Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-08-27
CHAPTER NV.

CHAPTER AV.
 'You see I was right" said Merrick when met him at the station.
 "You have been right in every in stance" answered. ''Tho inspector here quite agrees with me that you should be detective. Where are your prisoners
 "No, mol Not prisoners, replied Merrick, shocked at the word. ''They are my guests. travelling companions what you will, but not prisoners.
 Still I see my detective attends on them both, |" said as Strent and Rose Gernon came along the platform.
 Ut Is we'll to take all precautions. How is Francis Briarield?'
 Rather downcast. He is afraid of being arrested for the murder.
 "No fear of that, answered Merrick, casting a glance at Strcnt. This gen tleman's evidence will exoneratc hin fully"
 Strent, smooth and unctuous as sycr, rubbed his hands and bowed, but Rose Gernon turned her back on him with n | gesture of disgust Evidently she had not forgiven his hurried departure from | the inn.
 What are We waiting for?" sh3 said sharply. Let Us go on to the inquest. I wish to get it over as soon as possible and return to town.
 We took the hint and walked along to a room adjoining the morguc, where the inquest was being held. I intro duced MCrrick to the inspector, and after n short conversation they went into the morgue to examine the body. | Not caring to see so ghastly a sight, remained outside with Francis. In q | quarter of an hour the doctor and the inspector returned, tho former rubbing his hands with well pleased expres- sion, the latter looking somewhat as tonished. What had passed ill the morguc l know not, as Mcrrick refused to gratify my curiosity.
 Wait till you hear the evidence of Strcnt," he said significantly. The jury was made up of well to do MarshminStcr tradcsmen, who took q profound int, rest in the proceedings, as the dead man was the brother of Miss | Bellin'S future husband. The Bcllins were the great people uf the nciGhbor- hood, and the tradcsmcn hoped to serve the hall when Mir. and Mrs. Brairfield settled there. They were, therefore, ex- cessivcly polite to Francis, but their frequent marks of attention only drew from him a bitter smile.
 Would they treat me ill this way if they knew all?'' he whispered to me.
 They will never know all, an- swered in the same tone.
 had spoken to the inspector, and he ill his turn had talked seriously with the coroner. The latter had been told the whole story, and though astonished at the folly of Francis yet found it ill his heart to be sorry for the young man. He said he would not question Francis moro than was necessary, and we hoped to carry through the inquest without exposing tho underlying romance.
 The first witness called was a local doctor, who deposcd to having examin- cd the body of Felix. He gave it as his opinion that the young man had died of poison and explained the state of the blood with q lot of medical techincalities which none of tho jury understood IL was, said the doctor, n case of blood poisoning. and the deceased had been wounded in the hand by some sharp in strumcnt which was stecpcd in poison.
 1 came next and narrated how l had staid at the Fen inn on that night and had met there Francis Briarfield, who was waiting there for his brother. Then 1 told of the discovery of tho corpse and the finding of the arrowhead ill the fire. place. I said nothing about my tracking the trail to the pool, and if possible wc wished that portion of the evidence tC be passed over in silence. Fortunately the jury were n dull headed lot and submitted quietly to the guidance oi the coroner. He only asked question: pertinent to the death without going too deeply into the subject. At thi: point produced the arrowhead.
 Francis explained that he had arriv' cd from Chile on the 9th of June ana had gone at once to tho Fen inn at tho request of his brother Felix. His broth CT had not arrived on that night, and he had gone to bed. He was unable tC say how his brother had come to his tragic end. Then came the critical point which we wished passed over il silence.
 Did you see your brother at the Fer inn, MT. Briarfield?'' asked the coroner. ''I did not see my brother alive, wa. the evasivc answer.
 Perhaps the body had been put il , the pool by the murderer" said one oi the jurymen, lin which case MT. Briar , field would not see him"
 ''I did not go to the pool on that
 night. replied Francis, adroitly evad r ing the remark "It was later on that learned my brothers body was there anC , at once gave instructions that the poo was to be dragged. '
 , At this point Mir. Briarfield was ask I ed to stand down, and the inspector, , evidence was taken. He deposcd to tn, fact that MT. Briarfield had instructed , him to drag the pool for the body. anC I that it was found there.
 - This piece of evidence quite put thu
 jury off the scent, as, if Francis haC & placed the body in the pool, he would I not have told the inspector where tC n find it The critical point was thu
 glidcd gently over, and tho coroner call f ed Rose Gernon. Once the jury knew s how the crime had been committed, ana 2 they would forget all about the hiding e of the body in tho pool, so that the foll! : of Francis would not be made public. Y must say that Rose Gernon gave he'
 evidence very clearly. She said sh' n was an intimate friend of Felix Briar h field, n statement which rather shocked q the moral tradesmen of Marshminstcr Felix asked her to go down to the inn V s@ El.. t.sa. lac