Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1901-01-13
Unmindful Of the weather. however.


long, disused ball room OF the Bunch
of Keys. and for an hour before noon
the tramp of country boots, and. the
lighter tread of those worn by the
"suality," had eachoed on the shallow
steps of the old oak stairway
Everyone was interested in the Lei
cester mystery" for so, through Saw
ernake's and Lady Mary Blandon's de-
mails of the OBVIOUS conclusions in the
case, it had come to be called
Most of the county magnates-some
Of whom had danced at the dead mans
majority ball-had made it their bust
ness or their pleasure to be present.
and the attendance from the village
was very large. The body of the great
low-ceiled room on the first floor had
oeen set with chairs, most of which
had had occupants long before the
time appointed for the inquest to be-
gin.
At the head ef the room sat the
coroner at his table; a dozen reporters
(with pencils ready to spring. sur
rounding a smaller one in front, while
benches for the jury were placed along
the adjacent wall.
The first part OF the proceedings was
regarded by the spectators as a mere
prologue to that which was to come.
The filing in of the jury. who had been
out to view the corpse; the testimony
Of the little boys who had lost their
bath by finding it; the evidence of the
doctor who had made the post-mortem
examination and admitted that, owing
to the condition of the body, his con-
illusions were not absolutely to be de-
pended upon; the rambling talk of the
old lG:k-keeper called in to give his
opinion as to the passing OF the corpse
over a couple Of weir>: and the dis
jointed sentences Of the tailor who
swore that the clothes on the body
had been made in his establishment
for the Duke of Leicester.
What people really wanted to know
was whether Lady Mary Blandon
would have been forced to attend, and
whether Lady Anne O'Neill would be
required to give evidence. Also it
would be interesting to see how the
parties chiefly commemorative Pal
graves, father and son-would bear
themselves on this trying occasion.
When the little tailor had retired the
door of the small room where the wit
nesses remained concealed like actors
behind the curtain of stage) opened,
closed again. re-opened. Curiosity was
pricked. Someone seemed unwilling
to come in; and at last there was no
great surprise when the recalcitrant
witness proved to he the late Dukes
aunt. After all, then, she had been
obliged to come. People were rather
glad of that, as it is difficult not to
rejoice in the defeat of a fellow NOR
tal-especially one who has held the
head high above all others.
The proud woman swept in, ostenta-
tiously dressed in a colour, brighter
than her customary apparel Gas if pro-
testing against the necessity for
mourning and, as she appeared, the
door of the back room softly opened.
Two men stood on the threshold. lin
gering in the dimness of the passage
beyond.
If they wished to remain unnoticed,
they had chosen their movements we'll,
for every eye was fixed on Lady Mary,
every ear strained to hear what she
might have to say.
Il do not recognise the body" she
cried aloud, in response to the cOron
ers oft-repeated question, Il am sure
it is that of some common person
who has stolen my nephews clothing
In no single popularity is there the
slightest resemblance between the two.
protest against having been dragged
into this vulgar force. The Duke Of
Leicester is alive, and will sooner or
latter appear to speak for himself"
With gesture of Impotence she dis
regarded the coroner's respectful at
tempts to bring order from the chaos
Of her answers. and glared naughty
surprise at his impertinence, as though
he had been a refractory servant of
her household
Everybody but the much-tried Of
fetal regretted the conclusion of the
little scene, which ended in the wit
ness being seated. Not for worlds
would she have retired. Not for
worlds, since they had dared to drag
her to this shocking place, would she
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