"But really that does not matter
so much after all, for I can worry
along without it. If I: could only have
found that some one besides an old
friend had done this thing I would
not be dissatisfied with my job. But
there Is a thing or two which I don't
understand. I don't believe you had
a duplicate key, for I don't believe
you ever contemplated such an act
until you were drfien desperate by
the calamity. I have gone upon the
assumption that you quarreled with
your uncle the day before the robbery
on purpose that you might have an
excuse for throwing down the key and
r absenting yourself from the house
during the night. That being the
case, how did you enter?"
"When I left the house after the
e quarrel I threw the catch which pre
I vents the door from locking. 01
b course it would snap shut as usual
but could then be opened' from the
r- outside by the knob. I had no ides
e that any one would think of looking
it to see that the door locked itsel
1- when it was shut on that day an,
y more than any other, and of course
g no one did. I was therefore enabled ti
e come in without a key, and when
.o went out after replacing the tools
f and with the money in my pockets,
n restored the door to its usual condi
tion, leaving it locked." LeDuc looked
at me with a frown.
"That was a thing I never did
puzzle out to my own satisfaction;
yet it was the simplest thing of all.
