It was nothing but a
portable electric vacuum cleaner, which he quickly attached and
set running. Up and down the floor, around and under the bed he
pushed the cleaner. He used the various attachments to clean the
curtains, the walls, and even the furniture. Particularly did he
pay attention to the base board on the wall back of the bed. Then
he carefully removed the dust from the cleaner and sealed it up
in a leaden box.
He was about to detach and pack up the cleaner when another idea
seemed to occur to him. "Might as well make a thorough job of it,
Walter," he said, adjusting the apparatus again. "I've cleaned
everything but the mattress and the brass bars behind the
mattress on the bed. Now I'll tackle them. I think we ought to go
into the suction-cleaning business--more money in it than in
being a detective, I'll bet."
The cleaner was run over and under the mattress and along every
crack and cranny of the brass bed. This done and this dust also
carefully stowed away, we departed, very much to the
mystification of Marie and, I could not help feeling, of other
eyes that peered in through keyholes or cracks in doors.
"At any rate," said Kennedy exultingly, "I think we have stolen a
march on them. I don't believe they were prepared for this, not
at least at this stage in the game.
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