Phoenix tribune., 1922-11-18

eyed man beside her, she rose and,
laughing in silly fashion, stumbled to
the aisle, her straying hair, her ragged
clothing, her big shoes and shuffling
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 to?"
The answer seemed to come in the
questioning voice Of the coroner.
"Your name, please?"
Laura Rodaine. Least, that's the
name 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 could tell. L"
"Your book?"
"Yes, keep everything in a book.
But it isn't here. l couldn't bring it."
''The guess will be sufficient in this
case. You've lived here good many
years, Mrs. Rodaine?'
eyes. Around thirty-five. 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"
Il believe you told me tonight that
| you have habit of wandering around
| the hills?"
Eyes, I've done that-I do 1t right
along-rve done it ever since my hus-
band and I split up-that was just a
little while after the boy was born
Sufficient. I 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 1nquiring?"
II know something. 1 know a lot.
But I've never figured 1t was anybody's
business but my OWN So haven't told
1t. But 1 remember"
"What, Mrs. Rodaine?"
"The day Sissie 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 it be in your bookT
'N0-no-it wouldn't be in my book
looked"
| "But you remember
"Just like as If it was yesterday"
sand what you saw-did it give you
any idea"
II know what l saw"
"And did 1t lead to any conclusIon2' p
"Yes."
'What, may 1 ask2"
'That somebody had been mur.
deredw
"Who-and by whom"
Crazy Laura munched at her tooth.
less gums for a 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 tC
reach the spot where stood Robert
Fairchild and Harry, and there they
stopped. A lean finger, knotted by
rheumatism, darkened by sun an6
wind, stretched out.
''Yes. know who did it. and l know
who got killed. 1t was 'Sissie' Larsen
he was murdered. The man who
did 1t was a fellow named Thornton
Fairchild 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
a pocket as he did so. This has
ceased to be an inquest; 1t 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
"Why? Why-you're inquiring into
death that happened more thar
twenty years ago-and you're basinf
that inquiry upon the word of a WON
an who is not legally able to give tes
timony in any kind of a court or OF
any kind of a case! Have you any
further evidence upon the lines thai
she is going to give?"
"Not 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.
81 think otherwise The jury Is en-
titled to all the evidence that has any
bearing on the case"
"But this woman is crazy"
| HAS she ever been adjudged so, oil
| committed to any asylum for the in
sane?"
"No-but nevertheless, there are 6
hundred persons in this courtroom
who will testify to the fact that she ii