A smile ran around the room and the detective was excused. I sprang to my feet. "One moment!" I said. "I should like to ask Mr. Clancy some questions." The young man was turned over to me, plainly against his wishes. "What proof have you, Mr. Clancy, that the bonds were not stolen while Mr. Gaylord was out of the house?" "Well, my investigations led me to the belief that he stole them, and that being the case, it must have been done before he left the house." "I see! And your investigations concerned themselves largely with a letter which you filched from Mr. Gaylord's coat pocket in the night, did they not?" "Not entirely--the letter merely struck me as corroborative evidence, though I have since learned--" "Mr. Clancy," I interrupted sternly, "did you not tell me at the time, that that letter was absolute proof of his guilt--yes or no?" "I may have said so but--" "Mr. Clancy, will you kindly repeat what was in that letter." "It referred to some bonds; I don't know that I can recall the exact words." "Then I must request you to read it," I returned, picking it out from a bundle of papers on the table and handing it to him. "I am sorry to take up so much time with a matter that has nothing to do with the murder," I added to the coroner, "but you yourself brought up the subject and it is only fair to hear the whole story." He nodded permission, and ordered Clancy to read the letter. The detective did so amidst an astonished hush. It struck everyone as a proof of guilt, and no one could understand why I had forced it to the front. "Now Mr. Clancy," said I, "please tell the jury Mr. Gaylord's explanation of this letter." Clancy with a somewhat sheepish air gave the gist of what Radnor had said. "Did you believe that story when you first heard it?" I asked. "No," said he, "I did not, because--" "Very well! But you later went to the office of Jacoby, Haight & Co., and looked over the files of their correspondence with Radnor Gaylord and verified his statement in every particular, did you not?" "Yes, I did, but still--" "That is all I wish to ask, Mr. Clancy. I think the reason is evident," I added, turning to the jury, "why I was willing to pay in order to get rid of him. Nobody's character, nobody's correspondence, was safe while he was in the house." The detective retired amidst general laughter and I could see that feeling had veered again in Radnor's favor. The total effect of the evidence respecting the ha'nt and the robbery was good rather than bad, and I more than fancied that I was indebted to the sheriff for it.