THE MAN IN THE LABORATORY
Smith every week serves a double purpose. It is an opiate and a prophy—"
"Prophylactic," suggested the other.
"That 's the word," said John Minute. "I was never a whale at the long uns; when I was twelve I could n't write my own name, and when I was nineteen I used to spell it with two n's."
He chuckled again.
"Opiate and prophylactic," he repeated, nodding his head. "That 's Sergeant Smith. He is a dangerous devil because he is a rascal."
"Constable Wiseman—" began Jasper.
"Constable Wiseman," snapped John Minute, rubbing his hand through his rumpled gray hair, "is a dangerous devil because he 's a fool. What has Constable Wiseman been here about?"
"He did n't come here," smiled Jasper. "I met him on the road and had a little talk with him."
"You might have been better employed," said John Minute gruffly. "That silly ass has
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