The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1912-12-05

pleXity he vanished IRON the doorway,
and it fell to DR.. Heath to inquire:
els this letter-a letter of threat
you will remember--the only commu
nication which passed between you
and Miss Challoner after this unfor
tunate passage of arms at the Cler
month"
"Yes. had no wish to address her
again. l had exhausted in this one
outburst whatever humiliation I felt"
"And she? Did she give no sign,
make you no answer?"
None whatever" Then, as if he
found it impossible to hide this hurt
to his pride, "she did not even seem
to consider me worthy the honor of
an added remark. Such arrogance is.
no doubt, commendable in a Challon.
err"
This time his bitterness did not
pass unrebuked by the coroner: IRE.
member the gray hairs of the only
Challoner who can hear you, and re.
spect mis- grief"
NJ. Brotherson bowed.
Il have finished said he. II shall
have nothing more to say on the sub
ject." And he drew himself up in ex-
| pectation of the dismissal he evident
ly thought pending.
But the coroner was not done with
him by any means. He had theory
In regard to this lamentable suicide
which he hoped to establish by this
mans testimony, and, in pursuit OF
this plan, he not only motioned to Mr..
Brotherson to reseat himself, but be-
i gan at once to open fresh line of ex-
animation by saying:
"You will pardon me, if press this
/ matter. l have been given to under
stand that Notwithstanding your
! break with Miss Challoner, you
! have kept up your visits to the
/ Clermont and were even on the spot
at the time of her DEATH"
ION the spot?"
'In the hotel, mean"
There you are right; was in the
hotel"
"At the time Of her death?"
VERY near the time. / remember
hearing some disturbance in the lobby
behind me, just as l was passing out
ut the Broadway entrance"
"You did, and did not return?"
"Why should l return? / am not a
reason why l should connect a sudden
alarm in the lobby of the Clermont
with any cause of special interest to
myself"
This was so true and the look which
accompanied the words was so frank
that the coroner hesitated moment
before he said:
Certainly not, unless-well, to be
direct, unless you had just seen Miss
| Challoner and knew her state of mind
and what was likely to follow your
abrupt departure"
81 had no interview with Miss Chal
loner"
"But you saw her? Saw her that
evening and just before the accident? %
| Sweetwater's papers ratified; it was
the only sound to be heard in that
moment of silence. Then
WudL UO yOu ulcdu ny tuOSS
words ?" inquired Mr.. Brotherson, with
studied composure. 81 have said that
| ! had no interview with Miss Challon.
er. Why do you ask me then, if saw
herr"
Because believe that you did.
From distance possibly, but yet di.
rectly and with no possibility of mis-
take"
do you put that as question:"
81 do. Did you see her figure OF
face that night?"
Il did"
Nothing-not even the rafting OF
/, Sweetwater's papers-disturbed the
silence which followed this admission.
From where?" Doctor Heath asked
at last
From a point far enough away to
make any communication between us
impossible l do not think You will
require me to recall the exact spot"
eff it were one which made it pos
sible for her to see you as clearly as
you could see her, think it would be
very advisable for you to say So"
ut was-such-a spot"
Then / think l can locate it fol
you, or do you prefer to locate it your
self?'
Il will locate it myself. had hoped
not to be called upon to mention
what / cannot but consider most
unfortunate coincidence. / met Miss
Challoner's eye for one instant from
the top of the little staircase running
up to the mezzanine. / had yielded
thus far to an impulse had frequent
ly combatted, to seek by another in
terview to retrieve the bad effect
which must have been made upon hel
by my angry note. I knew that she
Il frequently wrote letters in the mez
canine at this hour, and got as far as
) the top Of the staircase in my effort
to join her. But got no further
When l saw her on her feet, with hel
Il face turned my way, | remembered