Let us, for the moment, assume that it has been. That would look
as if it had been removed from some other package, which again would
suggest that the person using it had only the one slip, which he had
soaked off the original package, dried, cut down and pasted on the
present label. If he pasted it on before typing the address--which he
would most probably have done--he might well be unwilling to risk
destroying it by soaking it a second time."
"You think, then, there is a suspicion that the package may have been
tampered with?"
"There is no need to jump to conclusions," replied Thorndyke. "I merely
gave this case as an instance showing that careful examination of the
outside of a package or letter may lead us to bestow a little extra
attention on the contents. Now let us open it and see what those
contents are."
With a sharp knife he divided the outside cover, revealing a stout
cardboard box wrapped in a number of advertisement sheets. The box, when
the lid was raised, was seen to contain a single cigar--a large
cheroot--packed in cotton wool.
"A 'Trichy,' by Jove!" I exclaimed. "Your own special fancy, Thorndyke."
"Yes; and another anomaly, at once, you see, which might have escaped
our notice if we had not been on the _qui vive_."
"As a matter of fact, I _don't_ see," said I.
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