Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-10-20
elusive argument that he had used

to her. tl.r
The coroner let her. 20 at that but
he called up Mr.. Manson, the father,
n questioned him pretty sharply as
to what his motive could have been in
giving such counsel as this to his girl
calculated to impede the course Of
Justice" as he put IL.
He got very unsatisfactory answers.
Manson had o than the average
difficulty of our village folk in maxi
ing his motives a%rticu!ate, and the
coroner when he dismissed him was
evidently puzzled as we'll as much
displeased. But he need not have been
puzzled; really. Manson's reticehce
and his advice to his daughter only
arose from the native suspiciousness
or morbid fear of getting themselves
into trouble with the law Of all the.
rustic people in that part. II he had
known them az I knew them then he
would have realized that it was per-
fectly natural, although perfectly
idiotic. Whatever he thought about
it. however, he had to leave it at that;
he could not get any more out of
either father or daughter.
But, Of course, all the time that
h coroner had been asking questions
and getting unsatisfactory answers
my mind a been at work trying to
piece together the true meaning Of it
all. Here was this wretched man.
that is how l spoke of him to myself
who had caused all the trouble be-
tween my uncle and Aunt Enid, who
had been ordered out of the house, as
l more n suspected, on the Thurs
day-here he was on the Friday
night in the Summer-house-waiting.
OF course, it was perfectly obvious
what he was waiting for-my Aunt
Enid.
This was an designation which she
made with this mar whom her
husband had sent out of the house.
n had gone, in all probability, to
keep the assignation. and she had
gone to her death. We did not know
at what time Aunt Enid had left the
house, but Captain Wharf had been
seen, almost certainly waiting for her
n expecting her, al the Summer
house, between nine, and half-past.
nine, according to the very confidenr-
ly given evidence of DR.. Pratt, was
the hour at or about which the fatal
f. dow mad been dealt. We had passed.
as 1t seemed, from n horror only
to be brought face to face with an
other.
For then the wretched business Of
the catechizing of this witness and Of
that. which had seemed to- be fairly
finished, was recommended, and with
g purpose which appeared to aim at
bringing into the light all the misery
n the threat of shame which had
Z been darkentng my uncle's life, Il
a almost looked as II we should slip
through the necessary horror of the
INQUEST without his last exposure. But
1t was not to be.
| ~ EuDUOse that e. NOE ~
oounden duty in his official position
TO elicit every fact that, had a bear
ing on the case. He almost apolo.
gized to Uncle Ralph for dragging
MIN up again as witness, but he mt
10 him az series OF questions which
uncle could n o with any sincerity
evade, and which ultimately ELECTED
the truth that he had. as l, had sur-
mised. virtually ordered Captain VII
~ out OF his house, and that he
naa received q promise from Aunt
Enid that she would never see him ~
communicate with him again. I WAS
terribly afraid that Celste would II
fe-examined. for IL she once rot sfsrts
ed talking on such 4 subject i did
TOT know what she might not reyes1
or invent, but, mericifully. tina go
oner dld lot call her5to give further
i was all bad enough, TRAGIC
9 and sordid enough as it was.
ne was likely to learn nofhinr ,nara
ne hesttated from his questions ana
remained silent and thoughtfuIf or :
minute. He consulted a.
which; he took from his pocixef 49,
his clerk and
wt.h him briefly. I.
sergeant Crisp told me afterwa.d