The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-05-09

Norman's."
 He looked inquiringly at his audi ence. and Doctor Hills responded.
 "Yes," he said; i've have taken for granted that Miss Van Norman wrote the message while sitting here last evening, after the rest of the house. hold had retired. This we infer from the fact of MT. Carleton's finding the paper on the table when he discover ed the tragedy
 "You thought the same, MT. Carle- ton?''
 "Of course; I could not do other wise than to believe Miss Van Nor man had written the message and had then carried out her resolve"
 '.I think, Mr. Fessenden," resumed the coroner, ''we may assume this to be the case.''
 '"Then," said Fessenden, "I will un- dertake to show that it is improba ble that this paper was written as has been supposed. The message is, as
  Gil here on the table, and which is part of set of desk-fittings is very hard pencil, labeled H. A few marks made by it upon a bit of paper will convince you at once that it is not the pencil which was used to write that message. The letters, as you see, are formed of heavy black marks which were made with a very soft pencil, such as is designated by 2B or BIB. If you please, will pause for moment while you satisfy your self upon this point"
 Greatly interested, MT. Benson took the pencil from the pen-rack and wrote some words upon a pad of paper Doctor Leonard and Doctor Hills leaned over the table to note results. but no one else stirred.
 "You are quite right said Mir. Benson; 'this message was not writ ten with this pencil. But what does that prove?"
 "It proves nothing,' said Fessen- den calmly, "but it is pretty strong evidence that the message was not written at this table last night. For had there been any other pencil on the table it would doubtless have re- mained. Assuming, then that Miss Van Norman wrote this message else- where, and with another pencil, it loses the special importance common ly attributed to the words of one about to die"
 "Its does,' said Mir. Benson, im- pressed by the fact, but at a loss to know whither the argument was leading.
 Believing, then," went on the law yer, that this paper had not been written in this room last evening, ! began to conjecture where it had been written. For one would scarce ly expect message of that nature to be written in one place and car ried to another. I was so firmly con- vinced that something could be learn
 
 were summoned to this room, I ask ed permission of Mrs. Markham to exa mine the appointments of Miss Van Norman's writing-desk in her own room, and I found in her desk no soft pencils whatever. There were several pencils, of gold and of silver and of ordinary wood, but the lead in each was hard as this one on the library table. Urged on by what seemed to me important develop ments, I persuaded Mrs. Markham to let me examine all of the writing desks in the house. I found but one soft pencil, and that was in the desk of Miss Dupuy, Miss Van Norman's secretary. It is quite conceivable that Miss Van Norman should write at her secretary's desk, but I found myself suddenly confronted by an- other disclosure. And that is that the he ndwritings of Miss Van Nor man and Miss Dupuy are so similar as to be almost identical In view of the importance of this written message, should it not be more care fully proved that this writing is real ly Miss Van Norman's own?"
 "It should, indeed" declared Cor oner Benson, who was by this time quite ready to agree to any sugges- ton MT. Fessenden might make. twill somebody please ask Miss Du- -puy to come here?"
 'T wilI,'' said Miss Morton, and, rising, she quickly rustled from the room.
 Of course, every one present inn mediately remembered that Miss Du- puy had left the room in a fit of hysterical emotion, and wondered in what frame of mind she would re- turn. r '@'" @- 'ss' N - Nearly every one, too, resented Miss Morton's officiousness. What ever errand was to be done, she vol unteered to do it, quite as if she were a prominent member of the household, instead of a lately arriv- ed guest,
 "This similarity of penmanship is very important point" observed MT. Benson, "a very important point