“Not there.  I caught a glimpse of a man when I was hurrying through the woods to the station.”

“When you came to the house, after the tragedy, Mr. Ostrello, what were you so anxious about?”

“You mean what was I looking for?”

“Yes.”

“A letter Dick had sent me.  It told about his trouble.  I thought at first it might be in the library, but I found it in my mother’s room.  It contained an account of the scandal he had gotten into.  I did not wish that scandal to become public property.  I can show you that letter if you wish to see it.”

“Lately you have had some trouble with a man named Matlock Styles.  What was that about?”

“It was over a patent.  I thought of an idea for a machine to box up pills in a new way, and spoke to Mr. Langmore about it.  I left some papers with Mr. Langmore and I think Styles got hold of them and applied for the patent.  We had several disputes, and at last he threatened to get me into trouble with the firm I represent.  He said he had influence, and as I didn’t want to lose my job, I didn’t press him about the patent.  He acts like a farmer, but he is a shrewd fellow, and not to be trusted.”

“You went back to the house lately, on the sly—­told Mrs. Morse you wanted some books.”

“I admit it.  I wanted to get some of my mother’s private papers.  Now she is dead, I wish to look out for any share of the estate that may be coming to my brother Dick and myself.  Isn’t that natural?  It was foolish of me to run away as I did, but—­well, I was nervous.  This tragedy has completely unnerved me, and I hardly know what I am doing.”

“How about this bit of wrapping paper?” and Adam Adams brought forth the piece he had found under Mr. Langmore’s safe.

“I do not know where that came from, but it is evidently a part of some of my firm’s advertising.  The first three lines are the name and address.  The last line reads, ’Keep dark’.”

“I found this under the library safe.”

“That is not to be wondered at.  Some time ago, I remember, I got some powders for Mr. Langmore, for headaches.  I remember the box had a wrapper of that sort on it.  The powders lose their strength if exposed to the sunlight.  And that reminds me, you—­you think these murders were committed through the agency of a Chinese powder—­yamlang-peholo—­a powder my firm once introduced in this country.”

“The evidence points that way.”

“I know of nobody around that house who had any of the accursed stuff, for it certainly was accursed.  I never took any there—­or, at least, if I ever did, I do not remember taking it out of my grip.”

“Can you furnish me with a list of people who received this stuff from you or from others?”

“I can.  On my way to Sidham I made out this list, and here it is,” and the young man brought it forth.

Adam Adams glanced at it quickly, and read over the long line of names and addresses—­doctors, druggists and private individuals.  Suddenly he paused and a smile of triumph lit up his features.