Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1896-09-24
CHAPTER XVI.
The Professor at Bay .

There seems to be some trouble
here he said, less harshly than he had
spoken before. What is it, child?"
Somewhat treasured by her fathers
manner and tone, Louise answered:
You should have heard what he sa,d
about you at the inquest, papa
Professor Drummond smiled grimly
Il wasn't present, my dear; but
have heard about the testimony. AS
understand it, Dr. Williams spoke
nothing but the truth
He might have left out some of it,
He didn't need to make everything just
as bad for you as he could"
Louise was gaming courage. The in
quest seemed to offer so ready an ave
nue. of escape from the situation in
which her father sought to place her.
Is that ALL Lou" asked the pro,
fessor, with his best assumption of
fatherly kindness.
He dared not hint to his daughter
what he inferred to be the fact-that
DR.. Williams, in his testimony, had
told only what he had been compelled
to tell, and that he was generally re-
garded as an unwilling witness, who
had unfortunately, escaped a severe
cross examination. The professor had
heard the story of the inquest from
Squire Taylor, upon whom he had
blandly called TO ask about it. He had
also picked up not little suggestive
information here and there from viii
layers with whom he had passed the
time O day, and from that ready con-
versationalist, Mr.. Philbrick.
Professor Drummond had made a
point of making a semi-confidant of
PLilbrick
It's so hard, you know, Philbrick !"
he had said, ito get clear Statement
from country people"
And Mr. Philbrick, with his happiest
smiles, had related the salient features
of the inquest, dwelling with gene rous
emphasis upon the GOODNESS and "ap-
parent candor' with which the doctor
had given his testimony.
There's no use Disgusting the fact
professor" said Philbrick, that good
many of these yokels were dreaming
vi vi Gains dDOul you, dIu lueS GA
pected a good deal from the doctor. 1t
put him in a hard position, born and
brought up here as he was, and sensi-
tive about his professional standing,
don't you know. 1t might have been a
fine feather in his cap to present things
in such a light as apparently to justify
mspicion, but | happen to know that
rom the beginning the doctor has
been very clear headed about the whole
matter. He has been Diet rmined that
no stupid misconception of the facts
should be fostered by any words from
him. He did remarkably we'll, profess
sOr 1t was something like lawyer
refusing a fee in order to discourage
senseless litigation"
Perhaps the genial Mr.. Phlbrick
would not have been quite so generous
in discussing his rival if it had not
been that his watchful eye had taken
in that brief incipient scene between
Louise and the doctor in the court
room Seeing it, his intelligence would
have been shamed had he not under
stood it. He could afford to be gener-
Gus. therefore. with his rival hopeless
ly misintorpreted,
Professor DrummOnd started for
home after this conversation, satisfied
of two things: 1t was not Philbrick
who had removed the brass switch
from the table leg; and DR.. Williams
must be powerfully affected by some
eXtraneous impulse not to reveal what
he knew and surmised about the trag-
edy. The professor was not wholly Ger
tain that it was not Amelia who had
removed the switch, but it was clear
enough for his purposes that the doctor
knew more than he had told, and sur
missed more than he knew.
So, when the professor asked Louise
if the doctors apparent hostility to
him was the only cause for her rejec-
ton of the doctors proposal, he was
confident that he would be able to
smooth away that objection without
compromising himself, for Louise had
never been disobedient and confidence
in her father was one of her best traits.
He was, therefore, surprise :, and just a
lllIlS WITCH cLC EhOOh llNi
head
Tell me, Lou" he said after mo-
ment, is it another attraction"
Her downcast eyes answered him 1t
meant Philbrick, of course. The pro-
fessor was disappointed and yet quick
ly reasoned it might not be so bad. The
doctor was publicly committed to a be-
lief in the suicide theory. True, he
had not Enthusiastically advocated that
theory, but the public had accepted
that as his explanation of the tragedy;
he could not well repudiate his course
in not throwing all light possible on it
at the start
Then there was Philbrick. Little as
the professor had seen OF him, the man
puzzled him. Why was he staying on
at Belmont after the summer season Of
outing was 1t an end? Probably be-
cause he was In love with Louise.
What more natural? II it should prove