Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1906-01-26
AMystery
Of T w o
Continents
By
BURTON E..
STEVENSON
Copyright. 1908. by
Henry Holt and
Company

YOU kindly tell us, in your own way |
and with as much detail as possible, |
exactly what happened at your office |
shortly before 5.o'clock yesterday aft
ernoon"
I could see that Rogers was deeply
moved. His face was very white, he
moistened his lips nervously from time
to time, and his hands grasped con-
vulsively the arms of his chair. Plain
Iy the task before him was far from
an agreeable one.
"Well, SIR he began, 1--WE had
very busy day yesterday and were at
the office considerably later than usual,
but by o'clock we had closed up
work for the day, and all the other
CLERKS, with the exception OF the office
boy, had gone home. had made some
notes from Mr.. Holidays dictadon
and had returned to my desk to ar
range them when the outer door open
ed, and Mr. Holidays daughter came
in. She asked me whether her rather
was engaged, and upon my saying no
onened the inner door and entered his
office. She remained, should think,
about ten minutes, then she came out
again, walked rapidly past without
looking at me and, I suppose, left the
building I finished arranging my
notes and then entered Mr.. Holidays
Office to ask if he had any further in
structions for me, and 1 found him
living forward on his desk with knife
sticking in his neck and the blood
squirting out. 1 summoned aid, but ne
died without regaining consciousness.
I should say he was practically dead
| when found him."
felt rather than heard the little
/ Stir which ran through the room. There
was an indefinable horror in the story
and in the conclusion to which it in
evitably led.
"Now, let us go back moment" said
| the coroner as Rogers stopped and
mopped his forehead feverishly. i
want the jury to understand your story
| thoroughly. Mr.. Holiday had been
debating to you?"
eyes" ..r
"And was quite wellT'
Eyes; as we'll as usual. He'd been
suffering with indigestion for some
time past"
"still he was able to attend to bust,
ness?"
| saOh, yes, sir There was nothing al
all serious in his illness"
"You then left his Office and returned
to your own. How long had you beer
there before the outer door opened r
"Not over five minutes" r
~And who was it entered?"
"Miss Frances Holiday, the daugh
ter Of my employer"
you're quite sure? You know he
welY'
every well. I've known her for man!
years. She often drove to the Office II
the evening to take her father home
I. supposed that was what she cam
, for ) yAsterday."
"You looked at her attentively"
!, Rogers hitched impatiently in III
. chair.
. st glanced at her as always do,
, he said. st didn't stare"
= ''But you're quite sure 1t was Mis-
: Holladay|
= Absolutely sure, sir. Do you SUI
: nose I'd make an assertion like that
!. 1 wasn't absolutely sure"
!. mo-" said the coroner soothingi!
"No, I don't suppose any such thin,
e not for moment, Mr.. Rogers, only
Y want the jury to see how certain tn
Identification is. Shall proceed?"
t "Go ahead, SIR" said Rogers. IT
d try to hold myself together a lit
< better, sir"
81 can see what strain this is II
a you." said the coroner kindly, 'and L
r spare you as much as 1 can. NOV
after Miss Holiday entered the INN
<. Office, how long did she remain there
d "About ten minutes, should ,sa
d Not longer than that, certainly"
e did you hear any sound Of conve
l. sation or any unusual noise Of al
y kind" ,
d sNo. sir. 1t would have been We
unusual noise to be audible. Mr." HI
= laday's Office has heavy walls and
O. double door which completely shut I
[e all sounds from within"
I'd Miss Holiday then came out?"
Eyes, sir"
X 'And walked past you@'
Yes, sir; walked past me Fapluiy.
le Ibid you not think that peculiar?
er "Why, sir, she didn't often stop
D. speak to me. 1 was busy, and
IS thought nothing particularly about
'.Did you notice her face? Did S
er seem perturbed?"
mo, sir; / didn't notice il
glanced up and bowed. In fact,
n didn't see her face at all, for she b
lowered her veil"
ct "Her veilv' repeated the coron
a sYou hadn't mentioned that she We
a veil"
mo, sir; when she came into the
- fee she had lifted it up over her
y brim-you know how women do
"Yes-so you saw her face distinc
ng when she entered"
1 efr