The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-01-29
CHAPTER XXI.

CHAPTER XXI.
Sir Neville Bax had no idea of let
ting his admiration Of Nell Claris's
pretty face save her from the terrors
Of q most rigorous examination.
When she had made the admission
upon which the whole matter hinged,
and had broken down into tears as a
consequence, he gave her very little
time to recover her composure before
he went on in loud, pompous voice:
"Well, and so you admit there was a
person in the house at the time Mr..
King was robbed Of whose presence
there nobody but yourself knew any
thing. Now, what was the name Of
that person?"
Nell looked at him reproachfully.
He knew who it was, and he might
have spared her the pain of having to
state it herself. But as he waited, she
said in a whisper which was strong
contrast 20 the magistrates tones:
miss Theodora."
Miss Theodore Bostal?"
Eyes"
"And how came she to be there,
without anybody's knowledge?"
Nell, seeing there was no hope for it,
dried her eyes and gave the following
account with composure:
Miss Bostal had for some months
been in the habit of asking Nell, from
time to time, to let her sleep with Nell
for the night, on the plea that the Col
onel had stayed at Stroan, and that
she was afraid of sleeping at Shingle
End all by herself. She had begged
Nell not to mention the fact even to
her uncle, alleging that if it were. to
become known that her fathers house
was sometime; left unprotected it
would certainly be broken into. Nell
had seen nothing extraordinary in this,
and had readily given shelter to her
friend on half dozen different occa-
sions.
II believe you were in the habit of
going to Shingle End every morning
and evening; that you were on inti-
mate terms with her father and her
self, and that you would chat with her
about everything that happened at the
inn?"
"Yes," said Nell.
"And is it a fact that the robberies
at the Blue Lion always took place
when Miss Bostal was sleeping under
the roof?"
"Only at first" said Nell, earnestly.
''The last time she slept there was the
night Mr.. King was robbed"
How was it that you did not, on
that occasion, mention to your uncle
that she had been sleeping with your"
How could I? But indeed I did not
think of mentioning it, and refrained
because it would have looked like
throwing suspicion upon my best
friend"
"Your best friend?"
"Yes, sir. She had been very kind
to me, and it was she who got my un-
Gle to send me to such good school"
"Oh, oh! 1 see. Artful all round.
Doesn't look much like insanity" NUT.
tered Sir Neville to himself. And he
continued his interrogatories: "And
did not the fact that the robberies al
ways took place when she was there
excite your suspicion?"
mo, oh, no! I never thought Of such
a thingw protested the young girl,
earnestly.
You say Miss Bostal was not in the
house, to your knowledge, on the oc-
casion of the subsequent robberies?"
"She was not sleeping in the house,
SIR" answered Nell, looking down.
Nov, my dear Miss Claris, be can
did, and 4eil ME all you know"
With a sigh Nell obeyed. She ad-
mitted that on the morning when her
uncle was found in state Of insanity
she had made careful search of the
house and had found out circum-
stance which had escaped her notice.
that a spare key Of the back door,
which had formerly hung on nail in
the passage, had disappeared.
How was it you had not found that
OUT before?" asked Sir Neville, rather
dryly.
II had forgotten all about the key,
which was never used, until we had to
leave the house on account Of my poor
uncle Then l went over the keys to
the different doors by an old list we
had left by the man who had the place
before my uncle, and it was then I
missed the key, and remembered that
1 had not seen it for long time"
Sir Neville made few notes before
he went OH.
Before you missed the key you had
had suspicious. of course?"
Nell bowed her head in assent.
"You need not think" said the mag.
istrate, sharply, "that your making a
frank admission of your suspicious
can do the lady any harm. We should
get at the truth somehow, you may be
quite sure"