“But you get the credit, Adams,” said the head of the secret service detail.  “And you deserve it.  But do you think you are going to convict Matlock Styles of the tragedy?”

“It’s a sure thing.  The alibi won’t bother me, for I can now prove it was a bogus one.  John Watkins got the poison for him, and promised to impersonate him at Stony Hill, while the crime was being committed.  He did it, but I have found two people who thought it was not Styles after all.  Watkins himself is willing to testify that he did the impersonating.”

“How did they happen to use that strange powder?”

“Watkins got it from a friend of his, who afterwards mentioned the fact to Tom Ostrello.  When Styles got it I suppose he thought the use of it might throw suspicion on Ostrello, which it did.  Then suspicion was also thrown on Miss Langmore, so that the general public might get tangled up.”

“Did Styles write that note, which was supposed to have been written by Mr. Langmore, saying she must obey or leave the house?”

“Yes.  He is an expert penman, and most likely a regular forger as well as counterfeiter.  He only made a mistake when he drank too much.”

“Did Watkins know any of the details of the murder?”

“Yes.  After it was over, Styles came to him and told his story, being half drunk at the time.  He said he left home and came through the woods, where he saw Tom Ostrello just coming from the Langmore mansion.  As soon as the coast seemed clear, he ran past the bushes and got in the house by a window.  He found Mr. Langmore in the library and asked again for the counterfeits.  Langmore said he was going to give them to the authorities, and expose Styles.  Then the Englishman said he would explain, and Langmore sat down in his chair to listen.  Styles turned around, took some cotton from his pocket, and saturated it with the powder, and sprang at Langmore from behind.  The victim struggled and got his face scratched from the Englishman’s ring.  Langmore was no match for his assailant, and in a minute the murder was done.  Then Styles ran upstairs.  He knew the servant was in the barn, and he heard Miss Langmore playing on the piano in the parlor.  He met Mrs. Langmore just coming from her room.  She was scared, but before she could scream or resist, he gave her what was left of the powder and she fell over where she was found.  Then he stepped out of an upper window to the top of the piazza and dropped to the ground, and came away across the brook and through the woods.”

“Then you are bound to convict him.  What of Watkins?”

“I’ll use him as a witness against Styles in the murder trial and then you can have him tried as a counterfeiter.  The old woman will also prove a good witness.  She is so old, and has promised to reform, so there is no use of our pushing a charge against her.  The rest of the crowd will all get what they deserve.  I’m glad we got the bogus printing plates.”