"It is of medium size, the slender steel being very sharp, the round solid base being silver. I've shown it to several jewelers, and they all say it's like hundreds of others, rather expensive, but popular with their well-to-do customers, and that they have no means of tracing it back to any particular owner. It was something like that one," pointing to an upright file on Senator Carew's desk. Douglas leaned over and took it up. "An ideal weapon," he said softly, balancing it in his hand as his fingers closed over the round heavy base. He removed the cork which was used to guard the sharp point and felt it with his thumb. "It must have taken a shrewd blow to drive the file through overcoat and clothing so that it would cause instant death." "The Senator wore no overcoat." Douglas looked his surprise. After a moment's silence Brett edged his chair closer to his companion and lowered his voice. "You recollect how it rained last night?" "In torrents. I have seldom seen such a cloudburst," admitted Douglas. "It commenced to rain about ten-thirty," continued Brett, "and it did not stop until after three o'clock. Hamilton drove twice in that drenching rain to Mrs. Owen's and back again, first taking Miss Carew to the dance and returning with her. Senator Carew's body was discovered on the last trip home. Miss Carew told her aunt that no one was in the carriage with her when she made the first trip to the dance. Senator Carew's body was not removed until after my arrival here this morning, and I then made a thorough examination of the carriage and, with the coroner's assistance, of the body as well"--he paused and cleared his throat--"I found Senator Carew's clothes were absolutely dry--as I said before, he wore no overcoat--now, how did Carew get into that carriage in that soaking downpour without getting wet?" asked Brett, settling back in his chair. "Perhaps he was first murdered and then carried out and put into the carriage." "Perhaps so, but I doubt it." "He may have entered the carriage at the stable when Hamilton was not around." "I thought of that," returned Brett, "and as soon as it was daylight examined the yard and the alley. The concrete walk from the house to the stable is being laid now and cannot be used, so that one has to tread on the ground, which is extremely soft and muddy. The alley is a long one, and Carew's stable is about in the center of it, and the rain, settling in the holes of the uneven cobbles, made walking very unpleasant. I am telling you all these details because of another discovery I made," went on Brett slowly; "the Senator's shoes had been recently polished and the blacking was not even stained." Douglas leaned back and bit his thumb nail, a childish habit of which he had never been able to break himself. "Where did Carew spend the evening?" he asked finally.