Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-05-09
THE CUR +
BycARoLYN WELLS, Aashor d ssvssay Yanyr Etc.

AsSys
"You seem to me a little premature,
Mr.. Haviland, - commented Sthe In.
spector. Perhaps when the inquest
is concluded, 1t may not be necessary
to call on any other detective than
our own Mi. Hardy
h. Perhaps not" agreed Haviland:
"but unless you people all wake up.
admit the getting Is difficult, but
that's just the reason q wise ,sleuth
should lbe called in before the trails
And then the Coroner returned to,
his task of questioning. Mrs. Froth-
|ingham.
The widow was not definitely help
full. Her statements were often con-
] Trajectory in minor details, and when
lose in<weight. She stuck to the; main
points, however, that by the help Of q
strong field-glass she had d%iscerned,
in the bright moonlight, a man cave
by way Of the French window, at four
O'clock, and had seen him make his
way stealthily out. by the great en-
trance gates Of the place.
Cross-qyestioninE on this brought
no variations, and the jurymen
wagged their heads in belief Of her
story. Y 54S \
But her accounts OF. her own doings
On Tuesday evening were vague and
indefinite. y
II was in my, own home all the eve
ning,' she said at one time: and
again. IT went out for. a short walk
at elevent O'Clock" This last in refu-
tation Of Haskins, the Darlington
butler, who deposed to. having seen
the lady walk across the, lawns Of
Garden Steps. p"
Where did you walk?"
""Oh, Just around my own place;
and for 9 moment 1 strolled over here
because the Steps looked, SO beautiful
in the moonlight" /,
You were alone?" "a
81 was. I have no house guests at
present, a " the Count; and as my
brother, who lives with me, is on a
Western trip, I was alone. and I walk
ed about to kill time until Count
bridge game ove here
did. o walk near the house,
while on the Garden steps estate 2"
asked Scofield. seeming a possible
espionage Of her titled visitor. !
"Oh, not" and the witness bristled
with indignation; why should I! I
was not really an acquaintance Of
Miss Darlington, merely a neighbor."
Beg pardon, ma'am. but 1 saw you
on the conservatory .%verandah," said
Haskins, in a d~eprecatory way.
That is not true, Mr.. Coroner"
said the lady. glancing scornfully at
the butler. II begNyou will not ac-
cept a servants statement in perfer-
ence to ymine!"
| You are sure of this, Haskins? ?"
said the Inspector gravely.
Yes. sir. Sure, SIR and the man
looked doggedly certain, though a lit
And you deny it7" went on SEQ
field to Mrs. rockingham.
Il most certainly do! How absurd
for me to be over here. and how more
than absurd, for me to deny it II I
were!" -
This seemed sensible. WHY should
she deny it? And mightn't the butler
be mistaken? Or deliberately 'falsi-
II there were ~collusion or criminal
assistance by any Of the servants,
surely n word Of all of them must
be mistrusted unless proven.
And. too, what could have brought
Mrs. rockingham to the verandah Of
g nome where she, was. not an accept
: ed: guest? Or, could she have been
spying on the Count?
For 1t. had slowly entered the Cor
oners not very alert mind that per-
maps the volatile widow had her, own
plans for the Counts future, and Miss
Garrington did not figure in them.
me mi Of the witness bore out
this theory. She was self-consciops
and at times confused. She frequent-
~ looked at the Count and then
quickly averted her gaze. She. blush
ed and stammered when speaking his
name or referring to him. In a word,
she acted as a woman might act in
regard to a man of whom she was
jealous. And the situation bore 1t
out: II Mrs. rockingham had ma
trimonial designs on her. distinguished
guest, would she not naturally resent
his visits to a rich neighbor? Mrs.
rockingham was not rich, and she
may we'll have been afraid Of Miss
Carrington's charm of. gold, which
could cause many a. man to overlook
anything else that might be lacking.
Coroner Scot1eld was getting more
n more tangled in the mazes Of this
extraordinary case. He was practi-
eally at his wits end. At last he
n.urted out: 1T is impossible, 1t
seems: to get a coherent, or even
plausible story from a woman! Is
there any man present, who knows
n OF the deeails of the happenings
OF Tuesday evening and night?"
There was a moments silence at
this rather petulant speech, and then
Stephen Illsley rose, and speaking
very gravely, said: 80
1T seems to be my Unpleasant duty
to tell what little I know Of these
matters A. -. I
The relieved Coroner heard this
With satisfaction Accepting his good
fortune. he prepared to listen to
Illsley's testimony.
II was spending the evening here"
the witness began, "and during my
visit I vas in the various rooms' al
q late hour, perhaps something after
eleven-Ii was crossing the hall. and I
saw Mrs. rockingham on the stair
way" -
ION the ,stairwayw exclaimed tho
Coroner. in amusement.
Yes. returned Illsley, his rave
eyes resting on the face oflthe widow,
who stared at him as X stricken
dumb. Eyes. 1@saw hSr distinctly.
Sse vas evidently coming downstairs.
one hand rested on the banister. and
ing" s. .. B
r II ~ !. !.