The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1895-08-13

however mystcriuusly, contributed to
the death Of Mrs Davorn Stcinworth
was an arrant coward, and as vain as he
was cowardly. But his vanity did not
reach to the sublime height Of wishing
cessory to u murder
Yes will tell you all, he said.
with painful deliberateness.
You will so slow, if Tou please,
said Goringe, "for my friend and had
better help each other in taking note Of
the principal part Of your statement.
Inspector Briggs sat down at the ta-
BILE near Goringe and took out his note
book lie was - mine of peut up anger.
Steinworthts sontemptuous reference to
him and to the Clayfields police COM
PEELED the inspector 20 be silent, lest if
he did speak his anger might become
volcanic
Il learned--to begin at the beginning
that Mrs. Davorn had taken the mon
ey out of the bank, by an accident-the
accident of my being in the bank and
being close toher as the cashier was pay
ing over the notes to her. This was sug-
gested in the coroner s court, as you will
remember.
lone for you, Briggs, said Goringe.
"That was your discovery-or opinion,
shall we call it?'
An opinion, said the inspector,
smile curving his lips. 4" don't aspire
to certainties now.
"Ah'' was Steinworth's only COM
ment as he gazed from the detective to
the inspector Il was, to put it shortly,
in desperate need of money and the
sight of Mrs. Davorn holding in her
hands the bits Of paper that would save
me from hopeless ruin fired me. Besides
l will tell you-though do not see how
it viii help you very much-that l had
some excuse for my greedy fit hoped
and thought it was no foolish hope
that l should have been able to sup
plant that currish young DIR. Leclerc,
whom | loathe-and that, having him
once out of my way, Miss Rodney would
turn from him TO me. l did not know
ON Wednesday last that matters had come
| TO such pass between them
"A fact worth noting said Goringe
60 Briggs, observing that the inspector
had ceased TO write and was gazing
somewhat stupidity at Steinworth.
Certainly said he, setting to work
again.
Just moment, Mr. Steinworth.
There was pause for few moments,
and then Goringe, lifting his head, nod
ded at the pale, bedraggled young man
in the armchair
81 was in great perplexity, contin-
ued Steinworth, "to know how / should
proceed to work At first l thought Of
throwing myself mt Miss Rodney's feet
and declaring my passion for her and
informing her of my troubles l felt she
would at least pity me, perhaps help
me. That course l could not summon up
courage for, so pondered what i should
do to get those notes, which felt were
in Mrs Davorn's room-those notes
which would save mo from wreck and
ruin. | heard footsteps outside in the
forecourt about half past 10 o'clock.
and then l heard the hall doorbell ring
/ somehow guessed il was the young
doctor, this Lcclerc, and straining my
ears l caught the sound Of his voice. In
stantly it occurred TO me that this was
a clandestine visit, and that perhaps
could use it for my own purposes and
get my rival-for so / regarded him
suspected. But how l could not think.
AS l strobe up and down my room in
my stockings remembered discovery
had made a lew weeks previously
about the hinges Of my door.
$50 slow. Go slow" interrupted
Goringe. 1--WE are getting to business
now How are hinges fixed ON a door,
Briggsi" he asked turning to the in
spector Don't lcok at the door, hui
Just tax your memory.
r Inspector Briggs paused for moment
''lt seems n very simple question, y
said he, "but it is rather poser TO b'
faced with it right off when you're MOI
. in tho joinery business l know Thu
fat parts of the hinge are screwed 10 th'
frame Of the door and TO the door itsel
in such way that the screws are out O
: sight when the door is closed and moth
ing is seen but the round part Of thu
hinge through which the pin goes
That's what puzzled me tonight when
]
door with a scrowdriyer.
"a somewhat roundabout explanation
=. about door hinges" said Goringe
"Now, Steinworth. viii you fire ahea6
e again?"
e "A few weeks previously had beel
r amusing myself in the evening by paint
= ing bits Of my room, and the last thin
did in that way was the door 1t strucl
!. me in going over the door that tn
, hinges-which were imbedded deeply il
. the door itself and the frame-were diff
ferent from those Of other doors, am
n later on found l was right about this
; My door was evidently turned some lon
J. time ago and possibly it was reiixe
Z by an amateur carpenter At al
events, the fiat parts Of the hinges
as the inspector calls them, are fxe
A inside my door The pin and round
Cd part is also inside the door, an
is the only visible part Of the hing
when the door is closed In fact, it lool
exactly the Same as any other dOm
!, When 1 was cleaning the woodwork,
: discovered this, for there was so muc
4 paint already on the door and the doo
q post that the fiat part Of the hinges an
J. the heads Of the screws We're quite COY
cred over with paint As / strobe up an
down the room, turning everything ov'
p in my mind, it occurred 20 mo that
N might be possible 10 unscrew the door !
N the hinges, TO lock il from the On,sidl
N get back again into the room and sore
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