Procedures

Andrzej A. Markowicz
2.1 Overview 13
2.2 Introduction 13
2.2.1 Types of X-ray Fluorescence Technique 15
2.2.2 Scattering of Primary Radiation 16

Portable X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry: Capabilities for In Situ Analysis

Edited by Philip J Potts and Margaret West
r The Royal Society of Chemistry 2008

vii
viii Contents

2.3 General Considerations 17

2.3.1 Critical Penetration Depth 18
2.3.2 Analytical Parameters of XRF Analysis 18
2.3.3 Total Uncertainty of In Situ XRF
Measurements 20
2.4 Factors Influencing Accuracy 21
2.4.1 Physical Matrix Effects 21
2.4.2 Chemical Matrix Effects 24
2.4.3 Spectral Interferences 24
2.5 Correction Procedures for Physical Matrix Effects 25
2.5.1 Correction for Surface Irregularity Effects 25
2.5.2 Correction for Mineralogy Effects 26
2.6 Correction Procedures for Chemical Matrix Effects 27
2.6.1 Analysis of Thin Samples 28
2.6.2 Analysis of Intermediate Thickness Samples 28
2.6.3 Analysis of Thick Samples 30
2.6.4 Other Methods Applied for the Chemical
Matrix Effects Correction 35
References 36

Chapter 3 Contaminated Land: Cost-effective Investigation

within Sampling Constraints
Michael Ramsey

3.1 Introduction 39
3.2 Typical In Situ Applications of PXRF 40
3.3 Advantages and Disadvantages of In Situ PXRF 41
3.4 Uncertainty in PXRF Measurements 44
3.5 Factors Controlling the Precision, and hence
Detection Limits 50
3.6 Less Obvious Advantages and Disadvantages
of In Situ PXRF 52
3.7 Future Developments 53
References 54

Chapter 4 Coatings, Paint and Thin Film Deposits

Stanislaw Piorek

4.1 Introduction 56
4.2 What is a Coating? 56
4.2.1 Brief Overview of Major Non-destructive
Methods of Coating Thickness Measurement 57
4.3 XRF Method for Coating Thickness 60
4.3.1 Theory 60
Contents ix

4.4 Selection of Optimum Analytical Conditions 64

4.4.1 Coating Range and Excitation Source 66
4.4.2 Sensitivity and Precision of Measurement 66
4.5 Typical Examples 68
4.6 Special Cases of Coating Measurements 71
4.6.1 Lead in Applied Paint 71
4.6.2 Air Particulates on Filter 73
4.7 Summary and Conclusions 79
References 80

Chapter 5 Hazardous Substances in the Workplace

Margaret West

5.1 Introduction to Occupational Hygiene 83

5.2 Routes for Exposure 84
5.2.1 Inhalation 84
5.2.2 Dermal Exposure 85
5.2.3 Oral Exposure 85
5.3 Sampling 85
5.3.1 Air 86
5.3.2 Dermal Contamination 89
5.3.3 Contaminated Surfaces 89
5.4 Theoretical Considerations 90
5.4.1 Specimen Layer Depth 90
5.4.2 Particle Size 92
5.4.3 Background Blanks 92
5.5 Measurements in the Workplace 93
5.5.1 Air Monitoring 93
5.5.2 Contaminated Surfaces 95
5.6 Conclusion 96
References 96

Chapter 6 Alloy Identification and Analysis with a Field-Portable

XRF Analyser
Stanislaw Piorek

6.1 Introduction 98
6.1.1 Rationale behind Analysis of Alloys in the Field 98
6.1.2 Existing Methods of Alloys Identification
and XRF Analysis 101
6.2 Addressing the Problem of Alloy Identification 102
6.2.1 Defining the Task 102
6.2.2 Solutions 103
6.3 Analytical Approach 106
x Contents

6.3.1Quantitative Assaying Schemes used in XRF

Analysis of Alloys 108
6.3.2 Qualitative Identification and Sorting of Alloys 114
6.3.3 Pass/Fail Sorting 116
6.3.4 Type Calibration 116
6.5 Modern, Field-Portable XRF Analyser for Alloys 117
6.5.1 Hardware Considerations 117
6.5.2 Software 118
6.5.3 Commercially Available Instruments – Feature
Comparison 121
6.5.4 Typical Performance Data 122
6.6 Practical Issues to Consider 132
6.6.1 Radioisotope or X-ray Tube Excitation? 132
6.6.2 Sample Condition 136
6.7 Summary and Conclusions 138
Acknowledgements 138
References 138

Chapter 7 Geochemical Prospecting

Ge Liangquan

7.1 Introduction 141

7.2 In Situ PXRF Analysis 142
7.2.1 Natural Soil 142
7.2.2 Natural Rock 148
7.2.3 Drill Core and Borehole Logging 152
7.2.4 Sediments 155
7.3 Prepared Soil and Rock Samples 157
7.4 Applications in Mining 159
7.5 Applications in Mineral Processing 166
References 172

Chapter 8 The Application of Portable X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis

to Archaeological Lithic Provenancing
Olwen Williams-Thorpe

8.1 Introduction 174

8.1.1 Background and Early Applications
of PXRF in Archaeology 175
8.2 Instrumental, Practical and Analytical Considerations
in Field and Museum Applications of PXRF 176
8.2.1 Instrumentation and its Suitability
for Silicate Lithic Analysis 176
8.2.2 Practical and Analytical Considerations
Important for Field and Museum Applications
of PXRF 177
Contents xi

8.3 Applications 182

8.3.1 British Neolithic and Bronze Age Stone Axes 182
8.3.2 Roman Imperial Porphyry 192
8.3.3 Roman Granite Columns 194
8.4 Assessment of the Contribution of PXRF to Lithic
Provenancing, and Comment on its Future Potential 200
Acknowledgements 203
References 203

Chapter 9 Portable Systems for Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence

Analysis of Works of Art
Roberto Cesareo, Stefano Ridolfi, Maurizio Marabelli, Alfredo
Castellano, Giovanni Buccolieri, Marina Donativi, Giovanni
E. Gigante, Antonio Brunetti and Marco A. Rosales Medina

9.1 Introduction 206

9.2 Theoretical Background 207
9.2.1 Thick Samples 207
9.2.2 Thin Samples 209
9.2.3 Thickness Measurement in the Case
of Thin Layers 210
9.3 Objects, their Preparation and Elements
that can be Analysed 213
9.4 Instrumentation for PXRF Analysis 216
9.4.1 Radiation Sources 216
9.4.2 X-ray Detectors 217
9.4.3 Multi-channel Analyser 218
9.4.4 Capillary Collimators 218
9.5 Experimental Set-Up 219
9.6 Results 219
9.6.1 Bronze Statues 219
9.6.2 Mural Paintings 229
9.6.3 Gold Artefacts 231
9.6.4 Paintings 235
9.7 Conclusions 243
Acknowledgements 243
References 243

Chapter 10 Extraterrestrial Analysis: Planetary X-Ray Fluorescence

from Orbiting Spacecraft and Landers
G.W. Fraser

10.1 Introduction 247

10.2 In Situ XRF Analysis of Planetary Surfaces 248
xii Contents

10.2.1 Instrumentation Principles 248

10.2.2 Missions 251
10.2.3 Future Developments 256
10.3 X-Ray Remote Sensing of Planetary Surfaces 257
10.3.1 Sources of Primary Excitation 258
10.3.2 Non-imaging and Imaging Instruments 261
10.3.3 Missions 265
Acknowledgements 274
References 274
CHAPTER 1

Introduction, Analytical
Instrumentation and
Application Overview
PHILIP J. POTTS

Faculty of Science, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7
6AA, UK

1.1 Portable X-ray Fluorescence

Portable X-ray fluorescence analysis offers some unique advantages that cannot be
rivalled by any other analytical technique. These advantages arise not just from the
multi-element capability of the technique, nor just from its non-destructive nature,
but most importantly from the immediate availability to the operator of infor-
mation on the chemical composition of a sample in the field. Thus, the operator
has information in real time that can contribute directly to solving the problem for
which analytical results are required, and indeed far more quickly than con-
ventional sampling and laboratory analysis. These advantages of direct in situ
analysis also give rise to several limitations to the technique that are summarized
later in this chapter. However, before exploring these characteristics further, it is
important to expand on the meaning of ‘‘portable’’ and, in particular, the cap-
ability of using PXRF for in situ determinations.
Many analytical techniques can be considered ‘‘portable’’ in the sense that
they can be operated in a mobile laboratory. In this mode of operation, the
mobile laboratory can be transported to a field site to provide an immediate
laboratory analysis facility. The advantages of this mode of operation are
that sample submission times and the reporting of analytical results can
occur rapidly. Furthermore, investigators collecting and submitting samples

Portable X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry: Capabilities for In Situ Analysis

Edited by Philip J Potts and Margaret West
r The Royal Society of Chemistry 2008

1
2 Chapter 1
for analysis also have immediate access to the chemical analyst operating
the laboratory to provide expertise on data quality and the resolution of
any analytical difficulties. Many techniques can be used in this way just
as effectively as PXRF, and the analytical procedures used are likely to be the
same as those adopted in a permanent laboratory. However, the particular
advantage of PXRF results from the capability of the technique to undertake
in situ analytical measurements. In this context, ‘‘in situ’’ is used to mean that
the analytical instrument is taken to, and placed in contact with, the sample. An
analytical measurement is undertaken and the result is immediately available to
the operator. The operator can then make use of this information in deciding
what to analyse next, giving rise to the concept of an ‘‘interactive sampling and
analysis’’ capability. PXRF belongs, therefore, to a special category of ‘‘hand
held’’ instrumentation.
The importance of PXRF in the field of in situ analysis is that few other
techniques are capable of this mode of operation. Considering only the tech-
niques used to determine inorganic elements (other portable techniques can
measure organic species), the capabilities of the principle techniques that can be
operated in this mode are shown in Table 1.1. The analytical characteristics of
these techniques are outlined briefly below.

1.2 Techniques Capable of In Situ Portable

Analytical Measurements
1.2.1 Spark Source Optical Emission Spectrometry
This technique uses the energy of an electrical discharge to ablate and excite a
small mass of sample material. The energy of the spark causes atoms (and ions)
of the sample to become excited and to emit characteristic optical lines from
which elemental abundances can be determined. The technique offers high sen-
sitivity to many low- and middle-order atomic number elements, with lower
sensitivity for higher atomic number elements. The technique is very effective in
the analysis of electrical conducting samples, and for this reason is widely used in
applications such as alloy sorting. Non-conducting samples can only be analysed
effectively if crushed and mixed with a conducting binder as, otherwise, the spark
emission is highly erratic. The technique is not, therefore, suitable for the in situ
analysis of non-conducting material where sample preparation is not possible.

1.2.2 Gamma Spectrometry

When applied to the analysis of natural samples, gamma spectrometry is used to
measure gamma emissions associated with the radioactive decay of three elem-
ents, potassium, thorium and uranium. Potassium has a naturally occurring
radioactive isotope, 40K and the naturally occurring parent isotopes 235U and
232
Th form a series of radioactive progeny isotopes. Because the half-life of these
isotopes is in excess of 108 years, all occur naturally in rock samples. Gamma
rays associated with each of these elements may be detected with a large volume
Table 1.1 Techniques capable of in situ portable analytical measurements of inorganic materials.
Non-
Technique Element range destructive? Typical sample mass Comments
Portable X-ray Most of elements in Yes mg to g, depending in Used in a wide range of
fluorescence periodic table energy of charac- applications involving the
above Si teristic X-ray analysis of solid samples
Spark-source optical Many elements in Small mass ng to mg range Effective for analysing con-
emission periodic table, re- of material ducting samples, particularly
spectrometry duced sensitivity ablated metals and widely used for
for high atomic alloy sorting in scrap metal
elements recycling
Gamma K, Th, U Yes tonne range Normally used for field testing
spectrometry of rocks and soils, detection
of mineralization and sur-
veying for artificial radio-
active contamination in the
environment
Chemical test kits, Mainly trace No mL or g of sample Mainly used to analyse waters,
anodic stripping elements sometimes soils
voltammetry
Introduction, Analytical Instrumentation and Application Overview

Laser-induced Similar to SS-OESa Small mass ng to mg range Technique is rapidly

breakdown of material developing and is not just
spectrometry ablated limited to conducting samples
a
SS-OES ¼ spark source optical emission spectrometry.
3
4 Chapter 1
sodium iodide scintillation detector. The technique has been used in geochemical
exploration in the search for U/Th mineralization and also for the non-de-
structive provenancing of archaeological rock samples. However, the gamma
emissions detected by this technique can penetrate through a significant mass of
sample, so the analysed volume is in the cubic metre range, and the analysed
mass is several tonne of material. The technique has mg kg
1 detection limits for
Th and U and is effective in measuring the average composition when large
masses of material are present, a factor that could be an advantage or a limi-
tation, depending on the application.

1.2.3 Chemical Test Kits

Some chemical test kits have been developed, particularly for geochemical
exploration and lead in paint applications. A gel containing appropriate
chemical reagents is painted onto a sample and changes colour if the element of
interest is present. Normally the procedure is only capable of detecting a single
designated element and this mode of operation would only be suitable for
certain applications – particularly in geochemical exploration programmes in
the search for mineralization.

1.2.4 Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS)

This is a developing technique that is capable of the in situ analysis of samples.
Essentially, the technique is the laser equivalent of spark source optical emis-
sion. In LIBS, the sample surface is excited by a laser. Interactions between
sample and laser cause the ablation of a small mass, forming a highly energetic
plasma. Atomic and ionic emission lines from this plasma may then be detected
by an appropriate spectrometer, giving the technique a multi-element cap-
ability. The technique does not suffer the restrictions in requiring a conducting
sample of the spark source technique, although matrix effects occur in relation
to the amount of material ablated and influences on atomic and ionic emission
intensities. Hand held instrumentation and quantification techniques are an
area of significant activity.

1.2.5 Portable X-ray Fluorescence

The technique that is the subject of this monograph uses either a miniature X-ray
tube or a sealed radioactive source to excite the sample with X-ray photons.
These primary X-ray photons can excite secondary X-ray photons characteristic
of the atoms present in the sample; the resultant X-ray spectrum is recorded with
a suitable detector. In theory, the technique can measure almost all the elements
in the periodic table. However, as PXRF measurements are normally undertaken
in air, severe attenuation of the low-energy fluorescence X-rays occurs (unless
special precautions are taken) so that elements below about Si (depending on
instrument design) cannot be effectively detected. Elements that can be detected
with highest sensitivity are those measured from the K-line series with absorption
Introduction, Analytical Instrumentation and Application Overview 5
edges just below the energy of the characteristic emission lines from the exci-
tation source. These are normally elements up to about Mo in the periodic table,
but depend on the excitation source selected. The K-lines of higher atomic
elements cannot always be excited with adequate sensitivity, but may be deter-
mined at a lower sensitivity and with some risk of additional spectrum overlap
interference from their corresponding L-series lines. The mass of sample ana-
lysed depends on the energy of the characteristic fluorescent X-ray and its as-
sociated critical penetration depth within the sample. The critical penetration
depth is the depth below the surface of the sample beyond which over 99% of the
X-ray line emission of an element is absorbed within the sample and is not
available for detection. Because the absorption characteristics of X-rays vary
with energy, for the lower atomic number elements (which emit low energy
fluorescence lines), critical penetration depths are in the mm range. For the
K-lines of higher atomic elements, critical penetration depths are in the 1–10 mm
range (noting the restrictions on exciting the higher atomic number K-lines
mentioned above). The best estimate of analysed mass for elements routinely
determined by PXRF is, therefore, in the tens of mg to hundreds of mg range.
These concepts are described in more detail in the following chapters.
When evaluating the analytical characteristics of these techniques, it is
apparent that PXRF has several advantages related to the range of elements that
can be determined and the lack of restriction on the sample types to which the
technique can be applied. However, several considerations additional to those
applicable to conventional laboratory techniques must be taken into account.

1.3 PXRF Instrumentation

Portable XRF is one of the instrumental techniques that has developed rapidly in
recent years, largely because of advances in miniaturization and semiconductor
detector technology. Like other XRF instrumentation, PXRF consists of an
excitation source, sample positioning facility, detector and pulse processing and
analysis facility. However, portability means that in the selection and integration
of these components, there is an emphasis on minimizing both mass and power
consumption in an ergonomically designed instrument. The characteristics of each
of these components are as follows.

1.3.1 Excitation Sources

1.3.1.1 Sealed Radioactive Excitation Sources
For earlier generations of instrument, sealed sources were the only practicable
option and certainly meet the criteria of minimum mass with no inherent power
consumption. However, only a limited number of sources have decay charac-
teristics suitable for PXRF applications and relevant details; Table 1.2 lists the
principal applications in the range of K-lines that can be excited.
One way of assessing the capabilities and applications of these sources is to
compare them with the source excitation characteristics of the more familiar
6 Chapter 1
Table 1.2 Sealed radioactive sources commonly used in PXRF instrumentation.
Principal Nearest Range of element
Decay emission equivalent K-lines that can be
Source Half-life mode lines X-ray tube effectively excited
55
Fe 2.7 years ECa Mn Ka/Kb Cr anode Na–Ti
238
Pu 86.4 years Alphab U Lines Mo anode Ca–As
109
Cd 453 days EC Ag Ka/Kb Ag or Rh Ca–Mo
anode
241
Am 432.7 years Alpha 59.5 keV None Fe–Gd
a
EC ¼ electron capture
b
alpha ¼ alpha particle decay

conventional X-ray tube. As can be seen from Table 1.2, the closest X-ray tube
equivalents to these sources are 55Fe – Cr anode, 109Cd – Rh or Ag anode
and 238Pu – Mo anode. The 59.5 keV gamma emission from 241Am has no direct
X-ray tube equivalent, mainly because tube generators are often restricted to a
maximum operating potential of 60 or 75 kV and so are not capable of efficiently
exciting characteristic X-rays of this energy (as a rule of thumb, a potential of 3
to 4 times the X-ray emission energy is required for effective excitation). As with
all XRF applications, choice of source is dictated by the intended application,
with a combination of 55Fe, 109Cd and 241Am being required for a comprehensive
multi-element analysis capability. PXRF instruments that incorporate sources
are generally simple in design, with the source offering stable and essentially
monochromatic excitation characteristics. For elements with absorption
edges just below the source emission energies, which are particularly well excited,
the absence of a continuum component to the excitation spectrum offers the
advantage of minimizing scatter under the fluorescence lines of interest, so
avoiding a degradation in detection limits. The predictable decay characteristics
(characterized by source half-life) permits a simple calculation to be made of
the progressive reduction in source intensity based on the known half-life of
the source.
However, there are several specific disadvantages to the use of radioactive
source excitation especially in comparison with miniature X-ray tubes, as follows:

1. Instruments containing radioactive materials are covered by specific

regularity requirements – in the UK the Radioactive Substances Act places
a legal obligation on users to register instrumentation as ‘‘mobile radio-
active apparatus’’ and places specific limitations on the countries covered
by a particular operating licence. There are also additional duties of care
placed on operators to ensure the security and safe operation of instru-
mentation. Because miniature X-ray tube instruments can be turned off
when not in use, restrictions only apply when the instrument is in use.
2. Because of the need to provide radiation shielding, a restriction on the
maximum activity of sources that can be incorporated in hand-held in-
struments means that sources used in PXRF are not as bright as is the
emission available from miniature X-ray tubes.
Introduction, Analytical Instrumentation and Application Overview 7
3. Source excitation spectra cannot be optimized as flexibly as can miniature
X-ray tubes (see below). In addition, the absence of a continuum com-
ponent in the source emission spectrum means that sources may not be as
efficient at exciting the lower atomic number elements.
4. The finite half-life of sources, in particular 55Fe and 109Cd (see Table 1.2),
limits their useful life and dictates periodic replacement.
5. The permanent nature of source emissions means that special consider-
ation is required to provide effective shielding and interlocks, even when
the instrument is not in use.

1.3.1.2 Miniature X-ray Tubes

The development of miniaturization technology has led to the introduction of
miniature X-ray tubes with power requirements that are compatible with battery
operated instrumentation. As with all XRF instrumentation, in considering a
specific application, a significant issue is the choice of anode in relation to the
range of elements to be excited most efficiently (Table 1.2). To allow further
optimization of excitation conditions, the most versatile instruments allow users
to select tube kV and mA to optimize excitation conditions and, in the most
adaptable instruments, by the selection of a primary beam filter. The latter
normally consists of a thin metal foil placed between the X-ray tube and sample
and is designed to modify the tube spectrum available to excite the sample. This
can have the beneficial effect of reducing the intensity of the tube continuum in
comparison with the characteristic tube lines, and so reducing the proportion of
tube continuum available for scatter off the sample that would otherwise con-
tribute to the detected background, so degrading detection limits. For highly
specific applications (e.g. instruments optimized for the determination of single
elements), balanced filters may be used but, in this instance, placed between the
sample and the detector to attenuate the fluorescence spectrum available for
detection. Balanced filters consist of a pair of foil filters of metals a few atomic
numbers apart that provide a narrow energy window of high transmission
centred on the emission line of the element of interest. Selectivity is provided by
the adjacent absorption edges of the metal foils, such that higher energy radiation
is absorbed by the higher atomic foil and vice versa. In this way, high trans-
mission of the element line of interest is achieved in a manner that can be used to
compensate for the poor resolution of proportional counters, for example, when
used as energy dispersive detectors. Primary beam filters may be selectable by the
operator, or fixed, depending on the design flexibility.

1.3.2 Sampling Positioning

Many laboratory XRF instruments possess elaborate sample exchange devices,
often with samples held within an evacuated sample chamber. Whereas the
same issues in ensuring accurate positioning of the sample in relation to
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The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Cat's Paw
This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States
and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no
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Title: The Cat's Paw

Author: Natalie Sumner Lincoln

Illustrator: William Fisher

Release date: October 29, 2021 [eBook #66627]

Language: English

Original publication: United States: D. Appleton and Company

Credits: D A Alexander and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team

at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from
images generously made available by The Internet Archive)

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CAT'S PAW

***
 THE CAT’S PAW
BY

NATALIE SUMNER LINCOLN

AUTHOR OF “THE RED SEAL,” “THE UNSEEN EAR,”

“THE TREVOR CASE,” “THE MOVING FINGER,” ETC.

D. APPLETON AND COMPANY

NEW YORK :: 1922 :: LONDON
 COPYRIGHT, 1922, BY
D. APPLETON AND COMPANY

Copyright, 1922, by Street and Smith

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
By NATALIE
SUMNER LINCOLN
THE CAT’S PAW
THE UNSEEN EAR
THE THREE
STRINGS
THE MOVING
FINGER
THE NAMELESS
MAN
THE OFFICIAL
CHAPERON
THE LOST
DESPATCH
THE RED SEAL
I SPY
C. O. D.
THE MAN INSIDE
THE TREVOR
CASE
DROPPING THE CAT, SHE SPRANG TO HER FEET WITH A
SLIGHT CRY
[page 27]
 TO
EDNA LEIGHTON TYLER

THIS YARN IS AFFECTIONATELY

INSCRIBED IN TOKEN
OF A FAITHFUL FRIENDSHIP
 CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. Kitty! 1
II. The Summons 6
III. Details 17
IV. Suicide? 35
V. At the Morgue 52
VI. Testimony 63
VII. Mrs. Parsons Has Callers 79
VIII. The Case of the Gila Monster 94
IX. Mrs. Parsons Asks Questions 116
X. Rumors 127
XI. I. O. U. 139
XII. A Word of Warning 155
XIII. Bribery 169
XIV. And Corruption 185
XV. Bound in Red Tape 203
XVI. A Startling Encounter 215
XVII. “K. B.” 223
XVIII. Elusive Clues 239
XIX. Suspicion 252
XX. The Feet of the Furtive 260
XXI. Mouchette, the Seven-Toed 270
XXII. Greed 287
THE CAT’S PAW
 CHAPTER I
KITTY!
Msilence.
S
iss B
usan let her gaze rest on her companion in speculative
aird
Apparently, her last jibe had failed of its mark, judging
from the man’s unchanged expression. With a vexed sigh she
proceeded to pour out another cup of tea.
They were an oddly matched pair. Miss Baird, still erect in spite of
her seventy years, her small slight figure tucked into one corner of
the carved, throne-shaped chair which was her habitual seat when in
her library, appeared dwarfed in comparison with the broad-
shouldered, powerfully built man who faced her across the tea table.
“So you wish to marry my niece, Kitty,” she remarked. “You!” And
she broke into shrill laughter.
Her companion flushed hotly. Her ridicule cut deeper than had
any of her previous comments.
“I intend to marry her,” he answered, and the stubborn
determination of his tone matched his set features.
“So!” Miss Baird shrugged her thin shoulders. “You forget, my
friend, that until Kitty is twenty-five years of age, I am her legal
guardian, and that she is absolutely dependent upon me.”
“You give her a home and let her work that she may contribute
to your support,” he retorted.
At his words her eyes blazed in fury and her talonlike fingers
fumbled in the silver bowl for the few pieces of sugar it contained.
“I am her only blood relation. It is fitting and proper that she aid
me in my old age,” she exclaimed. “My poverty,” she paused, and a
certain dignity crept into both voice and manner, “is my misfortune.”
 “And Kitty,” he began, but got no further.
“We will not discuss Kitty,” she announced with finality. “Wait,” as
he started to interrupt her. “Such discussion is totally unnecessary,
for Kitty will never marry you.”
“Why not?”
“For two excellent reasons.” She spoke with deliberation. “Kitty
shall not marry a poor man, nor shall she marry a man with an
hereditary taint.”
The man regarded her steadfastly across the table, his strong
capable hands still holding the peach which he had been peeling.
The silence lengthened, but neither seemed inclined to break it.
Suddenly, the man laid down the peach and taking out his
handkerchief, passed it across his lips; then, still in silence, he picked
up the fruit knife, cut the peach in two and, placing the fruit in front
of Miss Baird, rose and left the library.
In the outer hall he paused long enough to pick up his hat and
gloves from the table where he had placed them upon his arrival
some time before. He had opened the front door and was about to
step outside when it occurred to him to light a cigarette. To do so,
he released his hold on the front door. His cigarette was just
commencing to draw nicely when a current of air from an opened
window across the hall blew the door, which he had left ajar, shut
with a resounding bang.
As the noise vibrated through the silent house, the man glanced
nervously over his shoulder. Evidently, it had not disturbed Miss Baird
or the other inmates of her household, for no one appeared in the
hall. He once more started to approach the front door when he
heard, through the portières in front of the entrance to the library,
Miss Baird’s voice raised in anger.
“Kitty!” she called. “Kitty!”
As the name echoed through the silent hall, it gave place to a
scream of such intensity, such horror that the man drew back
aghast. It was some minutes before he moved. With faltering
footsteps he retraced his way into the library and paused by the tea
table.
Miss Susan Baird still sat in her throne-shaped chair, but the light
fell full on her glazing eyes and distorted features.
Slowly, reluctantly, the man bent nearer and forced himself to
place his hand upon her wrist. He could feel no pulse. When he
stood erect a moment later, his forehead was beaded with
perspiration. Dazedly, he glanced about the library—he and the dead
woman were its only occupants.
Again he compelled himself to gaze at her, and subconsciously
took note of her poor and patched attire. The incongruity of her
string of pearls and the diamond rings upon her fingers impressed
him even in the presence of death.
Step by step he retreated backward across the room, his glance
roaming upward toward the gallery which circled the library and the
short staircase leading to it, but always his eyes returned to that still
and lonely figure by the tea table.
A few minutes later the faint sound of the front door being closed
disturbed a large ball of fur. A gray Angora cat jumped from its
hiding place and, with its back arched in fright, scampered through
the portières, and fled along the hall and up the staircase to the
attic.
 CHAPTER II
THE SUMMONS
TLeonard
broad streets of Washington City presented a lively scene as Dr.
he
McLean drove his car with increasing slowness down
Connecticut Avenue, crowded with government employees hastening
to their offices. The congestion was even greater than usual owing
to the downpour of rain as the drenched pedestrians swarmed
around the street car stops in their endeavor to board cars, already
packed to their limit, and arrive promptly at nine o’clock at their
various destinations.
McLean slowed down to a stop within the fifteen feet limit
prescribed by law, as the street car ahead of him halted to take on
passengers, and watched with interest the futile efforts of the
conductor to prevent the desperate rush made by both men and
women to get through the car door at the same time. Suddenly,
McLean discerned a familiar face in the crowd before him and
sounded his horn. The unexpected “honk” created confusion among
those unable to find even clinging room, and the conductor, taking
advantage of the diversion, signaled to the motorman and the car
sped onward.
“Hey, Leigh!” hailed McLean. “Leigh Wallace!”
Major Wallace glanced around and with a wave of his hand
McLean indicated the vacant seat in his roadster.
“Hop in!” he exclaimed, as Wallace hurried across the intervening
space between the car and the curbstone. “I’ll give you a lift
downtown,” and, hardly waiting for Wallace to seat himself and close
the door, the busy surgeon released the clutch and the roadster sped
down Connecticut Avenue.
 It was not until they were clear of traffic and were approaching
the intersection of Twenty-first Street and Massachusetts Avenue
that McLean realized his companion had not returned his greeting or
addressed a word to him since entering the car. Turning his head, he
eyed him unobtrusively. Wallace sat moodily staring ahead; his big
frame, slumped in the easiest posture, seemed to fill the broad seat
of the Packard. McLean took silent note of Wallace’s expression and
the unhealthy pallor of his skin.
“Get any sleep last night?” he asked.
“Not much.” Wallace drew out a leather wallet from an inside
pocket and produced a prescription. “The druggist refused to fill this
again; said I had to get another prescription. Beastly rot,” he
complained. “Cost me a bad night.”
The surgeon ran his eye over the prescription before pocketing it.
“It’s a narcotic,” he explained. “The druggists are not allowed to
refill. Next time you want one come to me. How long is it since you
left Walter Reed Hospital, Leigh?”
“Two months ago,” was the laconic rejoinder. Wallace removed
his hat and passed his hand over his short-clipped hair. “I hope to
report for duty soon.”
“Good!” McLean slowed down to make the turn from Twenty-first
Street into Massachusetts Avenue and as they drove westward Major
Wallace for the first time took notice of the direction in which they
were heading and that they were no longer on Connecticut Avenue.
“Aren’t you going to your office, McLean?” he inquired.
“Not immediately. I have a professional call to make first. Are you
in a hurry?”
The question seemed superfluous and McLean smiled as he put
it. The major’s apathetic manner and relaxed figure could not be
associated with haste.
 “No,” Wallace answered. “I promised to stop in and see Charles
Craige some time this morning; he’s attending to some legal
business for me. Otherwise I have nothing to do. This killing time
gets on my nerves—look at that, now,” and he held up a hand that
was not quite steady. “Take me on as chauffeur, McLean. I
understand an engine; shell-shock hasn’t knocked that out of my
head.”
“Your head’s all right, old man. I told you that when you were my
patient at Walter Reed,” responded McLean cheerily. “A few weeks
more and—” He stopped speaking as they crossed the Q Street
bridge into Georgetown, then, stepping on the accelerator, he raced
the car up the steeply graded street and drew up in front of a high
terrace.
“Hello, are you going to ‘Rose Hill’?” demanded Wallace, wakened
from his lethargy by the stopping of the car. He had apparently been
unaware that McLean had left his last sentence unfinished. “Who is
ill?”
“I don’t know.” McLean leaned back to pick up his instrument bag
which he carried in the compartment behind his seat. “My servant
called to me just as I was leaving home that I had been telephoned
to come over here at once. I didn’t catch all she said. I suppose Kitty
Baird is ill. That girl is a bundle of nerves.”
Wallace clambered out of the car so that his more nimble
companion would not have to climb over his long legs in getting out.
As McLean turned to close the door of his car, Wallace’s hand
descended heavily upon his shoulder.
“What—who—who’s that standing in the Baird’s doorway?” he
gasped. “A policeman?”
McLean swung around and glanced up at the house. A long flight
of stone steps led up to the front door and a landing marked each
break in the terrace whereon grew rosebushes. It was the
picturesque garden which gave its name to the fine old mansion—
Rose Hill. The mansion had been built in colonial times when the
surrounding land, on which stood modern houses and the present-
day streets, had been part of the “plantation” owned by General
Josiah Baird of Revolutionary fame. The hand of progress had left
the mansion perched high above the graded street, but it had not
touched its fine air of repose, nor diminished the beauty of its classic
Greek architecture.
Standing under the fanlight over the doorway was the burly form
of a blue-coated policeman.
“Yes, that’s one of the ‘City’s finest,’” he laughed. “What of it?” he
added, observing his companion’s agitation in astonishment. “The
policeman is probably taking the census; one called on me last
Saturday.”
Wallace swallowed hard. “That’s it,” he mumbled, rather than
spoke. “You’ve hit it.”
McLean, conscious of the bleak wind which accompanied the
driving rain, stopped to open the door of his roadster.
“Wait in the car, Leigh; I won’t be long.” Not pausing to see if his
suggestion was followed, McLean hurried up the steps.
Wallace plucked at the collar of his overcoat and opened it with
nervous fingers, mechanically closed the car door, and then with
slow reluctant feet followed McLean toward the mansion. He was
breathing heavily when he gained the surgeon’s side, and the latter’s
surprised exclamation at sight of him was checked by the policeman
who had advanced a few steps to meet the two men.
“Dr. McLean?” he asked, and as the surgeon nodded, added,
“Step inside, Sir.” He touched his hat respectfully. “Is this gentleman
with you, Doctor?”
“Why, certainly.” McLean glanced inquiringly at the policeman;
the latter’s manner indicated suppressed excitement. “What’s to pay,
Officer?”
“They’ll tell you inside,” waving his hand toward the open door.
“The coroner’s there.”
 “Coroner!” McLean’s bag nearly slipped from his hand; but before
he could question the policeman further, his name was called from
the back of the hall and he hurried inside the house. Coroner
Penfield stood by the portières in front of the library door.
“I am glad you could get here so promptly, McLean,” he said.
“Come in,” and he drew the portières to one side. McLean entered
the library hastily and continued to advance with his usual brisk
tread until he caught sight of a huddled figure in the throne-shaped
chair.
“Good God!” he ejaculated and retreated a few steps. Recovering
his usual calm poise he walked around the tea table and examined
the body. When he straightened up and turned around, he found
Coroner Penfield’s attention was centered on Major Leigh Wallace.
Wallace had followed McLean across the threshold of the library
only, and stood with his back braced against the doorjamb while his
eyes mutely scrutinized every movement made by the surgeon.
“Well?” he questioned, and McLean’s stare grew intensified. If he
had not seen Wallace’s lips move he would never have recognized
his voice. With difficulty Wallace enunciated his words. “Well—what
—what is it?”
“It’s a case of—”
“Sudden death.” Coroner Penfield completed McLean’s sentence.
In the silence that followed, a man who had been leaning over
the railing of the gallery which circled the library, watching them,
walked over to the stairs and came slowly down. At sound of his
footsteps McLean glanced up and recognized Inspector Mitchell of
the Central Office. He bowed courteously to the surgeon before
addressing the coroner.
“If it is all right, Dr. Penfield, we’ll have the body removed,” he
said. “My men are here.”
“Certainly. Call them.” Penfield turned to McLean. “I wanted you
to be present as I understand you attended Miss Susan Baird.”
 “Yes, I have been her family physician for years.” McLean spoke
with an effort, his thoughts centered on one idea. “Where is Miss
Baird’s niece, Miss Kitty Baird?”
His question went unanswered. Apparently Coroner Penfield and
Inspector Mitchell failed to hear him as they busied themselves in
superintending the removal of the body. McLean, after watching
them for some seconds, walked over to Wallace. The latter took no
notice of him whatever, his eyes remaining always on the tea table.
McLean scanned his drawn face and listened to his labored breathing
with growing concern. Whirling around, he opened his bag, took out
a flask, detached its silver cup and poured out a liberal allowance of
whisky, then, darting out of the library, he returned an instant later
with some water in a glass. Slightly diluting the whisky, he thrust the
cup against Wallace’s white lips.
“Drink that,” he ordered, and Wallace followed his peremptory
command. “Now, sit down,” and he half-pushed, half-supported him
to a large leather covered lounge.
“I—I,” protested Wallace. “I’m a bit undone, McLean,” and he
raised miserable, apologetic eyes to his friend.
“Sure, it’s enough to bowl any one over,” McLean acknowledged,
with a sympathetic pat. “Even the strongest—”
“Which I am not,” supplemented Wallace. The powerful stimulant
was taking effect, and he spoke with more composure. “Have you—
can you—” he hesitated, and cast a sidelong glance at McLean. “Can
you learn any details about Miss Baird and how she came to be lying
in that chair?” It was impossible for him to suppress a shudder as he
indicated the empty throne-shaped chair. “She was dead, wasn’t
she?”
“As dead as a door nail.” His question was answered by Inspector
Mitchell, who had returned in time to catch their last few remarks.
“Can you give me any facts about Miss Baird, Doctor McLean?”
“Only that she was a lifelong resident of Georgetown and a well-
known character—known for her eccentricities, that is,” responded
McLean. “Her death has come as a great shock to Major Wallace and
to me, Inspector.”
“When did you see her last?” inquired Mitchell. His question was
addressed to both men, but it was McLean who answered it after a
moment’s thought.
“She was in my office on Friday.”
“Was she ill?”
“No. For a woman of her age she was remarkably free from
organic trouble,” replied McLean. “In fact, she did not come to
consult me about herself at all, but to ask for a tonic for her niece.
By the way, where is Miss Kitty Baird?”
At the question Wallace raised his head and eyed the surgeon
intently for a second, then dropped his eyes as the other felt his
gaze and turned toward him.
“Where is Miss Kitty Baird?” Mitchell repeated the surgeon’s
question. “Blessed if I know.”
“What!” McLean started from the chair where he had seated
himself a moment before. “Do you mean to say that Miss Kitty Baird
is not in her bedroom?”
“I do.” Mitchell shook a puzzled head. “And she isn’t in any part
of the house. My men and I have searched it thoroughly. We found
only the dead woman in the house and a live Angora cat.”
McLean stared at the inspector in dumbfounded amazement. A
gurgling sound from the sofa caused him to look at Wallace. The
major, with purpling face, was struggling to undo his collar.
“Air! Air!” he gasped, and before the surgeon could spring to his
aid, he sank back unconscious against the sofa pillows.
 CHAPTER III
DETAILS
Irode MajorMitchell
nspector and Dr. McLean watched the taxicab, in which
Leigh Wallace and Coroner Penfield, until it passed out
of sight on its way to Washington, before reëntering the Baird
mansion.
“Major Wallace seems in bad shape,” commented Mitchell, as
they crossed the hall toward the library. “I thought you would never
bring him back to consciousness, Doctor.”
“This library wasn’t a pleasant sight for well man to encounter,
Mitchell, let alone a man in the major’s condition,” replied McLean.
“The results of shell-shock do not exactly prepare a man for this—”
and with a wave of his hand the surgeon indicated the tea table and
the throne-shaped chair where Miss Baird’s body had lain on their
entrance three quarters of an hour before.
“Eh, yes; but I should have thought the major’s experiences
overseas would have accustomed him to gruesome scenes.” Mitchell
paused in front of the portières and adjusted them carefully so that
they completely covered the doorway.
“Walking into a room and finding a friend lying dead is a shock,
regardless of any past experience,” responded McLean dryly.
“Did Major Wallace know Miss Baird well?” inquired Mitchell.
“Know her well?” repeated McLean. “Yes, and her niece, Kitty
Baird, even better, if rumor speaks truly.”
A certain inflection in the surgeon’s voice caused Mitchell to eye
him sharply, but McLean’s attention was entirely centered on the tea
table before which he was standing, and he appeared unaware of
the inspector’s scrutiny.
 “Exactly what do you mean, Doctor?” asked the latter. “Your
words would imply—”
“Nothing—except that rumor has it that Leigh Wallace and Kitty
Baird are engaged to be married.” McLean balanced one hand on a
chair and tipped it back and forth.
“And what is your personal opinion, Doctor?” asked Mitchell
shrewdly.
McLean hesitated. “I am not quite so certain,” he admitted.
“Three months ago I believed Wallace and Kitty were engaged; then
—”
“Yes?—” as McLean paused once more in his speech.
“Then Kitty met Edward Rodgers of San Francisco,” McLean
smiled. “It’s a toss-up which man wins.”
“So.” The inspector considered a moment. “So Miss Baird is still
willing to take a chance on marrying Major Wallace, is she?”
“What d’ye mean?” McLean’s abstracted manner disappeared
instantly.
“Well, I wouldn’t exactly like my daughter to marry him,” retorted
Mitchell. “Not after seeing his condition here to-day. I haven’t much
medical knowledge—”
“Quite so.” The surgeon’s dry tone caused Mitchell to redden. “I
can assure you, Mitchell, that Major Wallace’s ill-health is but
temporary.”
“Is it?” Mitchell eyed him reflectively, then as an idea occurred to
him his expression altered. “By Jove! Perhaps it wasn’t the sight of
Miss Baird lying there dead which knocked him out, but the absence
of her niece, Miss Kitty Baird.”
McLean let the chair, which he had been balancing on two legs,
go slowly back to its proper position.
 “It is just possible that you are right,” he agreed. “Kitty Baird’s
absence has alarmed me also.”
“Is that so? You kept mighty calm about it,” grumbled Mitchell.
McLean was not evincing much interest. “Possibly you don’t realize
that Miss Baird did not die a natural death.”
McLean smiled ironically. “You pay me a poor compliment,” he
said. “I only made a superficial examination of her body, but it
assured me that a—” he hesitated for a brief second, “that a tragedy
had occurred.”
“Tragedy!” In fine scorn. “Why mince words? Say murder.”
“No.” McLean spoke with provoking deliberation. “Suicide.”
“Suicide!” echoed the inspector. “Bah! Look at this room.”
Obediently McLean glanced about the library. It was a large
room, almost square in shape, two stories in height with an arched
roof containing a stained glass skylight. It was paneled in Flemish
oak; and oak bookcases, with sliding glass doors, filled most of the
wall space, while a gallery, on a level with the second story, circled
the library. Access to the gallery was gained from the library by a
flight of circular steps near the huge brick chimney which stood at
the farther end of the room. Bookcases, similar in type to those on
the main floor of the library, were in the gallery, and McLean scarcely
glanced upward; instead, his eyes roved over the worn furniture with
its shabby upholstery, the faded rugs on the hardwood floor, until
finally his gaze rested on the tea table. Given to observation of little
things, he noticed the spotless condition of the tea cloth and the
neat darns in one corner. Inspector Mitchell observed his silent
contemplation of the tea table.
“Evidently Miss Baird was enjoying a cup of tea,” he remarked.
“See, her cup is half full.”
“Have you analyzed its contents?” asked McLean.
“Not yet.” Mitchell moved impatiently. “Give us time, Doctor. It
won’t take long to locate the criminal. He is sure to have left a clue
behind him among the tea things.”
“You will insist on murder!” McLean shrugged his shoulders. “I
see only one cup of tea,” pointing to the table. “A teapot—is it
empty?” He stretched out his hand to pick it up, but Mitchell checked
him with an imperative gesture.
“Don’t handle anything, Sir,” he cautioned. “We are making tests
for finger prints.”
“Quite right.” McLean’s hand dropped to his side. “Well, murder
presupposes the presence of some one beside the victim. I see only
one teacup, one plate with two sandwiches and a piece of cake,
another plate with a half-eaten peach. Not a very bountiful repast.
Now, while Miss Baird was poor, she was hospitable, inspector; had
any one been here, her visitor would have been provided with a cup
of tea at least.”
“Perhaps—but suppose she wasn’t aware of the, er, visitor’s
presence?” asked Mitchell.
McLean eyed him in silence for a second. “Have you found any
indication of another’s presence?” he questioned. “Any clues?”
“Nothing worth mentioning now,” responded Mitchell, evasively.
“Can you give me the name of an intimate friend to whom Miss Baird
may have gone?”
“Why, certainly; there’s—let me see—” McLean pulled himself up
short. Who were Kitty Baird’s intimate friends—her girl friends? He
could enumerate dozens of men whose admiration for her was
sincere and unconcealed, but when it came to the girls in their set—
pshaw! women were cats! Kitty’s popularity had not endeared her to
her own sex.
“You might try Mrs. Amos Parsons,” he suggested, and pointed to
the telephone table in a corner of the library. “Kitty is her private
secretary. No, wait,” as Mitchell snatched up the telephone book and
hastily turned its well-thumbed pages. “She may be with her
cousins, Mr. and Mrs. Ben Potter. Here, I’ll look up their number for
you.”
Mitchell hung up the receiver in disgust a minute later. “Central
declares no one answers,” he explained. “Who shall we try next?
Mrs. Parsons, did you say?” This time he was more successful in
getting the number desired, but the reply to his question was
unsatisfactory. “The butler declares Miss Baird hasn’t been there
since yesterday,” he told his companion. “Mrs. Parsons is not at
home.”
McLean’s expression had grown serious. “We had better
communicate with Charles Craige,” he said. “Craige has handled Miss
Baird’s affairs for years, lawyer, agent, and all that. He may aid us in
locating Kitty.” Then with a touch of impatience, “Don’t stop to look
up the number of his law office—it is Main 3300.”
As Inspector Mitchell turned again to the telephone, McLean rose
and slowly paced back and forth the length of the library. His
familiarity with the furnishings and the contents of the bookcases—
his taste in literature having coincided with that of Colonel Baird,
who spent the last years of his life squandering a depleted fortune to
gratify his craving as a collector—caused him to pay little attention to
his surroundings, and he walked with head bent, his thoughts with
the dead woman upstairs.
Was Inspector Mitchell right—could it have been murder? Who
would have reason to harm so feeble an old lady? What motive
could have inspired such a senseless crime? Robbery—bah, thieves
would not kill to secure books and knickknacks of doubtful value.
But then what motive could have prompted suicide? Why should
a woman so near the grave take her own life? Miss Baird had
abhorred illness in any form; she had always had a healthy distaste
for invalidism, and little patience with neurotic friends.
Miss Susan Baird, of all persons, to be found dead—possibly
murdered! McLean took out his handkerchief and passed it over his
forehead. For the first time he grew conscious of the closeness of