Page:The secret play (1915).djvu/20

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Fudge nodded carelessly. "Yes, and it's going to be a peach. It—it's a detective story, Dick. I meant it to be just a short one, but it's turning out to be quite long. I guess it'll be a regular novel before I get through with it. Detective stories are lots of fun to write. Maybe I'll read some of this to you some time, Dick."

"Thanks," replied the other gravely. "What's it about, Fudge?"

"Oh, about a murder and a peach of a detective chap named 'Young Sleuth.' You see, this old codger Middleton was found murdered in his library, surrounded by oodles of money. There was only one window in the room and that was all barred over with steel bars. And there was only one door and that was locked on the inside and they had to break it open. How's that for a situation? You see, having his money all scattered around showed that he wasn't killed for that, don't it? And the barred window and the door locked on the inside—get that, Dick? On the inside, mind you!—thickens the plot a bit, eh?"

"Rather!" agreed Dick, anxiously viewing a buggy half a block ahead. "How did the murderer get in, Fudge?"