Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1911-12-08


I've told you that 1 don't remem-
ber." The young mans color was ris-
ing.
Are not these the ones?" queried
the district attorney, making a sign to
Sweetwater, who Immediately stepped
forward. with shabby old ulster over
his arm and a battered derby in his
hand
The young man started, rose, then
sat again, shouting out with angry en-
phasis:
"Now
"Yet you recognize these|
'Why shouldn't /? They're mine.
Only | don't wear them any more.
They're done for. You must have
rooted them out from some closet"
"Mr. Cumberland. the district at
torney was very serious-"this hat and
this coat. old as they are. were worn
into town from your house that night.
This we know absolutely. We can
even trace them to the clubhouse"
Mechanically. not spontaneously this
time, the young man rose to his feet,
staring first at the man who had ut
tered these words. then at the gar
ments which Sweetwater still held in
view.
81 don't know anything about it,"
were the words with which he sought
to escape from the net which had been
thus deftly cast about him. II didn't
wear the things. Anybody can tell
you what clothes | came home in.
Ranelagh may have borrowed
"Ranelagh wore his own coat and
hat. Mr. Cumberland. you have told
us that you didn't know at the time
and can't remember now, where you
spent that night and most of the next
morning. All you can remember is
that it was in some place where they
let you drink all you wished and leave
when the fancy took you. and not be-
fore 1t was none of your usual
haunts. You dreaded to have your
sister know how soon you could es-
cape the influence of that moment.
You wished to drink your fill and leave
your family none the wiser. Am |
not right?
"Yes. it's plain enough, isn't it?
Why harp on that stringT'
"You cannot remember the saloon
in which you drank. That's possible
enough, but perhaps you can remem-
Der what they gave you. Was 1t
whisky, rum. absinth or whatT
The question took his irritable lis
tener by surprise Arthur gasped and
tried to steal some comfort from Coro-
ner Perry's eye. but that old friends
face was too much.in the shadow
81 drank-absinth," he cried at last.
"From this bottleT queried the 9TH
er, motioning again to Sweetwater.
who now brought forward the bottle
he had picked up in Cuthbert road.
Arthur Cumberland glanced at the
bottle the detective held up, saw the
label. saw the shape and sank Imply
in his chair. his eyes starting. his jaw
falling.
"Where did you get that?" he asked.
pulling himself together with sudden
desperate self possession.
"That," answered the district attor-
ney. was picked up at small hotel
on Cuthbert road. just back of the
markets. not far from the whispering
Pines"
~ don't know the place"
"Tts not high class resort, not Sc
lect enough by long shot to have
this brand of liquor in its cellar.
There were only two bottles Of 1t left
in the clubhouse when the inventory
was last taken. Those two bottles
are now gone, and
"Tbis is one of them? Is that what
YOU want to say? Well, 1t may be for
all I know. | didn't carry it there.
didn't have the drinking of it."
1--WE have seen the man and woman
who keep that hotel. They will talk
If they have to-"
"Thcy will% His dogged self pos
session rather astonished them. "Well
that ought to please you. I've moth
ing to do with the matter"
A change had taken place in him
The irritability approaching to vio'
ence which had attended every
speech and infused itself into every
movement since he came into the
room had left him. He spoke quiet
ly and with q touch of irony in his
tone
Then have no doubt but you will
water in his pleasantest manner, IT.
not a long walk from here. VIII yol
go there in my company, with you
coat collar pulled up and your hat wei
down over your eyes. and ask for {
seat in the snuggery and show then
this bottle? They won't know that it!
empty The man is sharp and th'
woman intelligent They will see tina
you are a stranger and admit yol
readily. They are only shy Of ont
man-the man who drank there on th'
night of your sisters murder"
You're -" he began. with ;
touch of his old violence But. realiz
ing. perhaps, that his fingers were II
a trap. he modified his manner agatl
and continued more quietly: This Il
an odd request to make won't g
with you to that low drinking bel
unless you make me, but I'll swear
"Don't svear" II Is unnecessary Il
say who spoke I'VE wouldn't believ
you. and 1t would be only adding per