The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-02-22

Ma II Was dark ia thu ofti.c. wls
~ net at . O'Clock Yesterday after
We had turned ON the lights halt
an hour before. sir
is Your office Well lighted ."
I have 4 light over my desk. sir.
M there's another on the wall
so YOU could not see your visitors
face with absolute clearuess 3"
No, sir: but quite clearly enough
to recognize her he added doggedly
Vet you thought her looking pale
and worried -
Yes. sir. that was my impression"
And when She asked for Mr.. lIol-
laday, did she use the words my fla
Their, as your evidence would sug-
gest?"
Again the witness hesitated in the
effort at recollection.
No, sir" he answered finally. Her
words, ! think. We're. Is Mr.. Holladay
engaged at present?'"
1T was Mss HoIaday's voice."
II could not say. sir answered the
witness, again mopping the perspira-
ton from his forehead. Il have no
wish to incriminate Miss Holiday UNI
necessarily. I'm not sufficiently we'll
acquainted with her voice to swear
to it"
Well, when you answered her ques-
tiop In the negative, did she hesitate
p'ipiN 'ilNtiiiS lilt PllNNlt oIiltt.
No, sir, she went straight to it."
rs there amy lettering on the door,"
"Oh. yes. the usual lettering, Pri-
vate Office"
so that. Ven II she We're not ac-
quainted with the place. she might
still have Seen where to go?'
Yes, sir; l suppose So"
And You tatcd too. | believe, that
YOU could have heard no sound of an
alteration In the private office, had
one occurred?"
No, sir; l could have heard moth
ing"
You nave been with Mr.. Holiday a
long time. l believe. Mr.. Rogers"
over thirty years, sir
And you are Intimately acquainted
With his affairs? ?"
Yes, sir"
Now. MIR. Rogers. have YOU ever, In
all these years, ran across anything
any item of expenditure. any CORE
spondence. anything whatcver-which
laday was a victim of ~blackmail, or
that he had ever had a liaison with a
woman"
NO, SIR" cried the witness. No,
sir. I'm willing to swear that such a
thing is not possible. l should inev-
listed"
That will do for the present. said
Mr.. Royce. Il shall want to recall the
witness, however, sir"
The coroner nodded, and Rogers
stepped down. still trembling from the
efforts of his last outburs l confess
that, for my part. l thought we We're
very deep in the miro.
The office boy was called next. but
added nothing to the story. He had
gone to the chute TO mail some let
tiers; the woman must nave entered
the office while he was away. He saw
her come out again, but. of course, did
not see her face. lie had been en-
ployed recently, and did not know Miss
Holiday.
Then the physicians who had at
tended the dead man We're called. and
testified that the knife blade had peme-
trated the left carotid artery, and that
he had bled to death-was dead, indeed,
before they reached him. 1t would
AXE, perhaps, ten minutes to produce
such an effusion of blood as Rogers had
noticed-certainly more than five, so
that the blow must nave been struck
before the woman left the inner Of
flee.
The policeman who had responded to
the alarm testified that he had exam
ined the windows. M that they We're
both bolted on the inside, p%recluding
the possibility of anyone swinging down
from above or clambering up from be-
low. Nothing in the office had been dis
turbed. There was other evidence OF
an imlnaterial nature. and then Miss
Holladay's maid was called.
WAS your mistress away from home
Yesterday afternoon?" asked the cor
oner.
yes. sir; she had the carriage or
dered for 5 O'Clock. She was driven
away shortly after that
And what time did she return"
"About 6. sir, just in time to dress
for dinner"
did you notice anything uausual in
her delneanor when she returned?"
The maid hesitated, fearing doubtless
that she might say too much.
Miss Holiday had complained of a
headache in the morning." she said.
badly when she went out, and the
drive made her worse instead of better.
She seemed very nervous and Ill. L
advised her to lie down and not dress
for dinner, out she would not listen.
She always dined with her father, and
was in a great hurry, fearing that ed
get back before she was ready"
There's no doubt in your mind that
she was really expecting him."
"Oh, no, sir; she even went to the
door to look for him when he did not
come. She seemed very uneasy about
him.
That was one point In our favor GER
tainly.
And when the news of her fathers
death reached her, how did she bear
it,"
She didn' bear 1T at all, sir" an
sweced the maid, catching her breath
to choke back a sob. She tainted dead
away. Afterwards. she seemed to be
in a kind of daZe till the doctor came"
That is all. Have you any questions
to ask the witness. Mr.. Royce?"
only one said my chief. leaning
forward. l knew what it was, and held
my breath. wondering whether it We're
wise to ask it. DO you remember the
gown your mistress Wore yesterday aft
%ernoon?" he questioned.
"Oh, yes, sir, = and the witness bright
ened. 1T was a dark red broadcloth.
made very plain. With only a little
narrow black braid for triInming.'
CHAPTER III.
THE COIL TIGETEES.
From the GREATNESS silence that fol-
lowed her rswer h saw that she had
somehow dealth her mistress a heavy