The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1914-11-06

~ciprocate and no decent man would
dare presume upon. 1t was friendly,
frank. fearless. genuine, hearty. joy
Gus. 1t was like her.
Don't forget you're committed to
that party at The HERMITAGE" she
reminded me as l stepped into the
Wagon.
"Will you dance the cotillion with me,
mademoiselle: l inquired, picking up
the reins.
"Merci, monsieur" she answered
and then, lifting her horses head,
touched it with her fingers and waved
her hand toward me.
Dolly and l salute you," she added
laughingly as she moved away.
watched her running lightly up the
lane. the mare trOtting after her to the
musical jingle of its stirups, and then
l urged my own horse forward on the
road to the farmhouse of Gregory
Shaw.
l will not say l did not question the
propriety Of my visit to the Shaw
farm. but l certainly never doubted it.
l had every reason to believe that the
majority of the jurors were more or
less familiar with the house and its
surroundings. Indeed, all the talesmen
had admitted in my presence that they
had seen the place. and l was the only
candidate who had not eve heard of
it. To my mind it seemed not only
proper, but necessary, that l should
qualify myself to understand the com
ing testimony by personally inspecting
the scene. especially since Mr.. Bar
slows objection had deprived me Of an
official opportunity. The fact that l
had already been sworn as a juror
made no difference in my opinion, for
there could be nothing in the mere
exterior of the place to influence me
one way or the other, and l felt en-
tirely justified in equipping myself
with the information which my asso-
ciates already possessed.
l did not reason this out al the time.
but I know l felt it instinctively, and.
despite the outcome and the fact that
ignorance of the law is no excuse I
still maintain l was justified in doing
, exactly what l planned to do.
1t was dark by the time l reached
+ the house, but I recognized it at once
by the three stately loplars. 1t vas
an unpretentious building. standing
well within its own grounds, which
We're separated from the highway by a
j., tall box hedge. This and the bis
pOplars Obstructcd the view from the
road. and. although l leaned far GU
Of the buggy. | could see nothing of
the veranda OF which Gilbert had
: spoken. | therefore stopped the horse
!, a few rods further down the road. and
= standing up. looked back. but the little
l could see convinced me that the yer
anda and the windows in question
must be at the rear. Disappointed
, with the poor view | had obtained.
was driving OF again when l noticed
:. the Wagon she'd Of which Miss Fraynt
" had spoken. and l ut once determined
to leave the horse there and walk bacl
for another look at the house. Witt
this idea ! drove into TIE shed, tie,
my horse, and, climbing the fence OF
, the other side of the road. a~plroache,
Nv ~ btilllIu al IllI-t VI Tree
'' which screened it from the farm build
ings. When | emerged l found mySel
- quite close to the veranui. which OK
d" tended across part of the building
- with three windows of the secon
- story. opening upon its roof. Two o
- them undoubtedly opened into MI
Shaw'S private study, and the othe
l. into Miss Emory's room. but whic
~ was which l had no means of knowing
1t was evident at Il glance that no on
ir could reach the roof from the verand
roof without the assistance of a rop
or ladder. for the upper windows Ia
r. neither coping nor shutters, and til
4" caves of the roof projected so far til:
IN any one Scalin" the wall would fin
er himself coored up under the cave
e, The veranda roof likewise projecte
err far beyond the supporting column
and the most skilful descent wou]
\ require a drop of at least five feet in,
d. the flower beds below. All this merel
- ,,lo I'm n $500.