Apparently neither employe had thought of that. But the one front door was bolted. Iron screens covered each window.
“And he couldn’t a’ come in or out the back door, ’cause I stood right in it,” explained the elder clerk.
After a thorough search, Mr. Cook asked:
“When did you see the money last?”
With a good deal of thinking, both clerks acknowledged that they had not looked in the safe since it was opened that morning.
“Was the safe locked at noon?” Mr. Cook then asked.
As if greatly relieved, both clerks spoke at once. The safe had not been locked at noon, but they had not left the office together. The younger man had waited while the elder went home to dinner.
“Was the front door locked this morning—before dinner?” went on Mr. Cook.
On that point, the two men were not clear. A few persons had been in on business and the door had been open at times.