“Don't let us stop you!” he
sneered, “but I’ll he damned if we
wish you any luck!”
T AFFERTY looked through the
pocket lens at the crystal body ol
the goblet and then again at the sheet
of yellow letter paper Harper held
out for his inspection. "It’s a smeary
■print.” he stated, “but there’s no
doubt about it — that’s Andrews’
thumbmark in both places. Well,
let’s have another round with the
model butler. We’ll see if he can
think fast enough tp get out of this
one.”
. The lanky detective took the let
ter and read It over. It was the third
of the eight crank letters Dufresne
bad turned over to the police when
he had first placed the matter In
their hands, about a week before.
The thumbmark appeared about
midway of the left margin.
Vlt was rust a fluke,” Harper ex
plained. “I was showing Mr3. Croy
den how a fingerprint Is brought out
for photographing and I happened
to pick up this glass for the experi
ment.”
"It would have come out long
ago.” Lafferty grumbled. "If Du
fresne hadn't opposed the finger
printing of the staff. Come on. let’s
put the screws to the old boy. I'm
going to enjoy this.”
"Not so fast, Jack, not so fast.
There’s no profit in going off half
cocked. Nobody's going to run away
while we figure things out. It might
be a help If some one did,” he added
as an afterthought.
