The Washington herald., 1908-09-05
CHAPTER VI.
The Lie.

the fall was the result Of anything but
an accident Evidence was forthcoming
that Ben Holland was the worse for
drink when ne left the Blue Boar at ths
foot OF the village. He was a big man.
and his weight alone was quite sufficient
10 break a fence that was not altogether
so sound as IL might have been II was
easy for a man 20 slip. and especially
for a man who was not quite sober.
An examination Of the path close 70
the broken raj had disclosed no signs
OF a struggle But the ground by the
edge Of the quarry had a story OF its
own 10 tel. The uprooted plant the turf
grooved and Scared with marks Of TN
ger-naIls. the scratches on the stone it.
self. all pointed TO the fact that the
wreiched man had struggled for LIE on
the very brink Of the precipice-
Then John Shil was summoned as wit
ness Il was known that he had re-
turned 10 Laverstone from the hills an
( hour after Ben Holland had left the VII
/ Iage. A previous witness had depOsed
! 20 having met hin on the far side Of the
hil5 on the rezzf which would take him
through the Round Plantation. II was
hardly credible that he had encountered
Holland. or else he would have come for
waT5 OF his Own. accord as a witness
AZ IL was. the coroner only sent for him
after hearing the other evidence
/ The young agent entered the room with
a quiet air of self-possession; and
I though all eyes were turned on him. he
I did not appear 70 Re ia the least en-
I barrassed by the interest he aroused
Yet he had come there with a ready lie
on his lips. and was glad that the room
I was ul-liEhtsd-
{ At the Inquest on Ben Holland. John
{ sail gave his evidence calmly and with
Z out hesitation He expressed no surprise
I at the coroner's summons. but he said
7 that he would have come Of his own &C
[ cord. Il he had been able 20 throw any
I light on the unfortunate occurrence
Yes" he replied in answer 10 a ques-
. ton 1T Is perfectly true that I returned
Z from Srowiand 10 Laverstone that very
Z afternoon. and should probably have
met Ben Holland II had passed through
the Round Plantation; as matter OF fact
3 however. when reached the gate OF the
I plantation 7 remembered that Air- Hsr-
pir had written to me two days previously
about one Of his gates Is that not so,
. AIr Ha-pit2"
That be so. sir replied sturdy.
d-bearded farmer. who was serving o2
the jury. about them bars. and the sheep
\ agettin' through, and hurti1' q them-
selves
so. instead Of going through the plan
tstion- Snl continued I came round
4 the side OF il. looked az the safe II qIes-
ton. and Joined the road again az the
bottom of the wood
And you heard nothing
I heard nothing" he replied
. Further questions followed, and there
vas a discussion about times. rates Of
walking. with the view Of discovering
whether Ben Holland was actually in the
plantation while John SAL was proceed
ing round the edge OF IL The agent an
swered the questions politely. but his an
svers threw no further light on tEe NAT
. ter.
Thank YOU. Mr.. Shu," said the coroner
, when the discussion had died away J
an sorry we have been obliged 10 trouble
! you I don't think We need detain you
any longer.
p deueanor was calm. unns turally calm II
{ he ewes OF those who knew him Ber
: / Holland had few friends in L2verstOne
? but for all that he was one OF the LITTLE
. circle Of village life He had been bora
% and had lived. and had died il the quie'
r hamlet at the foot Of the Stoaevvolc HillS
Il was almost impossible for those Wht
ndG ElQku E4-A dAl 4-A1 -a-E AZ -Aa--AA - ----
death without emotion But John Sh-
vas as cool and collected as though moth
ing out Of the ordinary had occurred
There was not even a tremor n MS Volce
Il Yet II the rough farmers and laborer
. ( could have seen into his mind, ans
pierced the veil Of his outward composur'
they would have shrUnk back in horro
z from the heliish tumult OF his thoughts
b Every moment that ne spent in the room
20, arfE than
q nearly broke down under the strain Hi
{ own shame was made brCtally clear q
e him by the courteous questions Of IN
coroner.
You are a murderer. and are force
70 TO lie to save yourself from the conse
4 cuences Of your crime
2 The words rang in his ears. as thOugl
= they had been shouted out by some on
in the room. They came 70 him agau
7 and again. and once, muffied. as .hougl
spoken BY the thing that lay so stih IN
= der the white sheet in the next room
and yet once more in the tones Of hi
: mothers voice. a voice that he had no
= heard for more than ten years
Fear alone could not have supports
him in the hour Of trial The shame an
bitterness OF the scene were SO intens
! that more than once he could scarcely re
: strain himself from making an open con
ression Of the truth For II must be re
membered that John Shu was a ma
= ] who had lived an upright and honorabl
- life. a man TO whom the very thought O
a lie was q degradation The crime il
self was less sinful in his eyes than tn
open lie that concealed IL The crime ha
been committed in moment, looked a
in a favorable light. II was but the resul
J Of A few seconds hesitation. repented @
too late But the lie was premeditaJe
, and spoken with due appreciation OF II
foulness It was an Endorsement e n
. crime written when the heat Of passio
had died away
Yet John Shu would never have lie
l. to save his own life. and, to do the ma
justice. it was certain that but for II
e pleadings OF Laura Vane he would hav
y made an open confession several hour
before the inquest He had lied for IN
- love Of a woman, to save her from life
long agony. and It was this thought alon
81 that gave him strength 10 90 throug
q the ordeal at the inquest, and restrai
$ the impulse that again and again s
q nearly drove him to make confession c
3 the truth
D He passed out Of the stuffy room int
81 the street II was nearly dark and b
81 allowed the mask TO fall from his fac
q as he walked sharply through the vi
a iage- His own house was in the par
81 Of Tankerlane Court. and was more tha
a mile away from LaverstOne.
The quick walk through the keen al
81 restored his mind to a more even balance
q and bv the time he reached Park Lodg
he was convinced that after all he ha
acted for the best The ordeal had bee
:. cruel one. but it was over and dor
q with. Ben Holland would be buried an
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