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You say you couldn't identify the pistol?" said the officer.

Jimmy nodded.

"Well, we can, and have. The number of this pistol was recorded when Mr.

Compton bought it, as was the number of the other one which is still in his desk.

They were the only two pistols he ever bought, according to Mr. Bince, and his

daughter, aside from one which he had at home, which has also been accounted

for. The drawer in which Mr. Bince saw you place this pistol we found open and

the pistol gone. It looks pretty bad for you, young fellow, and if you want a chance

to dodge the rope you'd better plead guilty and tell us why you did it."

Jimmy was given little opportunity for sleep that night. A half-dozen times he

was called back to the lieutenant's office for further questioning. He commenced

to realize that the circumstantial evidence was strongly against him, and now, as

the girl had warned him, his entirely innocent past was brought up against him

simply because his existence had been called to the attention of a policeman, and

the same policeman an inscrutable Fate had ordained should discover him alone

with a murdered man.

O'Donnell made the most of his meager knowledge of Jimmy. He told the

lieutenant with embellishments of Jimmy's association with such characters as

the Lizard and Little Eva; but the police were still at a loss to discover a motive.

This, however, was furnished the next morning, when Elizabeth Compton, white

and heavy-eyed, was brought to the station to identify Jimmy. There was deep

compassion in the young man's face as he was ushered into the presence of the

stricken girl, while at sight of him hers mirrored horror, contempt, and hatred.

175

The Efficiency Expert