made
loans from the bank, except Caruthers, who had once overdrawn his
account nearly three hundred dollars, but he gave no note, as he was
good for any amount. None of the others had given a note to the bank, or
to any one else, so far as was known, for several years.

"Now, gentlemen," I said, "please take me into the bank and show me
exactly how the place appeared when Mr. Gordon first discovered that
George had been murdered."

Mr. Gordon rose with great effort and opened the door connecting the
private office with the main bank. It was evidently very painful to
him, but he did not shrink. Turning to me, he said:

"Mr. Pinkerton, let Mr. McGregor go first, and light the lamp; I will
then proceed just as I did that morning, and will point out the exact
position of everything in the bank."

Mr. McGregor accordingly lighted a large lamp, which threw a soft
radiance over the whole interior, and the two moved the furniture into
the position in which it had been found on that fatal morning. Mr.
Gordon then showed me the exact position of the body, the spot where the
paper lay, the canceling hammer, and the blood-marks. After I had been
shown everything, I stood and thought over the matter in connection with
the surroundings, and endeavored to re-enact the scene of the murder in
my own mind. Bit by bit, I brought out some of the surroundings to my
own satisfaction, and when I went back to the private office, I had a
well-defined theory in my mind. Not that I had so narrowed down my
suspicions, as to fix them upon any particular individual--I had not yet
gone so far--but my theory was fully established, and I felt sure that
by working it up carefully, I should soon discover some traces of the
guilty party. The officers of the bank followed me in silence, and on
resuming our seats, I said:

"Gentlemen, I wish to take a day to weigh the testimony in this case,
before I can give you any opinion about it. I would like to take this
note, the memorandum, and the buttons to my room, and to-morrow evening
I will tell you what conclusions I have reached. Is that satisfactory?"

"Certainly; we do not wish to proceed in haste, Mr. Pinkerton," said
Mr. Bannatine; "we will meet you then at the same hour to-morrow."

"I do not wish to seem impatient," said Mr. Gordon, "but can you not
tell me now whether you have obtained any clue from what we have told
you, which will enable you to learn more?"

Mr. Gordon's anxiety was so keen