Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-05-12
"And-~ prompted Anita, breath

And" prompted Anlta, Ofeatt1"
lessly,. her eyes fixed on the speaker.
Nothing much" and Stone smiled:
only I should say the nen, burglar lived
|, Hardy nodded in satisfaction. This
was the sort Of deduction he was
looking for. Next he hoped for the
color OF the mans hair, and the sort
LOT cigar he. smoked. But he vac
doomed to disappointment.
I'VE seem to have drifted from the
subject of Miss Darlington" Stone
said. 1.-The evening before her death
was she in her usual spirits? EVIL
IDENTIFY no premonition. Of her fate?"
ION the contrary" said Gray, 'she
remarked during the evening that
something would happen to her that
night which would surprise and
astound us all. She said distinctly
different"
what did you understand her to
mean by that?"
I'VE couldn't understand it at all.
It was most mysterious. Nor do we
lY she had no thought of dying. She
spent the evening playing cards and
listening to music, and conversation
with the family and guests, quite as
usual"
"In amiable mood?" asked Stone.
mo-" replied Pauline. taking up the
talk; ION the contrary she was ex.
ceedingly irritable and ill-tempered."
"You saw her after she went to her
room for the night?" and Stone turn
ed his whole attention to Pauline.
Yves; Miss Frayne and I always
went to her room with her, to say
goodnight and to receive possible or
ders or suggestions for the next days
occupations"
And you say she was unamiable? ~
".That is a mild word" and Pauline
smiled a little. "She was in a high
temper, and she told u both that we
were to leave this. house the next
day."
"You both left her in that mood?"
Eyes. we were obliged to do so.
She dismissed us perenptorily and or
dered us from the room."
"And you saw her next, Miss Stuart,
when?" asked Fleming Stone gently:
instant, then she, said, with a slight
air of bravado, next morning."
II have been told the main facts"
went on Stone, but 1 want to learn
certain details. Please tell me, Miss
Stuart, exactly how she then appear
ed"
"oh. I can't!" and Pauline flung her
face into her hands with a short.
sharp cry.
II should think you Couldn't" ex-
claimed Anita, and her voice was dis
tinctly accusing.
This seemed to rouse Pauline, and
she looked up haughtily at the speak,
err. IT don't wonder you think SOL"
she cried. But since you ask, Mr..
Stone,, 1 will do the best 1 can. My
aunt was seated at her dressing-table,
but not in her usual chair-or indeed,
as if she were in any way attending to
her toilette-but in n easy chair,
more as if she were sitting there in
contemplation"
Was she given to such indications
of vanity?" asked Stone, in a gentle
way.
mot at all. Ny aunt was not a
beautiful woman. and she had no il
lusions about her personal appear
ance. I have never known her to
look at herself in a mirror more than
was necessary for her dressing. Her
maid will tell you this" 4,
Go on, please. Miss Stuart"
when I saw my aunt, she was sit
ting placidly, ever smilingly-and I
did not, for a moment, imagine she
was not alive. Then I noticed her
large tortoise-shell comb was broken
to bits, and 1 noticed, too. her rigid,
staring face. The next few moments
are a confused memory to me, but I
know I touched her hand and felt it
cold, then l called to Mr.. Haviland
and he came"
Tell me Of your aunt's garb. I
understand it was most unusual"
"0nly in the accessories. The gown
she had on was a negligee of Oriental
make and fabric, elaborate, but one of
which she was fond and which she
had worn several times. Round her
heavy Syrian ones, Of net patterned
with silver. Then. she had on guam
titles of jewelry. Not only her pearls,
and a few pins, which she had worn
during the evening, but she had add
ed many brooches and bracelets and
rings of great value, I"
''She was wearing, let us say, a hun
dred thousand dollars worth Of jew
elry?",
alone are worth that amount. Her
thousand dollars and her emerald
brooch is equally valuable. My aunt
believed in gems as an investment,
and though she usually kept them II
a safe deposit vault. she had recently
taken them from there, and had
them all in the house."
"a strange proceedings"
VERY. I have never known such a
thing to occur before unless for some
especial social occasion"
And the paper snake, Of which I
have been told"
"That is the strangest part of all!
Ny aunt vas not only afraid of live
snakes, but she had also a perfect
horror of any picture or artificial rep
resentation of them. She could never
in her right mind. have placed that
paper snake about her own neck, nor
would she have allowed any one else
to do 1t, without screaming out in
horror. Yet, the doctors declare it
must have been placed round her
neck before death. Therefore, it is
to me entirely unexplainable."
us not that a bizarre clue that
should make the case an easy one?"
asked Anita, with an inquiring glance
at Stone.
1T may be So" he replied, with .
thoughtful look at her. "Where
could such a snake have come FROM"
1T was brought by the burglar, of
course" said Pauline, quickly.
II don't mean that: but where
could it be bought?"
ooh. at Rantioe's M auv aTorooasa