The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1898-04-29
CHAPTER VII.

address and occupation. The discovery
l had made filled me with fierce bitter
hatred against my dead companion,
and, dazed by the startling suddenness
Of the revelation, stood like a man in
x dream.
DR.. Diplock, the Coroner, noticed it,
and his sharp injunction to answer his
question brought me back to a knowl-
edge of my surroundings. l was stand
ing in full view of an assembly of some
three hundred persons so filled by
curiosity and eager to hear my story
that the silence was complete.
1T beg your pardon, but did not
hear the question" l said, bracing my
self with an effort.
1.-The deceased was your friend, be-
lieve?"
yes" / answered. HE shared
furnished cottage with me at Shopper
ton. have known him for some
time"
Were you with him on the day OF
his death?"
81 left him at Shepperton in the
morning, when I went to town, and
he called upon me at the Foreign Office
about 1 o'clock. We lunched together
and then, returning to Downing street,
parted. We met again at Shepperton
later and came here, to Staines, in re-
Spouse to an invitation to dinner at the
Nook, r
A womans low despairing cry broke
the silence, and as l turned to the as
sembly saw, straight before me, Ella
sitting rigid, almost statuesque Her
terror-stricken gaze met mine; her
eyes seemed riveted upon me.
Kindly proceed with your evil
dence," exclaimed the Coroner impa-
tiently.
I'VE dined at the Nook" went on,
turning again to face him. Then we
went for a row, and on our return Mr..
Ogle left US to walk back to Shopper
ton"
"Alone?"
Eyes"
why did you not accompany him?''
Because / had during the evening
received telegram summoning me
away"
who was the message from?"
THE Earl of Warnham," l replied.
Then, obeying his request to continue,
explained how, on leaving the Nook
( about an hour later to catch my last
train, l had stumbled upon the body
of my friend.
Then, when | had concluded, the
Coroner commenced his cross-examina-
ton. Many of his questions were
purely formal in character, but pres
emily when he began to take me
through the events that occurred al
the Foreign Office, l experienced very
uncomfortable feeling, fearing lest
should divulge the suspicious that had
during the last half-hour, been aroused
within me. 1t was, recognized, abso-
lutely necessary that should keep my
discovery a strict secret, for upon my
ability to do SO everything depended
Was there any reason why he
should call for you at the Foreign OF.
flee and ask you to lunch with him
Was he in the habit of doing this?'
inquired the Coroner.
mo, there seemed no reason, beyond
the fact that he was compelled t
come to town, and merely wanted te
pass an hour away" / said.
why did he go to London?"
II have no idea what business tool
him there
He never told you that he had any
enemy, suppose?" the official asked
with an air of mystery.
Never On the contrary, he was
most popular
And no other incident than what
you have related occurred at the For
eign Office? You are quite certain o
that?"
For moment l hesitated, half-in
clined to relate the whole story of tn,
! mysterious theft of the secret conven
ton, but risking perjury rather thai