Leaning down, Fibsy looked up the chimney, and Hughes laughed out.
"Back number!" he said, looking bored, "Don't you s'pose we've investigated that chimney business? A monkey couldn't get up that little flue, let alone an able-bodied man!"
"That's so, my bucko!" and Fibsy beamed on Hughes, without a trace of rancor at the elder man's scorn.
"Now about the evidence against Mr. Bannard," Stone said to the local detective, "do I understand it's only the newspaper and cigarette that he was supposed to have left in this room——"
"Well," Hughes defended himself, "he had motive, he was seen around these parts, and he denies he was up here——"
"Never mind, I'll talk with him, please. I'll learn more from his own story."
"He isn't guilty, oh, Mr. Stone, he isn't guilty!" Iris exclaimed, her beautiful eyes filling with tears. "Please get him out of that awful jail, can't you?"
"Let us hope so, Miss Clyde." Stone spoke abstractedly. "Where is the newspaper in question?"
"Here it is," and Iris took it from a drawer and handed it to him.
"Why, this has never been opened," exclaimed Stone.