Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1907-02-21

could see how he was eating his heart
out at tho Knowledge that she was far
beyond reach. for it WAS evident that
her father deemed her worthy of a bril-
liant m~airiage-as. indeed. she was. l
sometimes thought that she held her
SELF at a like value. for though there
was about her "A constant crowd Of
sul'ors. none of them. seemingly. could
win an atom OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. She
was waiting. l told myself. waiting;
and i even pictured to myself the grim
irony of Il situation in which our Junior
might be called upon To arrange her
marriage settlements.
The cab stopped with n Jolt. and l
looked up To see that we had reached
the criminal courts building. Mr.. Royce
spraiig out. paid tho driver. and ran up
he steps To the door. ] after him. He
turned down the corridor to the right,
and entered the room at the end OF IT,.
which | recognized as The Office OF Cor
oner Goldberg. \ considerable crowd
had already collected there.
Has the coroner arrived yeto" my
companion asked one of the clerks.
Yes. sir. he's in his private Office"
will YOU take him this card and say
that would like to see him at once IL
possible"
The clerk hurried away with the card.
He was back again in a moment.
ils way sly, ne CdIleO.
We followed him across the room
and through a door at tho farther
Side.
"Ah. Mr.. Royce. glad to see you.''
cried the corone as we entered. We
tried TO find you last night. but learned
that you were out OF town, and L was
just calling up you office again"
Miss Holiday asked for me. them"
"Ycs. AT once. whrr- we fousta-we
couldn't get you. We suggested your
senior. but she said she'd wait till you
returned"
i could see our juniors face crimson
with pleasure.
'You didn't hin 1t necessary to con-
fine her. l trust?" he asked.
"Oh. no: she wasn't disturbed. h
spent the night at home-under surveil-
lance
That was right. OF course. it's simp-
ly absurd to suspect her"
Goldberg looked at him curiously.
II don't know. MIR. Royce he said
slowly. IF the evidence turns out as
l think 1t will. / shall have 10 hold her
the district attorney expects It,"
MIR. Royce's hands We're clutching a
chair back. and they trembled a little
at the words.
Hell be present at the examination.
them he asked.
Yes. We're waiting for him. You see.
it's rather an extraordinary case"
rs it,"
We think so. anyway said the
coroner just a trihe impatiently.
to our juniors lips. but he choked 1t
back. There Was no use offending Gold
berg.
Il should like to see Miss Holiday
before the examination begins lie
said. is She present."
She's in the next room, yes. You
shall see her. certainly. at once. Jul
ius take Mr.. Royce TO Miss Holiday"
he added to the clerk.
l can see her yet. rising from her
chair with face alisht. as we entered.
and ! saw instantly how l mlsjudged
her. She came II step toward us. hold
ing out her hands impulsively: then
with an effort. controlled herself and
clasped them before her.
oh. but I'm glad to see you" She
cried In a voice so low l could scarcely
hear it. I've wanted YOU SO much"
1t was my great misfortune that /
could come no sooner" said my chief.
his voice trembling Il little despite him
self. III scarcely expected to see Q
here with no one
Oh she interrupted. there was no
ono l cared TO have. Mn friends rave
been very kind-have offered 10 do any
thing b | felt that | wanted TO be
just alone and think. ! should have
likel 10 have my maid. but ~
She's one OF tn. Witnesses, sup
pose explained Mir. Royce. Well.
I've proved how utterly ridiculous this
charge agains; you is
She sank back into her chair and
looked up at him with dark, appealing
eyes.
You think you can" She asked.
can. Certainly. | can, Why. It's
too" preposterous TO stand for a mo-
ment, We've only to prove an alibi-
to show that you were somewhere else.
you know. at the time the crime was
committed-an the whole business
falls to pieces in al instant. You a
do that easily. can YOU"
The color had gone from her cheeks
again and she buried her face In her
hands.
Il don't know she murmured. IN
distinctly. II must think. OH. don't
let It come to that"
| was Observation-Disclosures With her
good name. her life. perhaps. In the
balance. she wanted time 20 think. /
could see that my chief MAS astonished.
too.
'l'll try to keep it from coming to
that since you wish it," he said slowly.
III. not be able 10 call you. then. to
testify in our own behalf-and that
always hurts. But ] hope the case
will break down at once-I believe it
will. AT any rate. don't worry. ] want
YOU to rely on me"
She looked up at him again. smil-
Ing.
- shall" she softly. I'm
sure I could desire no better cham
pion,"
Well. plainly. If he won this case he
would win something else besides. I
thlnk even the policeman in the corner
SAW ii. for he turned away with "A dis
cretion rare in policemen. and pre-
tended to stare out of the window.
| Ion't know what my chief would
have said-his lips were trembling so
he could not speak for the moment
and just then there came a tap at the
door. and the %coroner's clerk looked In.