Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-05-19


her a trusted friend Of the one toward
whom her treachery had broken forth
Suppose she was exalted high above
any suspicion of sin or scheming In
the opinions Of those who knew her
and who had known the dead-but who
had never known me? Suppose she
faced me with the same devilish cool
ness with which she had taken the
guilt Of Cain upon her soul, and told
me and all men that I was lara
liar and worse? Suppose she denounc-
ed me?"
II see your situation; I appreciate
your thoughts. What did you do?"
II watched"
For what?"
For some means which would make
the identity Of the guilty woman a
certainty"
And you found none?"
II found none. l have already told
you Of the mirror, the rain washed
panes Of glass, and the disheveled hair
Of the fiend whose work I had seen.
But you saw something. You would
not be so sure Of the guilt Of Miss
Barron If you had not seen some
thing. Dresses, in the possession of
such women as she do not last ten
years. What did you see?"
Il saw my ring on her finger She
had found what had lost. You pick
ed 1t up so you tell me, in the bank
after the robbery. /"
But you cannot think that Mrs.
Sem had worn that ring-that one
and the other-and so risked her life
all those years?'
No; I think she had them concealed
in some pocket upon her person, and
that she lost them the night Of the
robbery"
do you? Have you never thought
of the possibility Of their having been
on deposit in the safe?"
Yes, of course; 1 have thought of
that. But what of it. Does it make
the matter any more clear and straight
and plain? The rings are pretty; as
keepsakes and memorials they are val
liable. But what Of their intrinsic
value? They would scarcely have been
deposited in bank safe by any one
who had to pay for the privilege OF
putting them there, would they?"
Perhaps not, but"
"Wait a little. I have other evil
dence to connect Mrs. Sem with the
guilty deed witnessed"
Indeed? What is it?"
There was a peculiar thing in her
hair-a sort Of half comb and half or
namental pin-ending in a cross set
with pearls. l never saw another like
1t anywhere I would swear to the
identity of it,"
"Ah? And, you have seen it since?'
"I have. Miss Barron wore it at her
wedding! Are you satisfied? Are you
|convinced?"
"Not-quite-for-I-
"And Mrs. Sem let it drop to the
floor in the courtroom where her hus-
band was being tried for his life. Do
you doubt still? Is there a link lack
ing?"
Perhaps not But"
"Well?"
There are two things 1 want to
know. Answer them for me, and / will
give up to your way of thinking. Give
me even a plausible answer, and an
answer which Is convincing to your
self and I will strangle my doubts
bury my faith in humanity, slay my
belief in the truth written on her face
say that Elsie Barron killed Con-
stance Craig, and go back to Boston
to die"
"Very we'll. 1 suppose the first
question is: Why should Elsie Barron
kill Constance Craig? Am I right"
Prier shrank back, as though some
one had struck him. But his voice was
steady as he answered,
NO. Mr.. Senn," he said, that is not
my question. I know Of one reason
that might have prompted some wo-
men, in her place, though"
Though you trust her still? Is that
| il, Mr.. Prier?"
THAT is it?"
"Then hurry to let me convince you
Ask me your questions"
IL will. Let me preface the first
one by a statement, which is this: The
rings I found in the bank were no,
Icarelessly lost; they were ostentatious-
| ly concealed, if l may venture to use
such a paradoxical expression in when
to convey my meaning; they were not
in sight, to a casual observer or
superficial searcher, but they were
where a thorough and systematic
search could not possibly have missed
them. They were where they were fol
the purpose Of challenging attention
They were not dropped where l founo
them: they were carefully and
thoughtfully put there"
! You are sure Of this?'
"I am"
| Il had supposed, from what l hao
heard, that they were where the broom
of the office boy would have sent them
unseen into the street had he used 1t
l had supposed that your finding OF
them was one proof of the fact (prooi
to you, l mean) that the bank was
robbed after the boy had last swept the
bank"
Your ideas were correct. And yet
mine are also. The rings were on the
floor, but the piece Of furniture under
which they were placed, the distance
they had been showed beneath it, ev-
erything about them, and my finding
of them-indicated thought. Do you
understand"
Il do"
1T seems to me that Mrs. Sem, II
guilty, would not have wished these
rings found"
Il agree with you"
And you admit, l presume, tha'
my judgment regarding their disposa
in the bank is correct?"
Il do. I will admit that they were
carefully placed where they were
found with the intention that the!
| chOuld he fOund "