“Of course.”
“What happened to the hatpin when you resumed your hat?”
“I do not recollect.”
“Could you wear that hat without a pin?”
“Oh, yes, I frequently did. Sometimes I use a hatpin and sometimes not. That particular hat fits very close and I pull it well down.”
“Now I want you to be very careful in answering the next few questions as they are exceptionally important. You are sure you had the hatpin when you visited Mrs. Halfleet?”
“No, I am not sure.”
“You said—”
“Yes, but that was because I don’t see how else it could get here. The use of a hatpin is more or less mechanical, you know, and sometimes I wear one and sometimes I don’t. I think I brought it here but I cannot remember either putting it in my hat or taking it out.”
“You would not swear then that you had it?”