The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1934-06-01

The first thing was the bottle neck
He felt for the dead mans key ring
in his trousers pocket, and carefully re-
placing his gloves, tried the keys on the
safe.
The fourth admitted him.
Only a cardboard box was inside. He
took off the lid. Poised on cork rests
carefully fashioned to preserve the
prints, was the neck OF that bottle
which had served his sewage purpose
three months before.
With his glove he erased the EVIL
dence for ever, threw the box on the
fire and, closing the safe, put the keys
on the mantelpiece.
He was free.
He had only to repack the notes in
the attache case, slip the bit of broken
bottle into his pocket and walk out. He
looked at his watch. The business had
occupied seven minutes. He would have
ample time to dress for dinner.
He repacked his case carefully, as
surfing himself that there were no blood
stains on anything. Indeed, the dead
man, having collapsed owe the table,
had bled little. There wa a small pool
on the table. No, there were no marks
that need worry Kildare. He busted
the edge Of the mantelpiece with his
handkerchief, the arms Of his chair and
! the safe. It was an extreme precaution
., for he had been gloved during most of
the interview, but he was h~yper-sensi-
tive about finger prints.
All well! He dropped the bottle neck
into his pocket in order to drop it into
the gutter.
At last he put on his hat, took up his
stick and walked smartly to the door.
Silly Of him! Aske had locked it
| when he came in of course. He remem-
bered seeing the little flat key in the
mans hand as they talked. Aske had
laid it on the table when he started to
count the notes. kildare stepped back
to the table but could not see the key.
Either that-that-was lying on it or
it had been swept off with the other
things.
On the floor thenP It wasn't far
away.
He failed to find it on the floor.
Rather a nuisance. He must have
gathered it up among the packages
when he refilled the case. A hasty
search there was unsuccessful.
This was too absurd. He stood stock
still, frowning, trying to r%ecollect. After
all the problem only required q little
cold and detached reasoning.
Aske had put the key on the table.
He remembered that distinctly. He
may have transferred it unnoticed to
his pocket. Shelving that for the mo-
ment as unlikely, he would find the
key either on the table or IN the floor
unless it had caught up in the dead
mans clothing as it fell. OF course,
that would be it. Kildare joyfully de-
rided his folly that failed to see the
obvious.
But it was not the obvious. Every
fold and pocket and crease the turnups
Of the dead mans trousers. his shoes
even, failed to reveal the missing key.
The electric clock above the mantel-
piece told him that five minutes had
passed in the search.
MI. kildare was peremptory with
himself. This would not do. Keys did
not walk OF dissolve or evaporate. It
was a matter Of absolute uncontroverti-
BILE fact that, where he stood, the key
was close to him, within easy reach Of
his arm. One only had to exhaust the
possible-of course it was on the table
under-its-hand, perhaps.
It was small and flat and the little
pool Of blood had engulfed it. Why
had he not at NICE perceived that sim
pie solution? Careful now. No stains
or finger marks. Mr.. Kildare found q