“Now if you will hold one pair of dividers, I will use the other,” he said.
“What are you going to do?”
“I am going to measure the width and length of the dents made in the window sill by the burglar’s jimmy.”
In the wooden sill were two deep indentations, where the jimmy had sunk down, as the burglars pried on it, when the thin edge of the tool was under the edge of the window sash. The two indentations were just alike, so there was no need to measure but one.
Long practice with the dividers had made Mr. Harrison skillful in their use. In a few seconds he had set the sharp points at the extreme edges of one indentation. Then he fastened them there with the set-screw.
“Now, Dan, you hold these, and be careful not to jam them against anything,” he said. “Hand me the other pair.”
Dan did so. Mr. Harrison then measured the length of the indentation or dent, in the same way.
“Good!” he exclaimed, when he had finished. “No one has seen us. Now, Dan, we must hurry away from here.”
“Where are we going now?”
“To Dr. Maxwell’s house. I think you can guess what for. Can’t you?”