Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-20
THE GOLD BAG
Bly,
CAROLYN WELLS.
Copyright, 1910, by. ]. b. Lppineott
Company
Copyright. 1911, by J. B. Lppincott
Company
CHAPTER V.-Continued.

CHAPTER V.-Continued.
coroner had expected. for he nodded his
| head in a satisfied way.
| The Jurors. too exchanged intelligent
| slances, and 1 realized that the acquain-
| lance of the Crawfords were we'll in
| formed as to Miss Lloyds romance.
He did not approve OF that engage
| ment?' went on the coroner. though he
seemed to be stating fact, rather than
asking a question.
He did not" returned Miss Lloyd. and
her color rose as she observed the intense
| interest manifest among her. hearers.
And the subject was discussed at the
dinner table,"
1T was
What was the tenor of the converse
| tion?''
ITO the effect that I must break the
engagement
(which you refused to do?'
81 did
Her cheeks were scarlet now, but de-
termined note had crept into her voice.
and she looked at her betrothed husband
with an air of affectionate pride that. it
seemed to me, ought to lift any man into
Halls expression with surprise. Instead
| of gazing adoringly at this girl who was
| thus publicly proving her devotion to him.
he sat with eyes cast down and frowning
| positively frowning-while his fingers
played nervously with his watch chain.
Surely this case required my closest at
| tention. for place far more confidence in
deductions from facial expression and
| tones of the voice. than from the discov
| cry Of small. inanimate objects.
| And if l chose to deduce from facial eX-
pressions I had ample scope in the coun-
| tenances of these two people.
l was particularly anxious not to jump
at an unwarrantable conclusion, but the
conviction was forced upon me then and
| there that these two people knew more
about the crime than they expected to
| tell. I certainly did not suspect either of
| them to be touched with guilt. but 1 was
equally sure that they were not ingenious
in their testimony.
While 1 knew that they were engaged.
having heard it from both of them. I
could not think that the course Of their
love affair was running smoothly. 1
found myself drifting into idle specua-
ton as to whether this engagement was
more desired by one than the other, and
if so. by which.
But though 1 could not quite under
stand these two. it gave me no trouble
to know which l admired more. At the
moment Miss Lloyd seemed to me to rep
resent all that was beautiful. noble and
charming in womanhood. while Gregory
Hall gave me the impression of a man
crafty, selfish and Indispensable. How
ever, l fully realized that I was theoriz-
ing without sufficient data. and deter
minedly I brought my attention back to
the coroner's catalogue of questions.
"Who else heard this conversation be-
sides yourself. Miss Lloyd?'
Mrs. Pierce was at the table with us
and the butler was in the room much Of
the time
The purport of the coroner's question
was obvious. Plainly he meant that she
,srrI$ =,
as her testimony could easily be over
thrown or corroborated.
Miss Lloyd deliberately looked at the
two persons mentioned. Mrs Pierce was
trembling as with nervous apprehension,
but she looked steadily at Miss Lloyd.
with eyes full of loyalty and devotion.
And yet Mrs. Pierce was a bit mysteri-
Gus also. If could read her face Alright.
1t bore the expression of one who would
stand by her friend whatever might come.
II she herself had had doubts Of Florence
Lloyd's integrity. but was determined to
suppress them and swear to belief in
her. she would look just as she did now
On the other hand the butler, Lambert.
who stood with folded arms, gazed
straight ahead with an inscrutable coun-
tenance, but his set lips and square jaw
betokened decision.
AS I read it. Miss Lloyd knew. as she
looked. that should she tell an untruth
about that talk at the dinner table Mrs.
Pierce would repeat and corroborate her
story: but Lambert would refute her, and
would state veraciously what his master
had said. Clearly. it was useless to at
tempt false report. and, with a little
sigh, Miss Lloyd seemed to resign herself
to her fate. and calmly awaited the coro-
nerS further questions.
But though still calm. she had lost her
poise to some degree. The lack of re-
SpOnsive glanceS from Gregory Halls
eyes seemed to perplex her. The eager
interest of the six jurymen made her rest
less and embarrassed. The coroner's alb
rupt questions frightened her. and 1
feared her self-enforced calm must sooner
or later give way.
And now l noticed that Louis. the valet,
was again darting those uncomfortable
glances toward her. And as the agitated
Frenchman endeavOred to control his own
countenance, i CHANGED to observe that
the pretty-faced maid l had noticed be-
fore was staring fiXedly at Louis. Surely
there were wheels within wheels, and the
complications of this matter were not to
be solved by the simple questions of the
coroner. But, Of course. this preliminary
examination was necessary, and it was
from this that [ must learn the main
story and endeavor to find out the secrets
afterward.
What was your uncle's response when
you refused to break your engagement
to Mr.. Hall?' was the next inquiry
Again Miss Lloyd was silent for mo-
ment, while she directed her gaze sue
ceSsiVely at several individuals. This 1
time she favored Mr.. Randolph who was
Mr.. Crawford's lawyer, and Philip Craw-
ford. the dead mans brother After look
ing in turn at these two. and CHANGING for
a moment at Philip Crawford's son. who
sat by his side. She said. in a lower voice
than she had before used
He said he would change his will and
leave none of his fortune to me-
His will, then, has been made in your
favor?'
yes: he has always told me | was to
be sole heiress to his estate except for
some comparatively small requests"
Did he ever threaten this proceeding
before?''
He had limited it, but not so definitely"
Did Mr.. Hall know Of Mr.. Crawfords
objection to his suit?'
He did
Did he know of your uncles hints of
disinhertance
HE did,
What was his attitude in the natter"
Florence Lloyd looked proudly at her
lover.
1.-The same as NINE" she said. 1--WE
both regretted my uncle's protest, but we
had no intention Of letting it stand in the
way of our happiness"
Still Gregory Hall did not look at his
fiancee. He sat motionless, preoccupied
and seemingly lost In deep thought, obliv-
ious to all that was going on
Whether his absence from Sedgwick at