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

against him if he kept silent himself.
Don't answer" he went on. IT
may as well own the truth and be
done with it. was in the clubhouse.
l did rob the wine vault. I did carry
off the bottles to have quiet spree.
and 1t was to some place on Cuthbert
road | went. But when I've admitted
so much I've admitted all. | saw
nothing of my sisters murder, saw
nothing of what went on in the rooms
upstairs. | crept in by the open win
dow at the top Of the kitchen stairs,
and came out by the same. l only
wanted the liquor, and when | got 1t
I slid out as quickly as I could and
made my way over the golf links to
the road"
The district attorneys voice sounded
thin. almost piercing. as he made this
remark:
"You entered by an open window.
Why didn't you go in by the door?"
81 hadn't the key. had only alb
stracted the one which opens the wine
vault The rest left on the ring. 1t
was the sight of this key lying on our
hall table which first gave me the
idea I feel like cad when | think
of it. but that's of no account now"
Flushed, he slowly sank back into
his seat. No complaint now of being
In hurry or of his anxiety to regain
his sick sisters bedside He seemed
to have forgotten those fears in the
perturbations of the moment. His
mind and interest were there; every
thing else had grown dim with dis
tance.
Ibid you try the front door?"
what was the use? | knew 1t to
be locked"
What was the use of trying the
window? Wasn't it also. presumably.
lockedp'
The red mounted hot and feverish to
his cheek.
you'll think me no better than a
street urchin or something worse" he
had been through it before. You can
move that lock with your knife blade.
| had calculated on entering that
way"
"Mr Ranelagh's story receives con-
firmation." commented the district at.
torney. wheeling suddenly toward the
coroner HE says that he found this
window unlocked when be approached
it with the idea of escaping that way"
Arthur Cumberland remained un-
moved,
The district attorney wheeled back.
'There were a number of bottles
| taken from the wine vault. Some half
| dozen were left on the kitchen table
Why did you trouble yourself to carry
up so many?"
because my greed outran my con-
venience. | thought | could lug away
| an armful, but there are limits to ones
ability. realized this when | re
membered how far | had to go and sc
left the greater part Of them behind y
"Why, when you had team ready
to carry you?"
Al had no team" But the denia
cost him something. His cheek lost
its ruddiness and took on a sickly
white which did not leave it again as
| long as the interview lasted.
You had no team? How then die
YOU manage to reach home in time tC
make your way back to Cuthbert roat
by half past 11?'
81 didn't go home. l went straight
across the golf links. If fresh snow
hadn't fallen you would have seer
my tracks all the way to Cuthber
road"
"If fresh snow had not fallen W.
should have known the whole story Of
that night before an hour had passed
How did you carry those bottles?
"In my overcoat pockets-thes'
pockets" he blurted out. clapping hi
hands on either side of him
Had it begun to snow when 20,
left the clubhouse"
mo"
| "Was 1t darkT
II guess not; the links were bright al
day, or | shouldn't have got over then
as quickly as did,
Quickly? How quickly?" The dis
trict attorney stole a glance at tn