The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1922-10-12

voice had sounded again:
Mrs. Laura Rodainew
Prodded to her feet by the squint-
eyed man beside her, she rose and,
laughing in s1ly fashion, stumbled to
the aisle, her straying hair, her ragged
clothing. her big shoes and shuffllng
gait all blending with the wild, eerie
look Of her eyes, the constant MUNICH
ing of the almost toothless mouth.
Again she laughed. in a vacant en-
barrassed manner, as she reached the
stand and held up her hand for the
administration Of the oath. Fairchild
leaned close to his partner.
AT least she knows enough for
that"
Harry nodded.
"She knows lot, that ole girl. They
say she writes down in a book every
thing she does every day. But what
can she be ere to testify tor
The answer seemed to come in the
questioning voice of the coroner.
"Your name, please?'
laura Rodalne. Least, that's the
name l go by. My real maiden name
is Laura Masterson, and"
"Rodaine will be sufficient. Your
age?"
81 think IT'S sixty-four. If had my
book l could tell. L"
"Your book3
ayes, | keep everything in a book.
Rut II isn't hara I couIdn't hrino, ~
"The guess Will be sufficient in this
case. You've lived here good many
years, Mrs. Rodaine"
"Yes. Around thirty-fve. Let's see
yes, I'm sure it's thirty-fve. My boy
was born here-he's about thirty and
we came here five years before that"
"I believe you told me tonight that
you have a habit of wandering around
the hillsT
"Yes, I've done that-I do II right
alcng-I've done 1t ever since my hus-
band and | split up-that was just
little while after the boy was born"
Sufficient. merely wanted to es-
tablish that fact. In wandering about,
did you ever see anything, twenty
three or four years ago or so, that
would lead you to know something of
the death of the man into whose de,
mise we are inquiring?"
II know something. l know a lot.
But I've never figured 1t was anybody's
business but ms own. So haven't told
il. But | remember"
"What, Mrs. Rodaine?"
"The day Slssle Larsen was sup
posed to leave town-that was the day
he got killed"
do you remember the date"
"No-I don't remember that"
"Would II be in your book?"
"NO-no-it wouldn't be in my book.
! looked"
"But you rememberp
Just like as II II was yesterday"
"And what you saw-did it give you
any idea"
~ know what saw"
"And did 1t lead to any concluslon?"
eyes"
what, may ] ask?"
"That somebody had been MUIR
deredw
"Who-aud by whomP
Crazy Laura munched at her tooth
less gums for moment and looked
again toward her husband. Then, her
watery, almost colorless eyes search
ing, she began survey Of the big
room, looking intently from one figure
to another. On and on-fnally to
reach the spot where stood Robert
Fairchlld and Harry, and there they
stopped. A lean finger, knotted by
rheumatism, darkened by sun and
wind, stretched out.
"Yes, know who did II, and know
who got killed. II was 'Sissie' Larsen
he was murdered. The man who
did II was fellow named Thornton
Falrchild who owned the mine-If
amt mistaken, he was the father Of
this young man"
81 object !" Farrell, the attorney,
was on his feet and struggling forward
jamming his hOrn-rimmed glasses into
pocket as he did so. "This has
ceased to be an inquest; II has re-
solved Itself into some sort Of an In
QUESTION -
81 fail to see why" The coroner
had stepped down and was facing him.
"WhyI Why-you're inquirlng into
death that happened more than
twenty years ago-and you're baslng
that inquiry upon the word OF a won.
an who is not legally able to give tes-
timony In any kind Of court or on
any kind OF casel Have you any
further evidence upon the lines that
she is going to giveT"
mot directly"
"Then demand that all the testi.
mony which this woman has given be
stricken out and the jury Instructed
to disregard IT,"
The official smiled.
I1