"Might have had a few drinks," responded the reporter. "He is not a drinking man."
"Has St. George a revolver?"
"I was unable to find that out or do anything except get a sample of his writing from another artist," the reporter explained. "He is in a hospital, raving crazy. It seems to be a return of the trouble he had once before, except it is worse. The wound itself is not bad."
The scientist was studying the sheet of paper. "Have you that scrap?" he asked.
Hatch produced it, and the scientist placed it on the sheet; Hatch could only conjecture that he was fitting it to something else already there. He was engaged in this work when Martha entered.
"The young lady who was here earlier to-day wants to see you again," she announced.
"Show her in," directed The Thinking Machine, without raising his eyes.
Martha disappeared, and after a moment Miss Stanford entered. Hatch, himself unnoticed, stared at her curiously, and arose, as did the scientist. The girl's face was flushed a little, and there was an eager expression in her eyes.
"I know he didn't do it," she began. "I've just gotten a letter from Springfield stating that he was there on the day Grace went away--and----"
"Know who didn't do what?" asked the scientist.