The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-12-11
Florence \~/orden,
Author ufs The RouSe on he Nor5h,'' etc.
downright, lsos. py Robert Bonner,s Sons
CHAPTER XIV.
Continued,

cheon at this point, and afterward
came the supreme sensation Of the
iay-the appearance Of Nell Claris as
q witness.
Tongues had been busy with her
name since the crowd filed out of the
court. No one could doubt the import
of the questions the coroner had put to
Miss Bostal. 1t was plain that Nell,
the only person, except Clifford, who
was known to have had any cause of
ill-will toward the deceased man, now
lay under the suspicion of being con-
cerned in his death.
Perhaps the girl herself, when she
came from the magistrates room into
the court, was the only person present
who did not realize the position in
which she stood. For she alone had
peen absent when the searching quns-
tions were being put to her friend.
Nell made bad impression from the
very first. She was wrapped up to the
eyes in long, squirrel-lined cloak and
q boa of brown fur. and she wore
large hat, which helped to hide even
the outline of her lace from the crowd
in the court behind her. But from the
glimpse which could be caught Of her
features as she moved hurriedly into
the place pointed out to her, it was evil
dent that her far-famed beauty was
for a time under eclipse, for her COM
plexion was blurred with crying and
her blue eyes looked sunken and color
less.
All that seemed to concern her was
to hide as much Of her face as she
could, and to give her answers so that
they should be heard by as few per-
sons as possible. Throughout the
whole of her evidence she had to be
admonished to "speak up," and to an
swer at once and straightforwardly,
instead of taking time to think out her
replies, as she showed strong dispo-
sition to do.
Altogether she was q bad witness,
decidedly the worst of them all. Not
even nervous Mrs. Mann gave so much
trouble. If there had been no breath
of suspicion Of the girl before she
stood in the witnesses place, her man.
ner and her answers would have been
sufficient to arouse the feeling in all
those who heard and saw her give evil
dence.
"You are the niece Of Mr.. George
Claris, 1 believe? And you were pres
ent when the quarrel took place be-
tween the deceased and Mr.. Clifford
King"
"There was no quarrel. Jem Stick
els attacked him. He struck Mr..
King with his knife through the win
dow. He stabbed him."
"And Mr. King struck him back?"
"No. Yes. At least he caught hold
of him and flung him away"
"Flung him to the ground, in fact?"
II don't know whether he meant to
do that"
But, as a matter of fact, the de-
ceased did fall to the ground, and lay
there, stunned"
HE struck his head against the
leQSS OIL Tue WluuOW.
"Yes. Do you know the reason why
the deceased attacked Mr.. King?"
Nell made no answer.
II am sorry to have to press for an
answer Remember, there is nothing
whatever discreditable to a lady in
being the object of jealousy between
two hot-blooded young men. I believe
1t is an undoubted fact that Jem Stick
els, the deceased, was jealous Of Mr..
King, and that it was the sight of Mr..
King and you together which pro-
voked him to attack a rival whom he
regarded, rightly or wrongly, as more
favored than himself"
Nell blundered into hasty, incohe-
rent answer:
mo. It was not that. He didn't.
He couldn't. 1t was not that he was
jealous. I always hated Jem Stick
els, and be knew it. How could he be
jealous when I detested him.
And for the first and last time in the
course of her evidence Nell's voice was
loud enough to be heard throughout
the court as she uttered this terribly
damaging speech.
When she had spoken and stood star
ing at the coroner with wide-open
eyes a great wave of horror passed
over the court, and the jury to a man
felt sorry for her. They had all known
this dissipated fisherman, they all felt
the gulf Of repugnance that must have
existed between this refined young
girl and him. And, while the conclu
sion was forced in upon their minds
that she had taken violent means to
rid herself of him and his persecution,
they felt that they would have given
a great deal to have been able to hush
the matter up.
For while the loathing she so frankly
expressed gave a reason and almost
an excuse for her crime, on the other
hand her fearless avowal Of feeling
now, when it was so greatly to her in
terest to hide it, seemed to show that
she was in state of mind in which
she could hardly be considered respon-
sible for her actions.
Meanwhile, however, the inquiry had
to 60 on.
We'll, then" pursued the coroner.
getting away from the fatal subject
and speaking with extra dryness to
hide his own sympathy, you went to
Colonel BostaPs house, and you and
Miss Bostal went together to see Jem
Stickels at his lodging to ask how he
was?"
But here again Nell blundered past
the opportunity thus given her for
clearing her own character.
al didn't want to 90 Miss TheOdOra