The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1919-02-06
VIII.
ANITA'S STORY.

the b~reathless silence that fol-
lowed it by saying:
"Will you please explain what
yUl mean by 'stealthilyY"
Just what | say returned
HayilaHd bluntly. "She went
slowly, now and then pausing to
listen, twice drawing back around
a corner and peeping out, and
then coming forth again; she wore
no shoes and carried no light; she
went down the big staircase in
the manner I have described, and
after about 10 minutes returned
in the same fashion. That's what
l mean by stealthily."
What was your errand2''
asked Scofield Of Estelle.
Nothing. Ididn't CO. she re-
piled coolly.
"She tells an untruth," said
Gray calmly. "She did go, just
as l have described. But it was
doubtless on an innocent errand.
I have no idea she was implicated
in Miss Carrington's death. | am
sure it is of casual explanation
or, / was sure until Estelle de-
MED it,
How was it you CHANGED to sec
herf"
Il was wakeful, and | was
prowling around to find some
thing to read. / went out in the
hall and got a magazine from the
table, and had returned to my
room and was just closing the
door when / saw a white figure
glide across the hall. She passed
through a moonlit space or | could
not have seen her. She was
wrapped in a light or white XII
mono thing, and l should never
have thought of it again if it were
not for what has happened.
"You knew it to be this Els
telleY"
eyes; her red hair was hanging
in a braid"
"'Tisn't redl" snapped Estelle.
but Mr.. Scofield silenced her with
q frown. =.
"Well, auburn, then," said
Haviland easily. "'You may as
well own up, Estelle. What did
you go down fort"
"I didn't CO." repeated the
maid obstinately, and no cross
questioning could prevail on her
to admit otherwise. /.
"All right" and Haviland
shrugged his shoulders; II sup
pose it doesn't matter, as the
crime was committed about !
o'clock. It's up to you, Mr.. Coro,
ner, to find some person who acted
suspiciously nearer that time,
And, by the way, as man of bust
ness Of this estate, unless some
worthwhile evidence is forthcom-
ing pretty soon, I'm going to
round up a detective or two who
will get somewhere"
"Give S a little more time, Mr.;
Haviland,,' said Scofield suavely
"this inquest is only begun"
"Well, get it over with, and
then, if the truth hasn't come to
light, I'll take a hand"
Miss Frayne was called next.
and Anita, with a look of impor,
lance on her pretty face, came
forward. +.
Her evidence, at. first, was
merely a repetition of that already
heard, and she corroborated Paul.
ines recital Of the scene as the
two girls babe Miss Darlington
good night.
"And then?" prompted the
coroner.
"Then / went to my room, but
/ didn't retire. / sat thinking
over what Miss Darlington had
said to me. And as / thought
about it / concluded that this time
I was really dismissed from hei
secretaryship. And that made mo
feel very sorry, for it was a COCO
| position and l had no wish to lose
it. So, after a time, i began tc
think | would go to Miss Caring
tons room and, if she were still
up, / would beg her forgiveness
forgiveness for what?'
"For any faniced grievance she
might have against me. | have
always tried to please her, bin
she was-er-diffieult and it wa.
not easy to do the right thing a
all times" 1T
"Dij you go to her roomf'
~ went tc, the door
Sat what timef"
L aZ ((Ct - "a. "