Evening star., 1921-07-17

What do you mean?" The inspec-
tor flushed.
You see. you're SO witty. Mordan,"
said the superintendent.
And that's that" Reggie yawned.
"You don't really want me any more.
Goodbye. Oh. Inspector don't
want you to be disappointed. The
murder wasn't done in that room
where you found the body. Good
Bye
Wasn't done" The inspector
stared after him. Good Lord. he's
mad"
Better get him to bite you, Nor
dam" said the superintendent.
the day OF the inquest. Before
the court met Supt. Bell called
on Reggie and found him in bad
temper. This was unusual. and
equally unusual in the superinten-
dents experience was a pallor. a GER
tain tension. across Reggies solid.
amiable face. A civil question about
his health brought a snappish answer.
1t seemed to the superintendent that
DR.. Fortune had been making a
sWeil what is it," Reggie snarled.
Got anything to tell me2"
"I've been rather disappointed" the
superintendent said meekly;
More fool you. I told you to
That's it, sir. Were you pulling
"oh' damn it. man. this is serious,
Miss Bolton was a patient OF mine.
l don't let any one but me XIII my
Very proper. I'm sure" the super
! intendent agreed But we have
! watched him. doctor. Nothing doing.
set a man to stand on his door.
St step. ,.l I suppose. What's the good OF
80 . ,.,, COW. tho auDarinfepdent
agreed. We've picked up one thing,
! though. Just before the murder his
| father turned him down for wanting
! to marry this girl Weston. He hasn't
penny except from If his father, Iha'
and the girl: 1t does grow you
Queer case.'s Reggie grunted.
| Going to the inquest? Sorry l can't
drive you down. My chauffeurs TAX
w So they walked to the coroner's
court, and on the way Supt. Bell used
his large experience in the art OF eN-
| tracing condolences in vain. But
Reggie msllCwed: Nv ~ Psrcsp1ieliy snEt Reli mel
The court was crowded to its last
| inch, The coroner was conscious OF
| his Importance and made the most of
! it in q long harangue. The divisional
| surgeon was more pompous than ever
and made it a point of honor to use
| terms 80 technical that all his evi-
dence had to be translated to the
Jury, and the coroner and he agreed
over the translation.
What a life, amt it?" Mr.. Gordon
| murmured in Reggie's ear.
At last came what the evening
papers called dramatic evidence
The housemafd who had found the
| body and had Mysteries over again
as she described it: Mrs. Belts, who
side it, walked her. and heard her
say: II did it-oh. 1 did it,"
"Sensation in Court" was the cross
head for that. The coroner looked over
muttered together. and May Weston
came into the box. With the manner OF
| a chaplain at an execution the coroner
| warned her that she need not give an
swers that would incriminate her. Il
| want to tell you everything" she said.
She was very pale in her black. and list
less of manner, but quite calm.
+ +
WHAT she told was the queer story
w she had told Reggie, but she was
not allowed to tell it her own way. The
| coroner badgered her with continual
questions designed to make the queer
ness Of 1t seem queerer. He made her
| nervous, confused her. frightened her.
| "You bother me SO that l don't know
If I'm telling the truth or not" she
quavered.
Then, in the language of the news
papers, another sensation Mr.. Ford
large and red. started up and roared, 81
ought to be there, sir. Let her alone.
| l ought to be there"
Reggie put his head between his hands
and bowed himself. groaning.
Every one else was much excited by
/ Mr. Ford. He was pulled down in his
| seat. The coroner rebuked him with
awful majesty The foreman of the
jury wanted to know il he would be
called. The coroner pronounced tina,
the court would most certainly require
Mr.. Ford to explain himself-and came
back to, May Weston.
1.-THE fool that he Is. he's done the
trick, though" Reggie muttered to Mr.
Gordon, and Gordon nodded and grinned
For after the interruption the coroner
| handled May Weston much more gently
almost indulgently, as good man sorry
for a woman's weakness. And he was
| soon done with her.
ANY questions?" He looked at the
lawyers, Reggie bent forward and whis-
pered to the solicitor appearing for Miss
Thai large. bland man stood up. "Now
! Miss Weston. about that Coffee He
had his reward. Every one in the court