Page:Burton Stevenson--The marathon mystery.djvu/217

Rh good account of himself. He seems a fery powerful man.”

As he spoke, he lifted one of the muscular hands; then, with a little exclamation of surprise, he bent and examined it more closely.

“Come nearer, gentlemen,” he said, his face flushed with excitement. “I want you to witness t’at he has somet’ing between his fingers.”

They stooped and looked as he indicated. They could see that the hand clasped tightly some small, dark object.

“Let us see what it is,” Heffelbower continued, and bent back the stiffening fingers.

The object fell out into his hand. He held it up in the glare of the light so that all might see. It was a button with a little shred of cloth attached.

“If we can find t’e garment t’at t’is came from,” said the coroner triumphantly, turning it over and looking at it, “we shall probably find t’e murderer. It iss a good clew.”

He placed the button carefully in his pocket-book and turned to the window.

“I t’ink it iss light enough,” he said, “to take a look at t’e scene of t’e crime. I shall t’en return to Babylon”

“I have thought,” remarked Delroy, “of calling in a New York detective. Should you object”

“Not in t’e least,” Heffelbower broke in. “I shall welcome eferyt’ing t’at will assist in bringing t’e guilty person to justice. Only,” he added pompously, “wit’ t’e clews which I already possess, and wit’ t’e ot’ers which I expect to find, I believe it will be unnecessary.