Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1895-01-08
|THEL0NE INN
By FERGUS HUME.
Copyright. 1891. by the Author.l
CHAPTER Nv.

CHAPTER Nv.
"You see was right, said Merrick
when met him at the station.
lyon have been right in every in.
tstance," / answered "The inspector
here quite agrees with me that you
ihould be detective Where are your
prisonors!"
mo, mol Not prisoners, replied
Morrick, shocked at the word "They
are my guests travelling companions
what you will. but not prisoners
Still see my detective attends on
them both, said rs Strent and Rose
Gernon came along the platform
1T is well to take all precautions
eow is Francis Briarfield?"
Rather downcast He is afraid OF
being arrested for the murder.
mo fear of that, answered Mcrrick.
casting glance at Strent This gen
tlemau's evidence will exonerate him
fully
Strent smooth and unctuous as ever
rubbed his hands and bowed, but Rose
Gcrnon turned her back on him with a
gesture Of disgust Evidently she had
not forgiven his hurried departure from
the inn
What are we waiting for?" she said
sharply. Let us 20 ON TO the inquest
wish to get it over Us soon Us possible
and return to town.
We took the hint and walked along
to a room adjoining tho morgue, where
the inquest was being held intro
duced Merrick TO the inspector. and
after o short conversation they went
into the morgue to examine the body
Not caring to 500 so CHASTITY sight, J
remained outside with Francis In q
quarter of an hour the doctor and the
Inspector returned, the former rubbing
his hands with well pleased expires.
sion. the latter looking somewhat as
tonished What had passed in the
morgue 1 know not, rs Merrick refused
to crafty my curiosity.
wait till You hear the evidence Of
Strent, hc said significantly.
The jury was made up Of we'll TO do
| Westminster tradesmen. who took q
profound interest in the proceedings, as
the dead man was the brother Of Miss
! Bellin's future husband The Belllns
were the great people Of the neighbor.
hood, and the tradesmon hoped to serve
tho hall when Mr. and Mrs. Brairtield
/ settled there They were, therefore, OK
cessively polite to Francis. but their
frequent marks Of attention only drew
from him bitter smile.
Would they treat me in this way II
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
In 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 II IN
his heart to bc sorry for the young man
He said he would not question Francis
more than was necessary. and we hoped
TO carry through the inquest without,
exposing the underlying romance
The first witness called was local
doctor, who dcposed TO having oxanlin'
ell the body Of Felix He gave 1t as his
opinion that the young man had died OF
poison and explained the state Of the
blood with lot of medical techincalitics
which none Of the jury understood IL
was, said the doctor, IA case Of blood
poisoning. and the deceased had been
wounded in the hand by some sharp in
sirument which was stepped In poinon
came next and narrated how ! had
staid nc the Fen inn on that night and
had met there Francis Briarfeld, who
was waiting there for his brother Then
| told of the discovery Of the corpse ana
the finding Of the arrowhead in the fire
place. | said nothing about my tracking
the trail to the pool. and il possible we
wished that portion Of the evidence TO
be passed over in silence. Fortunately
the Jury were q dull headed lot and
submitted quietly to the guidance OF
the coroner He only asked questions
pertinent to the death without going
too deeply into the subject AT this
point produced the arrowhead.
Francis explained that he had arriv-
ed from Chile OH the 9th Of June and
had gone at once to the Fen inn at the
request Of his brother Felix His broth
| er had not arrived ON that night, and
he had gone to bed. He was unable to
say how his brother had come to his
tragic end. Then came the critical
point which We wished passed over in
silence
Ibid You see your brother at the Fen
inn, Mr.. Briartield?" asked the coroner
II did not see my brother alive, was
the evasive answer.
Perhaps the body had been put III
the pool by the murderer, said one OF
the jurymen, "in which case Mr.. Briar.
field would not see him."
Il did not go to the pool ON that
night. replied Francis, adroitly evad.
ing the remark. 1T was later on that
learned my brothers body was there and
at once gave instructions that the pool
was to be dragged. "
At this point Mr.. Briarfield was ask
ed to stand down, and the Inspector S
evidence was taken. He deposed to the
fact that Mr.. Briarfield had instructed
him to drag the pool for the body, and
that it was found there.
This piece of evidence quite put the
Jury off the scent, as, if Francis had
pla ed the body in the pool, he would
not have told the inspector where to
find it The critical point was thus
glided gently over. and the coroner call
ed Rose Gernon Once the jury knew
how the crime had been committed, and
they would forget all about the hiding
Of the body in the pool, SO that the folly
of Francis would not be made public
must say that Rose Gernon gave her
evidence very clearly. She said she
was an intimate friend Of Felix Briar-
field, statement which rather shocked
the moral tradesmen Of Marshminster.
Felix asked her to 90 down to the inn,
IS he had prepared it for his brother
nnd wished to see him there about Q
family matter.
"But the inn was ruin, " interrupt
ed q juryman. Miss Gernon said that
was very true Still it was habitable,
and Mr.. Felix Briarfeld had sent on
fuel and provisions As the former pro-
prietor had left all the furniture, the
rooms were fairly comfortable. She
could not say why Felix did all this
unless it was that he wanted to see his
brother privately.