ved answers.

I had the incident of the ulster in mind and thought if it should
appear, as I expected, that White had worn it home that night when he
returned after going out as the officer testified that I would then have
gone a long way toward creating a doubt of Winters's guilt. So much
indeed seemed to depend upon the answers to my questions that I put them
with some trepidation as to the results.

After consideration I concluded it was best to let the detective see
what was my purpose, so I opened the conversation by calling his
attention to the fact that in the event that White, by any chance and
contrary to the accepted opinion, had worn the ulster upon his return to
the house, then some one else than he must have taken it to Belle
Stanton's. I saw at once that Miles had grasped the full purport of the
suggestion, and that it was unnecessary to enlarge upon it, so I
continued:

"It was raining and if White returned without any outer covering it
should have been evident from the condition of his clothes. How about
them?" I was watching the detective while I talked and saw that he was
giving me close attention and had anticipated my question.

After a moment's thought, he said: "What you have been saying, Mr.
Dallas, had occurred to me too and I did observe his clothes as I always
do in such cases, and they showed no signs of exposure to the weather.
In fact, I did not believe he had been out that night without some
protection. Knowing, therefore, that though he had worn the ulster when
he went out, he had apparently not worn it when he returned, I examined
his umbrella, which stood near the door. This though unwrapped,
suggesting recent use, was dry, but as it probably would have dried in
the meanwhile in any case, I could draw no conclusions from the fact."

I interrupted him here to ask if White had had the umbrella with him
when the night-officer saw him, and he said the officer reported that he
had been in the act of raising an umbrella as he passed him.

After a pause, he continued: "I did not stop, however, with the
examination of his clothing and umbrella, but looked at the light
patent-leather shoes he had on. They were new and the soles not even
soiled. They had not, I am sure, been worn on wet streets. Next I looked
for and found his overshoes nearby the umbrella: they had evidently been
worn in rough weather and had not since been cleaned, but they too were
dry and so did not prove anything."

"