Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1897-11-11
"Did You see her? If so,' whcrel"
"She met me across the river"

II
i should say about an hour. The sub
pjcct which we discussed was one Of vi
Btal Importance to me, and was not
Eanxious to bring the meeting to close
sbefore exhnusting all the arguments at
my command"
Mr.. Barnes reflected o moment and
Calculated that if Miss Lewis left the
summer house at O'Clock, granting
her 16 minutes to cross the river and as
many more, in returning, this statement
of Marvel's, that she talked with him
an hour, would just fit the one which
she had made to the effect chat she
reached the house at half past 10. This,
therefore, satisfied him that he had the
matter of time correct.
"Now, then, Mr.. Marvel" said the
lawyer, "please tell us what you did
after Miss Lewis left you"
"Istarted to walk to the Epping road,
but before I reached it I retraced my
steps,
Exactly. You crossed the river, did
you not9'
Eyes How did you know?'
"Never mind. Tell us how you
crossed"
II meant to wade the stream and
looked for a shallow place, but stepped
into hole and was obliged to swim"
Every good. Now tell us why you
were so anxious to cross tho river 20
late at night"
1T is delicate matter, but as this
seems to be of importance I will be
frank and tell you the whole story. My
first object in visiting the farm was to
persuade Miss Lewis to marry me with.
out her uncle's consent, since he had re-
fused to grant it. At the meeting be.
tween US she would not do more than
promise to send me definite reply the
next day by letter. After she had left
me could not help thinking that she
meant to refuse and was only delaying
the i'll tidings, especially as she insisted
that l should 60 OIL to Portsmouth to
wait for her letter. l thought Of some
arguments which had not used and re-
turned, hoping to find her still up and
20 make one more attempt to win her:
That, sir, is the full truth"
"Did you see her when you reached
the house?'
mo, SIR"
"Did you enter the house?'
II did. went into the dining room
and as far as the door of Miss Lewis
room, but as there was no light in her
apartment concluded that she had re-
tired, and l left the house as had en-
tered it,.
"While in the house did you see Mr..
Lewis?'
Before answer that may I ask you
question:"
Proceed"
"When you ask me If saw Mr.. Lew
is, are you not trying to get me to
make some admission which might con.
oect me- with this murder?'
Mr.. Tupper was little confused at
this direct question and hesitated mo-
ment before he replied:
"Mr. Lewis has been murdered, and
there are suspicious circumstances
which seem to implicate you. am on
ly giving you an opportunity to vindi-
cate yourself.
"You are very kind" said Marvel,
with smile, "but 1t seems to me that
it is the other way, and that you are
simply hunting for the criminal. Now,
if l admit that saw Mr.. Lewis that
night, whether l killed him or not,
might be acknowledging myself to be
the last person who saw him alive, and
that might DO construed into an evi-
dence of guilt. l believe l have the
privilege Of refusing to criminate my
self, and will not reply to the ques-
tion.
'You are virtually admitting what
you seem to wish to deny, since if you
bad not met him there would be no
reason for your hesitating to proclaim
that fact. l."
"You are wrong. If I say that did
not see him, that will be giving you
positive point If 1 did not meet him,
it would be proof presumptive that
did not fire the fatal shot. This might
be helping to iDcriminate some other
person, which I am equally unwilling
to dc"
ut is your duty to tell everything
that may lead to the discovery of the
criminal"
at is your business, not mine, to
trace the crime to its perpetrator.
Mr. Barnes could not but admire the
mans cool logic under the trying cir
cumstances Of his position. and it fash:
ed across his mind that Marvel and Vir-
ginia were we'll matched pair. 1t
piqued him somewhat to notice the quiet
smile Of satisfaction on Virginia's face
as she sat In her seat, never once raising
her eyes from the floor throughout the
examination of her lover. She seemed
to have completely recovered her self