The Washington times., 1920-05-23

WAoehor IL - anything or no. Most
ltks ss. Il be a0thinG. bat thea,
there II 10. I don't know like"
All the while that he Was speak
Ing ne was being propelled By some
powerful shoves behind Into more
forward position In Tie room, and
the psspls made Q cay Cor him.
He was job Manson. the carpenter.
whom I knew well. for he was .
handy Joiner and often aid little
things for ~ about the house.
That's right" the coroner said.
encouragingiy. noting his diffi.
dsnce. LET him be sworn and We
win hear what he has to say"
80 the formidable prsliminaries
were accomplished and be owned
10 the name OF JOB Manson and the
profession OF carpenter and then.
again protesting that he didn't
know as II was anything" informed
the court that his little girl had
told him that ~ she was going
siong the shrubbery path that eve
ming she had seen someone come
out from that by-path leading down
to the 'Summer-houSe.
"And at what time would that
have been. Mr. Mansonr"
my little girls says 'twould be
about nine o'clock.
II were o reporter ] suppose
should say that At this announce
ment there was 4 sensation" In
the court. There was q curious
little ubiquitous movement -
everyone stiffened into an attitude
of acute expectancy. A hum Of
whispered comment and sjacular
ton aocompa MED 1t.
But" said the coroner. "this' .
Q most important piece Of evidences.
Why IL II that you did not commu-
nicate II to the court befofs?"
II didn't rightly know whetheS
twas anything or not" the carpen-
tor said. sheepishly.
most important" the coroner
repeated. "What age Il this little
girl of yours! II she old enough
to be swornf"
"Oh. yes. I reckon she be-" the
carpenter said. while smile went
round the faces of those who knew
his daughter.
"WhsT II her agef"
-Shs'h be twenty-five come the
ninth Of February"
Twenty-Five! Then why tho
10 the girl here!"
Eyes. she be-" said Mr.. Manson.
Then let her come forward and
tell the court herself what It IL
that she saw" the coroner said.
So Mr.. Manson was deposed from
his place OF honor. which he had
occupied with much reluctance and
discomfort, and made way for his
"little girl" who proved to be q
big. buxom being. looking fully the
age that her father had mentioned
and taking her place as witness
with very little OF the diffidence by
which he had been troubled.
"Were you in what they call the
shrubbery path leading to Scotney
House on Friday night?" the cor.
oner asked her. when she had been
duly sworn In the name OF Matilda
Manson. The girl replied that she
was.
And how was It that you hap
pened to be there at that timer"
was the next question.
81 wasn't doing anything wrong,
SIR" the girl declared with some
heat. Il had been up to the house
on an errand for father"
That's right, Tidy. my girl. so
you had" her father Endorsed II q
loud voice from the back OF the
room and from an obscurity In
which he seemed to have regained
all his courage.
kindly let your daughter an
swer FOR herself. Mr. Manson" the
coroner said severely. 1T is my
duty to ask these questions. l did
not suppose for q moment that
Miss Manson was there for any
wrong purpose. Please tell the
court" he added, addressing the
girl, what your errand was"
I think that that miss Manson"
Of the coroner's was a judicious
phrase which Modified her greatly.
She had been up to the house with
q broken picture frame. she said,
which father had promised that he
would get done that evening for
her ladyship.
"Quite SO, and now tell US. what
was 1t that you saw"
In these days, since the great
war began, we have learned not to
expect any warning to be given be-
fore bolts fall on us from the blue.
In the year 1918 we had such ex.
pectation, but II was without any
preparation calculated to break the
shock at all, and assuredly without
knowledge Of any remarkable ef-
feet likely to be produced by her
words, that the girl answered
simply:
81 saw Captain Wharf coming
from the Summer-house."
felt something funny sup
pose 1t was quickened heartbeat
or two-happening inside me. and
for an instant was afraid that
was going to make . fool Of myself
again. but it passed of, and think