Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-15

and would send full description Of
the same at the first opportunity. 1t
was news to fill Violets heart with
pride: the flament of a clue which had
led to this great result had been SO
nearly invisible and had felt SO like
nothing in her grasp.
follows:
When hear or read of a case which
contains any battling features, 1 am apt
to feel some hidden chord in my nature
thrill to one fact in It and not to any
OF the others. In this case the single
fact which appealed to my ina gination
was the dropping of the stolen wallet
In that upstairs room. Why did the
guilty man drop it? And why. having
dropped it, did he not pick 1t up again?
But one answer seemed possible. He
mad heard or seen something at the
spot where 1t fell which not only
alarmed him. but sent him in flight
from the house"
your own mind the nature Of that
sound or that sight?"
Il did Her manner was strangely
businesslike. No show of dimples now.
Satisfied that If any possibility re-
NAMED OF my ever doing this. it would
have to be on the exact place of this
occurrence or not at all, ! embraced
your suggestion and visited the house. -
And that room no doubt"
And that room. Women, somehow,
so I've noticed, Miss Strange. And
what was the result of your visit ?
What did you discover there?"
This: That one Of the blood spots
the room was decidedly more pro-
nounced than the rest, and. what was
even more important, that the window
out of which l was looking had it's
counterpart in the house on the OPP
posite side. In gazing through the
one / was gazing through the other.
and not only that, but into the dark en-
ed area of the room beyond. Instantly
/ saw how the latter fact might be
made to explain the former one. But
before l say how. let me ask If 1t is
quite settled among you that the smears
on the floor and stairs mark the passage
Of the criminals footsteps"
Certainly, and very bloody feet they
rather. his one shoe-for the proof is
plain that only the right one left it's
mark-must have become thoroughly
saturated to carry it's traces so far
do you think that any amount Of
saturation would have done this" Or, f
you are not ready to agree to that tina t
a shoe SO covered with blood could have
failed to leave behind it some hint of
it's shape, some imprint. however faint,
of heel or toe? But nowhere did 1t do
this. We see a smear-and that is ALL
you are right, Miss Strange, you are
always right. And what do you gather
from this?'
She looked to see how much he ex-
pected from her. and, meeting an eye
not quite as free from all ironic suggcs-
ton as his words had led her to expect.
faltered u little she proceeded to
say:
my opinion is girls opinion, but
such as 1t is you have the right to have
it. From the indications mentioned l
could draw but this conclusion: That
the blood which accompanied the crimi-
nails footsteps was not carried through
the house by his shoes-he Wore no
shoes; he did not even wear stockings
probably he had none. For reasons
which appealed to his judgment. he
went about his wicked work barefoot,
and 1t was the blood from his own
veins and not from those of his victim
which made the trail we have followed
with so much interest. Do you forget
those broken beads-how he kicked
them about and stamped upon them in
his fury? One of them pierced the ball
of his foot, and that so sharply that
1t not only spurted blood. but kept on
bleeding with every step he took.
Otherwise the trail would have been
lost after his passage up the stairs
"Fine"' There was no irony in the
bureau chiefs eye now You are pro-
crossing. Miss Strange"
II claim no monopoly on deductions
simple as these" she said. Il have
not the least doubt that not only your
self, but every member OF the. force, has
made the same. But there is little
matter which NAV have escaped the
police, may have even escaped you. To
that l would now call your attention,
since through it l have been enabled.
after little necessary cropping. to
reach the open. You remember the
where the man dropped the. wallet?
That blotch. more or less commingled
with n fainter one. possessed great
significance for me from the first mo-