Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1900-10-30

Hendricks took a folded ruler from h6
pocket and got doUn on his knees.
walk There are the footprints Of a
man and woman going from the gate
toward the house" Hendricks took
folded ruler from his pocket and got
down on his knees He first measured
the tracks leading to where the dead
man lay and then compared :he meas
urement with those going toward the
house.
Impossible to be accurate in this
dry. gravelly sand," he said. THE
uline tracks are very nearly the
same size, and that's as near as can
come to it. l shall find out what this
means. however. il I work on II the
rest Of my born days.
~ saw you pick up something beside
the body and put it into your pocket,
bot could not see what it was, said
the doctor. lis il a secret from me?'
The detective laughed good humored
ly and put his fingers into bis vest
pocket.
"Shan't keep thing from you. old
man." he replied. I'D trust you with
my head Do you see this tiny thingG"
"It looks like the burned end Of a
MATCH" returned the doctor. allowing
Hendricks to drop it into his palm.
"Does il look like an ordinary burned
end Of n match?" asked Hendricks,
warming up to revelation and smil-
ing boyishly.
81 believe SO. except that perhaps it
Is very short.
"Short? I should think so when less
than quarter of an inch Of it has been
left unburned. Now imagine it blazing
and let me see you hold it between your
fingers
Lampkin made the attempt. holding
the bit Of wood as near to the end as
possible. "It is all ! could have done, "
he said. "And it would have burned
my fingers, am sure. The fellow that
struck it must have had tough cigar
to light"
"And been anxious to smoke, added
Hendricks tentatively. Then he laughed
softly.
"Oh, ! see now," began the doctor
eagerly, and then he stopped suddenly.
"But. no; Stanwood said he did not
strike match, and Ralph Benton said
his father did not moke."
1.-THE murderer does. though, and
paused to light cigar after he had
fred revolver within 200 yards Of q
house full of men and women," said
Hendricks, with dry laugh. "At
least, that's about all the explanation
can get out Of the end Of the match.
However. there il one thing you have
not yet thought Of AZ an explanation
for the match having burned down %
short
"what il THAR"
IL wonder il did not occur 70 you
that it might have continued to burn on
the ground after it fell from. the hand
| Of the man who struck it
II have always said was an am, .
said Lampkin "A 6-year-old child
could have thought Of that
"Tben the 6-year-old child would
have been far from the truth, said the
detective. enjoying the game he wa
playing BE held the piece Ct match
between the nail Of his thumb and fore
finger and extended il toward the doc
tor. "You see." be began, that tht
match has burned evenly all round; NJ
farther ON one side than another. !"
"ThHt's plain. " replied LAmpkin
Hendricks returned the tiny bit d
wood to bis pocket and took match
from his case and struck il
watch this" be said, and whez
the match was bali consumed be laid 4
still burning on the ground The dam!
was Instantly diminished. for only IL
top of the match continued 10 burn
Presently it went out and HendEio,r