The Raymer enterprise., 1922-11-09


In arriving at your verdict"
The Jury, half risen from the chairs,
some with their left hands held high
above them, some with their right,
swofe In mumbling tones to DO their
duty, whatever that might be. The
coroner surveyed the assemblage.
"First Witness" he called out;
Harry Harkins!" "
Harry went forward, clumsily seek.
Ing the witness chair. He was ques-
toned regarding nothing more than
the mere finding Of the body. the iden.
tifcation by means Of the watch. and
the notification Of the coroner. Fair.
child was called, to suffer no more
from the queries Of the investigator
than Harry. There was a pause. II
seemed that the inquest was over. A
few people began to move toward the
door-only to halt The coroners
voice had sounded again:
MRS Laura Rodaine"
Prodded to her feet by the squint.
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 shutting
gait all blending with the wild, eerie
look Of her eyes. the constant MUNICH.
ing Of the almost toothless mouth.
Again she laughed. In q 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 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 Rodaine. Least, that's the
name l 60 by. Ny real maiden name
is Laura Mastersop, and"
"Rodaine will De sufficient. Your
age?"
Il think it's sixty.fonr. II l had my
book I could tell. l."
"Y0ur book!"
"Yes, ! keep everything IN book.
But II isn't here. I couldn't bring it."
1.-THE guess will be sufficient In this
case You've lived here a 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"
II believe you told me tonight that
you have a habit Of wandering around
the hills?'
Eyes, I've done that--I do 1t right
along-Ive 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 inqulring?"
II know something. know q lot.
But I've never figured II was anybody's
business but my own. So haven't told
1t. But remember"
"What. Mrs. Rodaine!"
1.-THE day Sissie Larsen was sup
posed to leave town-that was the day
he got killed"
do you remember the date1"
"No-I don't remember that"
would II be In your bookf'
"No-no-it wouldn't be In my BOOK.
/ looked
"Eut you remember"
Just like as II It was yesterday"
"And what you saw-=did 1t give you
any idea" a
II know what ] saw"
"And did it lead to any conclusionr
Eyes"
"What. may I askr'
THAT somebody had been muir
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 a survey Of the big
room, looking intently from one figure
to another. On and on-fnally to
reach the spot where stood Robert
Fairchild and Harry, and there they
stopped. A lean finger, knotted BY
rheumatism. darkened by sun and
wind. stretched out.
Eyes. know who did 1t. and l know
who got killed. II was 'Sissie' Larsen
he was murdered. The man who
did 1t was a fellow named Thornton
Fairchild who owned the mlne-if l
amt mistaken. be was the father Of
this young man"
II object!" Farrell, the attorney.
was on his feet and struggling forward.
jamming his horn.rimmed glasses into
q pocket as he did 30. This has
ceased to be an inquest; It has re-
solved itself into some sort Of an In.
QUESTION !"
Il fail to see why" The coroner
had stepped down and was facing him.
"Why7 why-you're Inquiring into
q death that happened more than