Page:Burton Stevenson--The marathon mystery.djvu/335

Rh keep about him any such important evidence as a bottle that had contained chloroform. The odour clings to it for a long time. I committed the mistake, at first, of supposing that he had hidden it in the boathouse. I should have known better. Naturally he would throw it into the bay. There was a single chance against me. If he had thrown it in uncorked, it would probably have sunk. That was a point he didn’t think of, and by just that much he fell below perfection. I think he probably administered the chloroform by pouring it upon one corner of the sheet and throwing it over young Graham’s face. No doubt the odour would have been perceptible next morning had anyone thought to look for it. There was only one point in the whole case,” he added thoughtfully, “that was utterly at variance with my theory—and it worried me badly for a time.”

“What was that?” I asked.

“That was the story the jailer told us—that Miss Croydon believed Drysdale guilty. But you have seen how naturally that was explained. I knew then, in that instant, that I was on the right track—that nothing could defeat me. But let us go back to the beginning—and I’d like you to point out any flaws you see in the story.”

“Very well,” I said, and settled back in the seat to listen.

“Tremaine had two very powerful motives for the commission of this crime,” began Godfrey; “he needed money and could take no more from Miss Croydon, since he was trying seriously to win her affection; he was determined to get Drysdale out of