The Case of the Lamp That Went Out
Klingmayer.     

       Riedau looked at the bookkeeper, who nodded and said: “Yes, sir; Winkler had a watch, a gold watch with a double case. It was a large watch, very thick. I happen to have noticed it by chance and also I happen to know that he had not had the watch for very long.”      

       “Can you tell us anything more about the watch?” asked the commissioner of the landlady.     

       “Yes, sir; there was engraving on the outside cover, initials, and a crown on the other side.”      

       “What were the initials?”      

       “I don’t know that, sir; at least I’m not sure about it. There were so many twists and curves to them that I couldn’t make them out. I think one of them was a W though, sir.”      

       “The other was probably an L then.”      

       “That might be, sir.”      

       “The younger clerks in the office may be able to tell something more about the watch,” said Pokorny, “for they were quite interested in it for a while. It was a handsome watch and they were envious of Winkler’s possession of it. But he was so tactless in his boasting about it that they paid no further attention to him after the first excitement.”      

       “You say he didn’t have the watch long?”      

       “Since spring I think, sir.”      

       “He brought it home on the 19th of March,” interrupted Mrs. Klingmayer. “I remember the day because it was my birthday. I pretended that he had brought it home to me for a present.”      

       “Was he in the habit of making you presents?”      

       “Oh, no, sir; he was very close with his money, sir.     

       “Well, perhaps he didn’t have much money to be generous with. Now tell me about his watch chain. I suppose he had a watch chain?”      

       Both the bookkeeper and the landlady nodded and the latter exclaimed: “Oh, yes, sir; I could recognise it in a minute.”      

       “How?”      


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