The Washington times., 1911-02-26


ing.
Something less than one second later
he was studying Amato's profile once
more. What had he dropped to cause
the sudden confusion? Why had he
stopped so hurriedly and jerked up even
more hurriedly? And why on earth had
Amato reddened in that positively amaz-
ing fashion?
Was there something significant in
that remarkable flush, or-Barker caught
his thoughts, as it were, and pulled
them to a standstill, and he smiled
family. Amato had dropped something
or other-whiCh had no mortal connec-
ton with anyone but himself-that he
didn't want the rest of them to see.
And Barker's own Imagination and his
nerves, if that was the sort of shape
they were in, would benefit consider
ably by the coming vacation!
He turned his attention 10 the in
quest.
1t was a sufficient brief and perfume
tory affair; and the evidence, in the
end, was merely sufficient to warrant
the obvious verdict.
Norman DestOn had retired a little
after eleven on the previous evening,
in normal condition and spirits. He
had seemed neither unduly depressed
nor in any sense eXuberant.
He had been found, as Willis teStlhed'
a little past seven in the morning. Death
had resulted from a bullet wound in the
temple and the shot had been tlred
with the muZZle pressed against the
head, as the wound and the powder
burns showed beyond any questlon.
Death, too, was known to have taken
place between midnight and seven
O'Clock, and DR.. Fitch stated that his
examination showed it to nave occurred
nearer the former than the latter.
The position of the body, the grip or
the hand upon the pistol, the fact that
Norman Deston probably had not an
enemy in the world and that there
could be no possible motive for murder,
all pointed to the one end. one curious
detail arose-that the shot had been
heard by no one in the house. The eVi-
dence showed that the elder brother
and AmatO slept toward the rear or the
big building, while the servants were
ouartered in another and even more re-
mote section. There had been high
wind during the earlier night and a
consequent roaring and rafting of the
big trees Still more. the charge of
smokeless powder would have exploded
with sharp crack rather than heavy
rcpOrt-and, all things considered, halt
a dozen shots might have been fired at
intervals without the certainty of at
tracing attention.
Wilkes gave his own testimony calm
". His brother had retired little after
II; he himself a little after u. Yes, he
had passed his brothers room on the
way to bed, and all had been quiet. The
methodiCal Norman never dallied over
anything; it was to be assumed that
he had gone straight to bed after enter
ing his room; and the fact that the body
had been found fully clothed indicated
that whatever his motive, Norman had
arisen again and dressed carefully,
later on in the night. That the latter
circumstance bespoke generalization of
ha f,11 MIA
Wilkes could think of no possible rea
son why his brother should have wished
to end his life Yes. directly after their
fathers death Norman had suffered a
brief, complete mental collapse; but
that was a natural consequence of over
whelming grief The Younger brother
had recovered perfectly and latterly
had shown no signs of new impend-
ing breakdown. OF course, it was i'm
possible to say what symptoms Norman
might have experienced in silence. DR..
Fitch asked a question or two at this
point and brought to light the informa-
ton that Norman's lifelong Self-control
and self-repression would unquestion
ably have led him to conceal any sign
OF mental disturbance up to the very
moment that matters passed beyond
has control. Wilkes ended bv identify
Ing the pistol as Normans own.
Mr.. Barker gave keen attention.
he found matter for profound salts
faction and a little wonder. After a
''iiF iIiOIF lNan twenty wears OF law
practice, he could still feel faint aston
tshmont at one great truth: whatever
ITS nature, a hit Of legal procedure
that might give endless trouble and dis
tresS 70 a Doverty-stricl1en person, gen.
orally slides along smoothly and pleas
antly for person of great wealth
II might all be due to Fitch's desire |
TO have the inquest over with as quickly
and as quietly as possible: II might he |
that the circumstances had escaped |
Fitch altogether or that he gave II no |
importance: and then, again. there was |
n chance that Fitch was doing it de- |
1iherately. But whatever the underly- |
ing cause, Gerald Forbes name had not |
yet been mentioned.
Barker listened with eager anxiety to |
the end and in the end he sat back
with a sigh Of relief. Gerald had simnlv |
been left out of the proposition. And |
Il was a GOOD thing, too. Wherever the |
cousin might he lust now. at whatever
time of night he might elect to wander
back to the stricken house, he had been |
the last person TO see Norman Deston /
alive, for Norman, Barker had learned,