counterfeiters.

"I did not start out to round up such a gang," he said, in speaking of
the affair to Mr. Breslow, some days later. "I came here to clear up
the murder mystery."

"But you get the credit, Adams," said the head of the secret service
detail. "And you deserve it. But do you think you are going to
convict Matlock Styles of the tragedy?"

"It's a sure thing. The _alibi_ won't bother me, for I can now prove
it was a bogus one. John Watkins got the poison for him, and promised
to impersonate him at Stony Hill, while the crime was being committed.
He did it, but I have found two people who thought it was not Styles
after all. Watkins himself is willing to testify that he did the
impersonating."

"How did they happen to use that strange powder?"

"Watkins got it from a friend of his, who afterwards mentioned the fact
to Tom Ostrello. When Styles got it I suppose he thought the use of it
might throw suspicion on Ostrello, which it did. Then suspicion was
also thrown on Miss Langmore, so that the general public might get
tangled up."

"Did Styles write that note, which was supposed to have been written by
Mr. Langmore, saying she must obey or leave the house?"

"Yes. He is an expert penman, and most likely a regular forger as well
as counterfeiter. He only made a mistake when he drank too much."

"Did Watkins know any of the details of the murder?"

"Yes. After it was over, Styles came to him and told his story, being
half drunk at the time. He said he left home and came through the
woods, where he saw Tom Ostrello just coming from the Langmore mansion.
As soon as the coast seemed clear, he ran past the bushes and got in
the house by a window. He found Mr. Langmore in the library and asked
again for the counterfeits. Langmore said he was going to give them to
the authorities, and expose Styles. Then the Englishman said he would
explain, and Langmore sat down in his chair to listen. Styles turned
around, took some cotton from his pocket, and saturated it with the
powder, and sprang at Langmore from behind. The victim struggled and
got his face scratched from the Englishman's ring. Langmore was no
match for his assailant, and in a minute the murder was done. Then
Styles ran upstairs. He knew the servant was in the barn, and he heard
Miss Langmore playing on the piano in the parlor. He met Mrs. Langmore
just coming from her room. She was scared, but before she could scream
or resist,