The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1919-03-27
CHAPTER XV-Continued.

Hardy went of on his errand
and Stone went over to have a
talk with Mrs. rockingham.
The widow was amiable, but
noncommittal. She was highly in
censed at the arrest of the Count,
but felt confident he would be
liberated in a few days. She re-
piled warily to Stones questions,
but admitted her presence in the
house on the fatal evening. -.
"You see," she said in a con-
fidential way, "I was lonely. The
Count had gone so often Of late to
Garden Steps, and / was never in
vited, that 7 think I was a little
jealous"
"Of Miss Carringtonf" asked
Stone, quickly.
eyes, said Mrs. rockingham,
frankly; "and of Miss Stuart, and
Of the Counts intimacy over
there. I had never even been in
Che house. So l. went over there
and looked in the windows. l
saw them playing cards and later
strolling about the rooms. The
great door stood e. little ajar and
/ cautiously stepped inside. 1t was
vulgarly curious, but it was no
crime. As | stood in the hall l
saw some one approaching, and
l stepped up a few steps of the
staircase. 1t was all so beautiful
that ] looked at the tapestries.a and
decorations. | remember thinking
that if any one challenged me l
should tell the truth, and say that
] came in to look, as a neighbor
ought to have a right to do"
Never mind the ethics of the
case, Mrs. rockingham; stick to
facts. Did you go upstairs2"
"No, indeed; only up four or
five steps, just to the turn of the
staircase" 1
"But Mr.. nlsley saw you COM
ing down." ... Ice
"Only those few steps. He
couldn't have seen me coming
from the top of the stairway, for
I didn't go up SO far" ~..
"You spoke Of being jealous of
Miss Stuart. Why9"
because Count Charlier is in
love with her."
with Miss Stuart9"
eyes; he was making up to
Miss Darlington for her money,
but he is really in love with Miss
Stuart"
Mrs. rockingham shook her
head doggcdly, as If determined to
tel! this, cevn though it should
rebound to the Counts discredit.
And it did. @'t T-|s> "
Chen" said Fleming Stone,
"tliat adds motive to the theory
of the Count s guilt. If he is in
love with Miss Stuart, might he
not have been tempted to put
Miss Darlington out Of the way
that Miss Stuart should inherit
the fortune, and be the bride of
his choiceY" ...t.
"Indeed, yes, that is a POSSIBLE
ity," and Fleming Stone saw at
last that this woman either sus-
pected the Count 8 guilt or wished
to make it appear so. #
Again, the sudden thought
struck him: Suppose she was so
jealous of the Counts attentions
to Miss Darlington that she went
to Garden Steps with the intent
of killing the lady. Suppose she
did go upstairs, although she de-
MED it, and put the poison in the
sandwich. Surely, she had oppor-
tunity. Surely, she would now
deny it.
Fleming Stone sighed. He hated
a case where the principal wit
nesses were women. One never
could tell when they were lying.
A man, now, was much more
transparent and his evidence more
easily weighed.
However, if this woman desired
to turn suspicion toward Count
Charlier, it was either because
she suspected him, or was impli-
Gated herself. In either case her
word was not worth much, and
Stone took his leave to hunt a
more promising field.
Returning to Garden Steps, he
fOGad that Pauline had received
q letter from her cousin in Egypt.
II am afraid she said, as she
handed Stone the letter to read,
"that my cousin Carr will think
VIC are not accomplishing much.
Read the letter, Mr.. Stone, and,
IL you say SO, / will ask Mr.. Loria
to come home"
Glad to read the letter from this
half heir 10 the Darlington for