h dinner, do you know?"

The darky scratched his head. "Ah reckon it war just befoh he ohdahd
me ter bring him dat drink."

"And he was here all that time?" I demanded.

"Yes, suh! He was right heah."

"Where did he sit?"

"Lemme see. Ah recollec' now, he ask me speshul fo' dat table ovah
yondah by de winder."

"Can you find the boy that waited on that table that night?"

The old darky hurried away, but came back presently leading a scared
yellow boy by the sleeve.

"Now, Geoge Henry, you-all quit youah contrahiness an' ansuh de
genleman's questions o' Ah 'low Ah whup you."

"George, did you wait on that table over there by the window two weeks
ago?"

"Ya-yas, suh! Ah ben waitin' on dat table fo' mo'n a month."

"Do you remember waiting on Mr. Frank Woods two weeks ago last Thursday
night?" I asked.

The boy was trembling. He rolled frightened eyes toward Jackson who
was glaring at him. Finally he broke into a wail. "Oh! Pappy
Jackson, da's all Ah knows. He tell me he go to de bah an' ef'n
anybuddy ask whah he go dat night to sen' em in dah."

"Just tell me what you know, George!" I said, motioning the angry
Jackson away.

"He--he set down at de table but he ain't eat none," the boy stuttered.

"What do you mean, George?"

"He sit down an' look out de winder. Ah brung him some soup but he got
up powful sudden, lak he had a call to de telephome, an' he ain't come
back."

"Are you sure of that, George?"

"Yas, suh, Ah ast him did he want dinnah aftah he come back but he say
he ain't hongry."

"What time was it when he came back?" I asked.

"Ha'f past eight, suh."

I gave the boy a dollar and he went away happy. Jackson had a sheepish
look on his face.

"Then Mr. Woods wasn't here all through dinner, Jackson?"

"Drat dat boy, he make me out a liah fo' a dollah," he grinned.

"Are you sure, absolutely sure, that you saw Mr. Woods at half past
eight?" I questioned.

"Yas, suh! You cain't catch me up no mo'. I saw Mistuh Woods at eight
twenty-fahv exackly."

I handed him a bill and went into the bar. Grogan, the old bartender
was there alone.

"Grogan, do you remember who was in the bar between seven-thirty and
eight-thirty on the night of the Felderson murder?"

"Only one or two of the gentlemen, sir. There was Mr. Farnsworth and
Mr. Brown and I think Mr. Woods."

"Are you sure Mr. Woods was in here?"

"Well, no, sir, not exactly. I remember Mr. Farnsworth and Mr. Bro