“What took him to McBride’s?” demanded Doctor Taylor.

“He went there to raise money on some local gas company bonds which he owned.  Mr. McBride had agreed to buy them from him.  I was able to tell North that I knew McBride could let him have the money in spite of the fact that it was a holiday and the banks were closed.”

“How did you happen to know that, Langham?” asked Moxlow.

“Earlier in the day one of my clients had placed in McBride’s hand a much larger sum of money than North expected to receive from him.”

“You told North that?” asked Moxlow eagerly.

“I did.  Perhaps you are not aware that McBride and North were on friendly terms; for years it had been North’s habit to go to Mr. McBride whenever he had a sudden need of money.  This I know to be a fact.”

He glanced about him and could see that what he had said was making its impression on his hearers.

“When did you see McBride, at what hour?” asked Moxlow.

“A little before two.”

“Do you feel at liberty to state the sum paid by your client?”

“It was three thousand and fifty-seven dollars, all in cash.”

“There are one or two more questions I should like to ask you,” said Moxlow.  “You saw the money paid into Mr. McBride’s hands before two o’clock yesterday afternoon?”

“Yes.”

“Do you know what disposition he made of the money?”

“No, I do not.”

“I mean, did he put it in his safe—­in his pocket—­”

“He did neither in my presence, the bundle of bills was lying on his desk when I left.”

“You were not interrupted while you were transacting this business, no customer happened into the store?” asked Moxlow.

“So far as I know, we three were absolutely alone in the building.”

“Afterward, when North called at your office, you mentioned this transaction?”

“Yes.”

“Do you know how many shares Mr. North expected to dispose of?”

“Five, I think.”

Langham paused and glanced again in the direction of the gambler, but Gilmore seemed to have lost all interest in what was passing.

Moxlow turned to Conklin.

“You found no such sum as Mr. Langham mentions, either on the person of the dead man, or in the safe?”

“No, the safe doors were standing open; as far as I am able to judge, the valuable part of its contents had been removed,” replied the sheriff.

“How about McBride himself?”

“We found nothing in his pockets.”

“Of course, if he bought North’s bonds, that would account for a part of the sum Mr. Langham has just told us of,” said Moxlow.  “But where are the bonds?” he added.

“They were not among McBride’s papers, that’s sure,” said the sheriff.

“Probably they were taken also, though it’s hardly conceivable that the murderer waited to sort over the papers in the safe.  I tell you, gentlemen, his position was a ticklish one.”  It was the coroner who spoke.