The Holbrook news., 1922-11-10

"'Ow should l knOwT Harry said 1t almost petulantly. "I didn't even know she"
 "Oyez. oyez, oyezw It was the bailiff, using a regular distri"t-court introduction of the fact that an in- quest was about tobe held. The crowd ed room sighed and settled. The cOro- ner stepped forward.
 "We are gathered here tonight to inquire into the death of a mun sup posed to be l.. A. Larsen, commonly called 'Sissie,' whose skeleton was found today in the Blue Poppy mine. AS sworn and true members of the coroner's jury, charge and command you in the great name of the sovereign state of Colorado, to do your full duty 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, swore in mumbllng tones to do their duty, whatever that might be. The coroner surveyed the assemblage.
 First witness" he called out; 1; Harry Harkins!"
 Harry went forward, clumsily seek. ing the witness chair. He was ques- tioned regarding nothing more than the mere finding of the body, the iden- tification 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 pause. It 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 shuffling gait all blending with the wild, eerie look of her eyes, the constant munch- ing of the almost toOthless mouth. Again she laughed, in vacant, em' barrassed manner, as sine 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 a lot, that ole girl. They say she writes down in book every thing she does every day. But what cha hn fn tncfifv fnop
 The answer seemed to come in the questioning voice of the coroner.
 Your name, please?"
 Laura Rodaine. Least, that's the name I go by. My real maiden name is Laura Masterson, and"
 "Rodaine will be sufficient. Your age?"
 q think it's sixty-four If I had my book I could tell. T."
 "Your book?"
 "Yes, I keep everything in book. But 1t isn't here. I couldn't bring it"
 "The guess will be sufficient in this case. You've lived here a good many years, Mrs. Rodaine?"
 "Yes. Around thirty-five. Let's see yes, I'm sure it's thirty-five. My boy was born here-he's about thirty and we came here five years before that"
 q believe you told me tonight that you have habit of wandering around the hills?"
 "Yes, I've done that-I do 1t right along-I've done it ever since my hus- band and I split up-that was just 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 inquiring?"
 "I know something. I know lot. But I've never figured it was anybody's business but my own. So haven't told it. But I remember"
 "What, Mrs. Rodaine?"
 "The day Sissie Larsen was sup posed to leave town-that was the day he got killed"
 lJO YOU Ille udle.
 "No-I don't remember that"
 "Would it be in your bOok?"
 "No-no-it wouldn't be in my book. I looked"
 But you remember"
 "Just like as if 1t was yesterday"
 And what you saw-did it give you any idea"
 "I know what I saw"
 "And did 1t lead to any conclusion?"
 "Yes"
 What, may I ask?"
 "That somebody had been mur. deredr"
 "Who-and by whom?"
 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-finally 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.
 "Yes, I know who did it, and I know who got killed It was 'Sissie' Larsen he was murdered. The man who did it was a fellow named Thornton rot.oIud xx,bn nupQd fha p,ipQ-if I