Under His Thumb — page 134: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

‘UNDER HIS THUMB. 125 ‘T do not think so.” bs Carl Brandon smiled in an odd way, and said: “That shows that you detectives can make mis- takes.’’ ‘‘Because.I took the pistol from Stella’s room a short time before the crime was committed.’’ “You took it?’’ ‘*T have said so.”’ Croly did not often yield to the excitement of eagerness. But now, confronted by this startling admission, which seemed to come so close to furnish- _ ing a positive clew to the mystery, he could not re- frain from seizing the vagabond’s arm and sternly exclaiming: | “Then you know who shot Hiram Waldron !’’ “T did not shoot him.” ‘You know who did.’’ ‘“‘T did not see the fatal shot fired; I did not hear it. I know nothing about it, save what I suspect, and my suspicions belong to no man but myself.” Carl Brandon spoke with firm deliberation, al- though he could not repress an exhibition of the in- tense agitation which he gould not have failed to ex- perience. Croly watched the man’s face closely. In a low, commanding tone, he said: ‘You must not allow a crime to go unpunished if you can furnish means of convicting the guilty man.”’ ‘‘T shall not state my suspicions.”’ “Upon the morning of the tragedy you had the in. strument of the crime in your possession ?’’ SE did. De “To whom did you give it?’’ (eo paylircel exevo <3 (E (0)