As Matthews came through the door
leading from the staircase his eye caught a dark object which lay
on the floor under the long table. He fished it out with his
stick.
It was a small black velvet toque with a band of white and black
silk flowers round it. In one part the white flowers were
besmeared with a dark brown stain.
Matthews stared at the little hat in his hand with puckered
brows. Then he called to Gordon.
"Do you know that hat?" he asked, holding it up for the man to
see.
Gordon shook his head.
"I might have seen it," he replied, "but I don't take much
account of such things, Mr. Matthews, being a married man..."
"Tut, tut," fussed Matthews, "I think you have seen it. Come,
think of the office for a minute!"
"Of the office?" repeated Gordon. Then he exclaimed suddenly:
"Miss Mackwayte!"
"Exactly," answered Matthews, "it's her hat, I recall it
perfectly. She wore it very often to the office. Look at the
blood on it!"
He put the hat down on the table and ran into the bar where
Nur-el-Din. sat immobile on her chair, wrapped in a big overcoat
of some soft blanket cloth in dark green, her chin sunk on her
breast.
Matthews called up the Mill House and asked for Francis Okewood.
When he mentioned the finding of Barbara Mackwayte's hat, the
dancer raised her head and cast a frightened glance at Matthews.
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