t.

"Yes, sir, it was open about a foot--some of the guests wanted air."

"How did you stand as you listened to the speaker? Show me." M. Pougeot led
Joseph to the banquet-room door.

"Like this," answered the waiter, and he placed himself so that his back
was turned to Number Six.

"So you would not have seen anyone who might have come out of Number Six at
that time or gone into Number Six?"

"I suppose not."

"And if the door of Number Six had opened while your back was turned, would
you have heard it?"

Joseph shook his head. "No, sir; there was a lot of applauding--like
that," he paused as a roar of laughter came from across the hall.

The commissary turned quickly to one of his men. "See that they make less
noise. And be careful no one leaves the banquet room _on any excuse_. I'll
be there presently." Then to the waiter: "Did you hear any sound from
Number Six? Anything like a shot?"

"No, sir."

"Hm! It must have been the thunder. Now tell me this, could anyone have
passed you in the corridor while you stood at the banquet-room door without
your knowing it?"

Joseph's round, red face spread into a grin. "The corridor is narrow, sir,
and I"--he looked down complacently at his ample form--"I pretty well fill
it up, don't I, sir?"

"You certainly do. Give me a sheet of paper." And with a few rapid pencil
strokes the commissary drew a rough plan of the banquet room, the corridor,
and the seven private dining rooms. He marked carefully the two doors
leading from the banquet room into the corridor, the one where Joseph
listened, opposite Number Four, and the one opposite Number Six.

"Here you are, blocking the corridor at Number Four"; he made a mark on the
plan at that point. "By the way, are there any other exits from the banquet
room except these two corridor doors?"

"No, sir."

"Good! Now pay attention. While you were listening at this door--I'll mark
it _A_--with your back turned to Number Six, a person _might_ have left the
banquet room by the farther door--I'll mark it _B_--and stepped across the
corridor into Number Six without your seeing him. Isn't that true?"

"Yes, sir, it's possible."

"Or a person might have gone into Number Six from either Number Five or
Number Seven without your seeing him?"

[Illustration: West Wing of Ansonia Hotel--First Floor. Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
6, 7. Private dining rooms opening on corridor H H.

No. 6. Private dining room where body was found.

F. Large