Tanner examined them. ‘I am not much of a judge,’ he informed her, ‘but these look the lighter. I’ll have half a dozen, please. That is,’ he went on with a whimsical glance at the clock, ‘if it’s safe.’ The barmaid looked at him as if she thought he was crazy, but she did not speak and Tanner explained: ‘A friend of mine had an experience here the other night buying cigars, so he told me. He missed his train over the head of it. I was wondering if I should do the same.’ A light seemed to dawn on the girl. She laughed. ‘I remember your friend. I couldn’t help smiling, but I was sorry for him too. He came in here and chose a dozen cigars, and then he looked up and saw the clock. ‘“Your clock’s fast,” he says. ‘“I _don’t_ think,” I says, and with that he hooked it out of the door, fair running, and all the cigars lying on the counter. I couldn’t but laugh at him.’ ‘But _he_ didn’t laugh, for he missed his train,’ prompted Tanner. ‘Oh, he missed his train right enough. He came back and showed me his watch—three minutes slow. But he got his cigars all right.’ Tanner took Austin’s photograph from his pocket, and glancing at it casually, passed it to the girl. ‘He’s a good old sport, he is,’ he announced, ‘but to look at him there you wouldn’t think butter would melt in his mouth. What do you say?’ The girl wrinkled her pretty eyebrows. ‘But that isn’t the man,’ she exclaimed. Tanner took the card. ‘I’m a blooming idiot,’ he said. ‘I’ve shown you the wrong photo. This was the one I meant.’ He handed over the print of Cosgrove. ‘Why, yes,’ the girl answered unhesitatingly. ‘That’s him and no mistake.’ ‘He’s a good soul enough,’ went on Tanner, ‘but he was very sick about that train, I can tell you.’ They conversed for a few moments more as the Inspector lit one of his purchases. Then with a courteous ‘Goodnight,’ he left the bar. Whatever else might be true or false in Cosgrove’s statement, thought Tanner, it was at least bed rock that he had missed the 7.15 train as he had said. The thing now to be ascertained was whether he really had travelled by the 10.30. By dint of persistent inquiries the Inspector found a number of the men who had been on duty when that train left. But here he was not so successful. No one so far as he could learn had seen Cosgrove. But this was not surprising. Tanner could not and did not expect confirmation from these men. They had had no dealings with Cosgrove which would have attracted their attention to him. The point could be better tested at Grantham, where whoever gave him his luggage should remember the circumstance.