Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1906-01-30

turned to me. Lester, you'd better go
and get some lunch. You look quite
done up"
'Shan 1 bring you somethingY
asked. "Or, better still, have meal
ready for you in half an hour? Rodns
is just around the corner"
He would have refused, think. had
not the coroner interfered.
You'd better go, Mr.. Royce" he said.
"You're looking done up yourself. Per
haps you can persuade Miss Holiday
to eat something. Pm sure she needs
it."
every well, then. Have two meals
ready IN half an hour, Lester" he said.
''and a lunch we can bring back with
us. I'll go to Miss Holiday now and
then go direct to Rotin's.''
He hurried away after the coroner,
and walked slowly over to Rottn's
to give the necessary orders. I chose
a table in a snug corner, picked up
paper and tried to read. Its one great
item of news was the Holiday case
and l grew hot with anger as l saw
how unquestioningly, how complacently
it accepted the theory Of the daughters
guilt. Still, l asked myself, was it to
blame? Was any one to blame for
thinking her guilty after hearing the
evidence? How could one escape it?
Why, even l.
Preposterous! Itried to reason calm
ly; to find an opening in the net, yet
how complete it was! The only point
we had gained SO far was that the
mysterious visitor had asked for Mr..
Holiday, not for her father, and what
an infnitesimal point it was! Suppos-
ing there had been a quarrel, an es-
arrangement, would not she naturally
have used those very words? After
all, did not the black eyes, the full
lips, the deep colored cheeks bespeak
a strong and virile temperament, depth
of emotion, capacity for swift and vi
olent anger? But what cause could
there be for quarrel so bitter, so
fierce, that it should lead to such
tragedy? What cause? And then sud-
denly a wave of light broke in upon
me. There could be only one. Yes,
but there could be one! Capacity for
emotion meant capacity for passion. II
she had a lover, if she had clung to
him despite her father! I knew his
reputation for severity, for cold and
relentless condemnation. Here was
an explanation, certainly
And then I shook myself together
angrily Here was I reasoning along
the theory of her guilt, trying to find
a motive for it.! 1 remembered her as
hoI hop <J,sx
father; I recalled the many stories
had heard Of their devotion; reflected
how her whole life, so far as knew
it, pointed to nature singularly calm
and self controlled, charitable and low
ing. AS to the lover theory, did not
the light in her eyes which had greeted
our junior disprove that at once and
forever? Certainly, there was some
fatal flaw in the evidence, and it was
for us to find it.
I>leaned my head back against the
wall with little sigh of relief. What
Il fool had been! Of course we should
find it. Mr.. Royce had spoken the
words; the district attorney had point
ed out the way. We had only to prove
an alibi, and the next witness would
do it. Her coachman had only to tell
where lie had driven her, at what place
she had stopped. and the whole ques-
ton would be settled. At the hour the
crime was committed she had doubt
less been miles away from Wall street,
so the question would be settled-set-
tied, too, without the necessity Of Miss
Holiday undergoing the unpleasant
ordeal of cross examination.
"It is a most extraor -rdinary affair.""
said voice at my elbow, and turned
with start to see that the chair just
behind me had been taken by a man
who was also reading an account Of
the crime. He laid the paper down
and caught my eye. "a most -eXtraor-
binary AFFAIR." he repeated, appealing
to me.
I nodded, merely glacing at him, too
preoccupied to notice him closely. I
got an impression Of a f1orid face, Of a
stout, we'll dressed body, Of an air un-
mistakabiy French.
"You will pardon me, SIR" he add
ed, leaning a little forward. GAS a
stranger in this country, 1 am much
Interested in your processes Of law.
This morning was present at the trial.
perceived you there. 1t seemed to
me that the young lady was in what
you call tight place."
He spoke English very well, with an
accent of the slightest. I glanced at
him again and saw that his eyes were
very bright and that they We're fixed
upon me intently.
ct does seem so,' admitted, loath
to talk, yet not wishing to be dis
courteous
1.-THE YER thing I said to myself"
he continued eagerly. ''The-what you
call-coe- -encidence Of the dress now"
I did not answer. was in no hu-
J NOR to discuss the case.
"You will pardon me,'' he repeated