Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-10-08
CHAPTER XII1.-Continued.

CHAPTER XIII.-Continued.
Whereupon the o inquired of
Doctor Mason if the stiletto would
have been a possible instrument of
death.
Mr.. Van Wyck was stabbed with
some weapon about that sizeJ" replied
the doctor gravely. /
"And are these ~brownish stains up
on it stains of blood?" '3sss"
THAT I cannot tell without subject
ing them to analysis" returned the
doctor, but his hearers were impress
ed with the thought that he was en-
%deavoring by delay to give Anne the
benefit of the doubt. D..
II think" went on the coroner in
a hesitating manner, that this piece
Of evidence must change the trend of
our inquiries. Mrs. Van Wyck, did
you or did you not put this stiletto
in the place where it was found?"
II did not" replied Anne quietly.
do you know who did place it
there ~ ~
IT do not" 3 $50
"Of course" said the coroner,: 1.-The
discovery of this instrument in this
condition does not necessarily impli-
cate its owner. Other hands might
have used it and secreted it where it
was found, perhaps with the intent OF
diverting suspicion. Who has the
care of your dressing room, Mrs. Van
Wyck?"
my maid, Jeanette"
Let her be summoned" the cor
oner ordered.
But Jeanette was nowhere to be
found. She had disappeared, no one
knew when or where. To the minds
of most. present. this looked sus.
picious. 1t was easily to be seen that
the villagers were quite. ready to de.
nounce Anne Van Wyck as the slayer
OF her own husband. Anne had never
been popular with the village people
Clever and highly strung as she was
! she had found little in common with
their ordinary and, to her. stupid pur'
suits. And now they were quite
ready to believe. the worst Of her.
Anne herself looked superciliou'
and scornful. II rave no motor
where my maid has gone" she stated
"but l am positive that she is in nj
way implicated in this tragedy. gSh'
may have gone on some errand, ant
will doubtless return 20 L amfen
tirely sure she car give you no in
formation or enlightenment as to tn,
crime that has been committed in thi
house, any more than / can"
And you car tell us nothing, Mrs.
Van Wyck, more than we know al
ready?" the coroner said, nounderinl
q little in the completely of his emo
tons.
no" replied Anne quietly.
The fidgeted uneasily, ant
then said, ut Is impossible to carr.
matters further without the testt
mony Of: the maid. Jeanette.
Therefore declare this inquest ad
iJourned for p few days, by Whicl
time / trust we may have furthe
and more definite evidence"
The jury, to q man. looked decided
ly relieved, but it was a rather disap
pointed audience that nled slowly gu
of the houSe. To my mind, the cor
oner's reaso for a%djourning the in
quest was a pretext. / think he fel
sure tha4-if the Jury had had TO de
eide then and there, they must hav
ACCUSED Anne Of the murder. An,
the evidence was certainly incriiniuat
ling. While I felt, with every fbre Q
my being, ths wish and desire to- hoI
IAnne innocent yet there was son,.
thing terribly convincing of guilt I
the fact OF that hidden stsletto. HI
.iAgatn, the Absurdity OF IT! How VA
ri hunaanly No1sible. svens ;grAnttl
fthat Anne had used the fatal instYu