Under His Thumb — page 181: what you’re looking at

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

172 UNDER HIS THUMB, Yaa * | | ‘Did you ever notice his hands particularly?” ‘“Why do you ask?”’ ‘‘Has one finger upon his right hand been ampu- | tated at the first joint?’’ “Yes, the forefinger. ”’ “And are his hands rather narrow and long?” “They are.’’ Croly stepped to the window by which it was sup- posed that the murderer of Mr. Waldron escaped, and seemed to examine the sash closely. His own person was between Blain and the window, and the thing which he deftly accomplished was not ob- served by the other. Returning to the gentleman, he said: ‘Brandon is a taller man than yourself, is he not?’ “Yes, by a couple of inches.”’ Croly seized several quires of blank printing paper, which lay in a chair, and placed it upon the floor under the window. ‘Please step upon that, sir,’’? he requested. - Mr. Blain complied. “Now you stand about. as high as Carl Brandon, were he in the same position?” the detective in- quired. : ‘Il should say I did.”’ “Now, please, raise the window-sash. Do it as though you were in haste. Wait! I wish to stand back so I can see you.’’ Mr. Blain complied. But he found it difficult to do so, because he was too tall to grasp the sash to ad- vantage. When the window was raised, Croly said: “That is right; thank you. I now see just how the act was done, and it is a great help where one must work out a clew almost wholly from imagina- lag You may step down now, and I will close the window.”’ Mr. Blain did so, and Croly quickly approached — the window, scrutinized it closely, and then closed the sash. : ‘What do you make out of it?’’ Blain questioned, comicbooks.c te - a eS Oe ee ie *