He was soon convinced that the man in the corner seat was watching him--shooting furtive glances across the carriage from behind the screen of his newspaper.
Was he a detective?
Not if Barrant was a usual representative of the tribe.

Yet there was something infernally quizzical in the scrutiny which reached him through those gold-rimmed glasses.

Stay, though! Did detectives wear glasses?
Wasn't there an eyesight test or something like that for officers of the law?
He had never seen a policeman wearing glasses.

If he was not a detective, why was he watching him?
There was no reward offered for his arrest.

Perhaps he belonged to the wretched type of beings who pride themselves on their public spirit--men who wrote letters to the newspapers and interfered in other people's business.