The Washington herald., 1911-01-03
CHAPTER XVI.
Who Was Guilty:


and Paul glanced at it, thinking it was
the longest day he had ever known. In
the morning there had been the inquest
on Judge Shenstone, then the verdict
totally unexpected by him-a verdict tina,
had filled him with horror. The jury
had found Mrs. Shenstone guilty Of the
murder Of her husband.
Looking back on the afternoon, IL
seemed like a horrible nightmare. He
had broken the news to Margaret. and
he wondered IL he would ever forget her
anguish. Then Mrs. Shenstone had gone
into Mysteries. Even now Paul seemed to
hear her wailing cry as she was driven
away. in charge of the police.
Was this the work of John Clifford? :?
he asked himself. as he pushed his hair
of his forehead. Then he forced him.
self to concentrate his thoughts on the
evidence that had been given. There was
no doubt Lady JIascelles' evidence had
been damning. She had sworn that on
the Thursday night. Just ! week be-
fore the judge came home. she had been
in the wood at the back of Castlesteads
and she had seen Mrs Shenstone in COM
pany with a mana stranger. They had
been in very earnest conversation. and,
as it was quite evident Mrs. Shenstone
did not want to be seen, she had kept
behind a tree until the couple passed.
Then, as they went close by, she heard
the man say:
There's no need to worry: no one sus-
pects," and Mrs. Shenstone replied:
I'm not sure that the judge doesn't.
I shall never feel safe while he is alive:
ladyship had not heard the end of the
sentence.
Then there was the footmans evidence.
He had given it unwillingly, but it had
been talked about among the servants.
and the police had heard something. So
it ended in Lawson. the upper footman.
having to state what he had overheard.
1t was 1880. just after Miss Shenstone
had gone upstairs. the library door was
opened from the inside, and as his mis-
tress stood just within the door, he heard
her say:
Il hate you. and wish you were dead
Then she hurried past him and went up
stairs, without noticing him as he stepped
within one Of the doors, hoping she
wouldn't see him. Then one of the house.
maids, who was not feeling we'll. was on
her way downstairs, when. just at the
end of the servants staircase. her mis-
treSS rushed past her, looking white and
terror-stricken. 1t was rs when she got
to the kitchen. That would mean that it
was about lilo when she saw her mis-
tress. and the doctor said the judge had
been killed about IL o'clock
Lastly, the revolver had been found in
the gunroom, as it was called. 1t was
the judges own revolver and had been
laid on the floor. 1t was fully loaded.
save one chamber that had been dis
charged.
There was no question the evidence was
very strong against Mrs. Shenstone, and
from what he had heard the jury had been
divided between their inclination to spare
a member of an old family and the over
whelming weight Of evidence. But the
verdict had been anticipated by those
who had been present at the inquest.
If only Lady Lascelles had not spoken,
But her words had brought another man
into the case. and suggested that Mrs.
Shenstone had a motive for wanting her
husband out Of the way.
Paul smiled grimly as he recalled a
question one Of the jurors had put to her
Would she explain why she was in
Castlesteads wood at night?" and Lady
Lascelles had replied in an airy manner:
"Oh. she often slipped on an old cloak
and went for a ramble after dinner. She
was an American, and the women of her