The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1913-03-08

he had 1t in his hand"
Yes" I stammered; "but that was
before" Mr.. Dingley was watching
me steadily. "Now. Miss Ellie. aren't
you a little confused on that pointY"
was indeed. but it was his manner
that was doing IL. He seemed to
snatch the words out Of my mouth and
turn them into another meaning. But
it was there! You saw it yo~urselves!'
l appealed to him.
Father and Mr.. Dingley glanced at
each other, and a strange thought
came to me with a rush Of relief.
Wasn't he dead? Had he gone away?
Didn't you find anythingf"
The answering look of their faces
made my heart go down like lead.
I'VE found everything as you told US
except the revolver. There was no
revolver there"
sat clutching the arms of the chair,
staring hard at Mr.. Dingley, who seem
ed suddenly to have become a stranger
to me. Then some one must have
picked it up"
But, Miss Ellie, you say that the
street was absolutely deserted when
this thing occurred, and when I reach
ed the spot there was a woman look
ing but of a window and some labor
ers running up from Suffer street, but
no one had yet reached the place.
Now, how could
Father struck in, mo, Jim; you'll
only brighten herr" In a lower voice
he said something that sounded like,
Not on the stand yet" Then, lean
ing toward me across the table, rest
ing on his elbow until his face was
level with my own: 81 know you must
have been much frightened at what
you saw, child, and it's possible you
may have been a little hysterical, isn't
It'll It's possible you might have fan
cied a revolver in his hand, isn't 1t,
when there was none there?"
Looking straight into his eyes, l saw
a sharp anxious light there, and the
conviction came to me that be very
much wanted me to have been mis-
taken Mr.. Dingley, from the fireplace,
was watching me hard as IL he were
trying, with that incredulous look Of
his, to force II on me that I must be
mistaken, and then the thought 1oated
through my mind that in some way 1t
would be better for that handsome,
terrible man IL I could say I hadn't
seen a revolver. II wasn't hystertcal,"
I said. II saw II plainly"
Gould you take your oath in courtY'
father said in a stern voice.
"Oh, yesI"
Father dropped my hand and leaned
back. He looked puzzled. Mr.. Ding
ley came close to him and said ONE
thing so low that I couldn't catch it
But father answered in his usual voice,
as il be had forgotten / was there,
mo, Jim; if she says so then she did
be sure of THAR He listened again
while Mr.. Dingley murmured to him,
and the look Of their faces. the low
cred, hushed tones of their voices,
made me feel, more than words could
about something very serious. All the
while Mr.. Dingley was speaking father
slowly nodded. ~ have no doubt you
could, JIM" he said at last, land it's
very good Of you to offer, but we can't
suppress evidence because 1t hap
pens
Father looked at his watch. I'VE
might as well get this business over as
500 as possible. Ellie"-hls voice
sounded so sharply on my name that
l jumped up, all Of a nervous tremble-
Ego upstairs and put on your bonnet.
1 want you to come with me-"
I felt that my voice was woefully un
steady.
won't you please tell me what Is
happening and where we are going"
Martin Rood has been shot; he Is
dead. i. A man has been arrested cor
responding to your description, and we
are going down to the prison to see If
you can identify him." l stared at IA
Their, and my only feeling was one of
vague, incredulous wonder. Martin
Rood, the fine, sleek gentleman whom
1 had seen swinging out of his gam
bling house in the late afteruoons-
could that have been he, that huddled
heap Of clothes in the gutter?
Quickly, Ellie!" fathers voice re-
minded me. went stumbling up
stairs in a burning excitement. 1
think I had some wild notion of lock-
ing myself into my and defying
the house, for the idea Of facing that
terrible man with his wild. terror
stricken face threw me into a panic.
We did not drive, as l had expected,
straight down Washington, making in
stead a detour of several blocks and
finally by means of a little alleyway
coming to the back door of the prison.
The only people in sight were a
couple Of policemen. but, Mr.. Dingley
on one side and father on the other.
fairly lifted me out by the arms and
hurried me into the building, as If they
were afraid of being caught by some
one.
tn A. AL&r-