Forrester stretched out his feet before him, thrust his hands deep into his trousers pockets and smiled at the two men.
"That settles all doubt about the 'Friends of the Poor,'" he said. "They not only remain unknown, but probably secured my dummy package and know that I have fooled them. Gentlemen, kindly omit flowers."
"Ah! but here's the biggest surprise of all," exclaimed Humphrey, as he jumped out of his chair, and taking a large envelope from the table where he had laid it on entering the library, drew forth a photograph.
Green and Forrester also rose and approached the library table while Humphrey was arranging the photograph where the lamplight would fall full upon it.
"A camera is a wonderful thing," commented Humphrey. "Astronomers discover stars with it that are not visible to the eye, even through a powerful telescope; and spiritualists claim to have secured photos of specters or ghosts or whatever they call the things that visit them. I can believe it after seeing this photo."
"You ain't got a picture o' them ghosts, have you?" queried Green, memories of a certain gruesome night only too clearly recalled.
"Maybe it is, and maybe it isn't," returned Humphrey, non-committally, but obviously amused at Green's apprehension. "That's what I'm going to let you folks decide. There!" he added, placing a finger on the photograph as the others bent over it. "See that black spot back of the tree? That is the shadow thrown by the tree trunk when my flashlight went off. Naturally, anything in that shadow would not photograph well. If you look carefully, however, you can make out what appears to be a man standing a short distance back of the tree. It looks like a silhouette, and may be only my imagination. That is why I want your opinions."
First Forrester and then Green studied the photograph.
"Well?" inquired Humphrey, at length.
"I believe you are right," acceded Forrester. "A man was evidently hiding behind the oak while we were there."