ould be seen sitting quite alone and
morosely indifferent to all who approached him. There was no mystery
about his business. He was an inventor, with one or two valuable patents
already on the market. But this was not his only interest. He was an all
round sort of man, moody but brilliant in many ways--a character which
at once attracted and repelled, odd in that he seemed to set little
store by his good looks, yet was most careful to dress himself in a way
to show them off to advantage. If he had means beyond the ordinary no
one knew it, nor could any man say that he had not. On all personal
matters he was very close-mouthed, though he would talk about other
men's riches in a way to show that he cherished some very extreme views.

This was all which could be learned about him off-hand, and at so late
an hour. I was greatly interested, of course, and had plenty to think
of till I saw George again and learned the result of the latest
investigations.

Miss Challoner had been shot, not stabbed. No other deduction was
possible from such facts as were now known, though the physicians had
not yet handed in their report, or even intimated what that report would
be. No assailant could have approached or left her, without attracting
the notice of some one, if not all of the persons seated at a table in
the same room. She could only have been reached by a bullet sent from
a point near the head of a small winding staircase connecting the
mezzanine floor with a coat-room adjacent to the front door. This has
already been insisted on, as you will remember, and if you will glance
at the diagram which George hastily scrawled for me, you will see why.

A. B., as well as C. D., are half circular openings into the office
lobby. E. F. are windows giving upon Broadway, and G. the party wall,
necessarily unbroken by window, door or any other opening.

_____________________G.______
| ===desk |
| |
| Where Miss C Fell-x o
| A o
| o
E o
| _____ |
| |_____|table |
| o
| o
| B o
| o
| ________ H ________ |
| *** | |
| ** ** |elevator |
| ** staircase
| ** ** X