quest by other representatives of the _Record_;
and it will be remembered that the police evidence showed that two
revolvers, with either of which the crime might have been committed, had
been found--one in Manderson's bureau and the other in the room of the
secretary, Marlowe; but that no importance could be attached to this, as
the weapons were of an extremely popular make. I write these lines in
the last hours of the same day; and I have now completed an
investigation which has led me directly to the man who must be called
upon to clear himself of the guilt of the death of Manderson.

Apart from the central mystery of Manderson's having arisen long before
his usual hour to go out and meet his death, there were two minor points
of oddity about this affair which, I suppose, must have occurred to
thousands of those who have read the accounts in the newspapers; points
apparent from the very beginning. The first of these was that, whereas
the body was found at a spot not thirty yards from the house, all the
people of the house declared that they had heard no cry or other noise
in the night. Manderson had not been gagged; the marks on his wrists
pointed to a struggle with his assailant; and there had been at least
one pistol-shot. (I say at least one, because it is the fact that in
murders with firearms, especially if there has been a struggle, the
criminal commonly misses his victim at least once.) This odd fact seemed
all the more odd to me when I learned that Martin, the butler, was a bad
sleeper, very keen of hearing, and that his bedroom, with the window
open, faced almost directly toward the shed by which the body was found.

The second odd little fact that was apparent from the outset was
Manderson's leaving his dental plate by the bedside. It appeared that he
had risen and dressed himself fully, down to his necktie and watch and
chain, and had gone out-of-doors without remembering to put in this
plate, which he had carried in his mouth every day for years, and which
contained all the visible teeth of the upper jaw. It had evidently not
been a case of frantic hurry; and even if it had been, he would have
been more likely to forget almost anything than this denture. Any one
who wears such a removable plate will agree that the putting it in on
rising is a matter of second nature. Speaking as well as eating, to say
nothing of appearances, depend upon it.

Neither of these queer details, however, seemed to lead to anyt