The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-11-01

being close to her as the cashier was pay
ing over the notes to her. This was sug-
gested in the coroner s court, as you will
remember"
Zone for You, Briggs" said Goringe.
THAT was your diScovery-or opinion,
shall we call it?"
IAN opinion" said the inspector, a
smile curving his lips don't aspire
to certainties now"
All" was Steinworth's only com
ment as he gazcd from the detective TO
h inspector. II was, to put it shortly,
iii 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
/ will tell ycu-though l do not see how
it will help you very much-that l had
some excuse for my greedy fit. l hoped
and l thought it was no foolish hope
that l should have been able to sup
plant that currish young DR.. Leclerc,
whom l lOathe-and that, having him
once out of my way, Miss Rodney would
turn from him to me. did not know
on Wednesday last that matters had come
W uCu Il pass DeJWeeu Uno11.
"A fact worth noting" said Goringe
to Briggs, observing that the inspector
had ceased to write and was gazing
somewhat stupidity at Steinworth.
Certainly, said he, setting to work
again.
Just a moment, Mr.. Steinworth."
There was a pause for a few moments,
and then Goringe, lifting his head, nod
ded at the pale, b~edraggled young mar
In the armchair.
II was IN great perplexity," contin-
ued StelnwOrth, ''to know how I should
proceed to work. AT first l thought of
throwing myself at 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 l should
do to get those notes, which | felt were
in Mrs. Davorn's room-those notes
which would save me from wreck and
ruin. l heard footsteps outside in the
forecourt about half past 10 O'Clock,
and then l heard the hall doOrbell ring.
l somehow guessed it was the young
doctor, this Leclcrc, and straining my
ears caught the sound of his voice. In
stantly it occurred to me that this was
a clandestine visit, and that perhaps I
could use it for my own purposes and
get my rival-for SO I regarded him
suspected. But how I could not think.
As l strobe up and down my room in
my stockings l remembered a discovery
l had made a few weeks previously
about the hinges Of my door"
"Go slow. Go Slow" INTERRUPTED
Gorlnge. I'VE are getting to business
now. How are hinges fixed on a door,
Briggs?" he asked, turning to the in
spector. Don't look at the door, but
just tax your memory"
Inspector Briggs paused for a moment.
1T seems a very simple question"
said he, but it is rather a poser to be
faced with it right off when you're not
in the joinery business. I know. The
fiat parts of the hinge are screwed to the
frame Of the door and to the door itself
in such a way that the screws are out of
sight when the door is closed, and moth
ing is seen but the round part of the
hinge through which the pin goes.
That's what puzzled me tonight when I
saw friend attack the inside of the
door with a screwdriver."
"A somewhat roundabout explanation
about door hinges" said G~oringe.
Now, Steinworth, will you fire ahead
again?'
"A few weeks previously I had been
amusing myself in the evening by paint
ing bits of my room, and the last thing
l did i'll that way was the door. 1t struck
me in going over the door that the
hinges-which We're imbedded deeply in
the door itself and the frame-were diff
ferent from those of other doors, and
later on l found l was right about this.
My door was evidently turned some long
time ago and possibly it was reixed
by an amateur carpenter. At all
events, the flat parts of the hinges,
as the inspector calls them, are fixed
inside my door. The pin and round
ed part is also inside the door, and
IS the only visible part of the hinge
when the door is closed. In fact, it looks
exactly the same as any other door.
'H'H = was NtSSthlilS tic "otl"OIh i
discovered this, for there was so much
paint already on the door and the door
post that the fat part Of the hinges and
the heads of the screws were quite COW
cred over with paint. AS l strobe up and
down the room, turning everything over
in my mind, it occurred to me that it
might be possible to unscrew the door at
the hinges, to lock it from the outside,
get back again into the room and screw
the door up. Then no one could suspect
me of having left my room,f for 1 could
not get out Of the window without leav-
ing traces behind me, and no one could
suspect me of having locked myself in
at least no one in Clayields."
did you not consider that the money
might have been stolen before you were
locked in? That a friend might aid you
in locking the door,"
"No; that did not occur to me. Ihaye
no friends OF that sort.
$50 You see you were not absolutely
free from suspicion even if your door