St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-01-06
CHAPTER III,

''You were with the deceased at the
time of his death?" questioned the c0ro-
ner, as Gladys LyalI turned white
strained face toward him. and with a
gesture she signified assent, her lips
well-nigh refusing to articulate.
"And you saw the cause of it?"
"Yes-I saw the-cause of it," she
answered, her voice faint as that of one
in deaths very agony. the beads of
sweat standing on her brow.
The coroner was a tender-hearted
man, and the sight moved him.
''You have lived some time with Mrs.
D0dd, | understand, and YOU were much
attached to your cousin?"
81 loved him-and was to have been
his wife"
A thrill passedthrough the men there.
stolid for the most part though they
were, amidst the pain there was such
note of pride in the voice that came
steadily now from the drawn lips.
Widowed though the maiden stood,
she wore this dead mans love as q
crown of glory in the sight of all.
Had you ever fancied the boulder
insecure in its bel? You knew the
quarry we'll"
"Never; it was a favorite haunt of
mine-Robert knew!"
Can you imagine any cause why the
stone should have become lOose?"
A dazed sort of look came over the
girls face and some one passed her a
glass OF water, thinking she was faint.
The coroner gave her time to recover
1t seemed so natural to him that such a
shock should weIl-nigh have stupefied
the poor girl. He tried TO make his
words palmer.
81 mean, had you seen any one about
III going to the place, or any animal
near that could have caused the acct
dcnt?"
"The- acci-dent-no I had seen
no one-nO one, till my cry brought his
own brother jim; and-aud he was
dead-dead!" She could stand no
| more. Not a man with vestige of hui
manly could have asked that ouiyering
creature another question, and many
eyes were wet with pity as she bowed
her head on the table in her hopeless
anguish.
The verdict was clear in the minds of
the jury, and it was merely as a matter
of form shat Jim Dodd was called, Glad
Us and he met in the doorway as she
left the room he was entering, and
quick observer might have seen a mute
questioning in the glance he turned to
her-or was il merely pity for the for
lorn figure of the SO recently bright
young DSduUy.
She locked steadily at him for one
br ef instant.
~ have told them all could of the
accident" she said in low voice, as
she passed OF. while jim stepped for
ward, somewhat less anxious express
sion on his face.
He glanced quickly round the room,
but saw only pity in the eyes turned on
him..
"You were the first, we are told, to
reach the spot where this sad calamity
happened. Will you tell US how you
found deceased? 1t was your Cousins
cries for help, we understand, that
drew you to the spot?"
Notwithstanding the emotion he man.
Tested, and which seemed perfectly in
keeping with the occasion, the witness
had no difficulty in replying to this
question, and verdict OF Accidental
DEATH was duly returned in accordance
with the evidence. Having discharged
their duty, the twelve just men and
true filed out of the room, shaking
hands sympathetically with the be-
reaVed brother. and remarking one to
another on the strange fatality of the
son meeting bis death in almost the
same manner as the father had done in
that very place only few years before.
The human mind has special enjoy
ment In condolences. and not without