This
I did by laying the one over the other, after having made holes
where his finger-tips had touched the blotter.
The holes in the blotter and the marks outlined upon the shelf
coincided exactly.
IX
JINNY
I have already mentioned the man whom I secretly looked upon as
standing between me and all preferment. He was a good-looking
fellow, but he wore a natural sneer which for some reason I felt to
be always directed toward myself. This sneer grew pronounced about
this time, and that was the reason, no doubt, why I continued to
work as long as I did in secret. I dreaded the open laugh of this
man, a laugh which always seemed hovering on his lips and which was
only held in restraint by the awe we all felt of the major.
Notwithstanding, I made one slight move. Encountering the
deputy-coroner, I ventured to ask if he was quite satisfied with
the evidence collected in the Jeffrey case.
His surprise did not prevent him from asking my reasons for this
question.
I replied to this effect:
"Because I have a little friend, winsome enough and subtle enough
to worm the truth out of the devil. I hear that the girl Loretta
is suspected of knowing more about this unfortunate tragedy than
she is willing to impart. If you wish this little friend of mine
to talk to her, I will see that she does so and does so with effect.
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