The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1927-01-28

0llC St0AS0tC GU HlOfiS q ~ OeNPS
and Went over.
staggered along a few steps and
went over"
Did you hear any sOunds-foOt-
steps? A person makes a noise on
this rocky ground"
Il didn't hear a thing" She
leaned toward Rawson with hag-
gard insistence. II couldn't hear
anything. / was stunned. Mr.. Bias
sett asked me that and you all
seem to think | ought to have
heard the person-the murderer
or tried to catch him. But l hadn't
any sense. l just stood there par
alyzed, not g%rasping what had
happened"
Mr.. Bassett says you went out
on the rocks and tried to catch the
body"
ooh, yes. Then l came back to
life. I ran down Into the hollow
and out on the rocks as far as 1
could go. And She was going by
on the current-her hair aud her
dress all whlrled about. Oh. God,
why was | the one TO e it
Stokes addressed her, his voice
low and urgent:
Flora, Just try to answer qui-
city"
She paid Nc attention to him, her
eyes riyeted on Rawson.
And then you came back to the
h%ouse?"
Yes, but | stood there watching
her for q few minutes. l don't
know how long, desperate, not
knowing what to do. And then 1
started to run back here and / fell
down. | suppose | was shaking so
and the rocks were slippery. l
think | fell twice. but ] don't know.
| seemed TO he half crazy"
You saw or heard nothing on
your way backf'
NO. no, | keep telling you" her
voice grew higher. II never saw
anybody. If anybody was there he
must have been hiding. They could
have heard mel was screaming"
She turned to the others. Wasn't
| screaming?"
Bassett confirmed her statement
and she went ON. her voice still
higher, the cords in her neck start
ing out:
"Of curse they heard me and
hid-got out Of the way. Some
stranger. We were all in the house,
everybody here was IN the house.
It couldn't have been any Of them"
Stokes half rose: "FIora-
please 7"
She turned violently on him:
why shouldn't | say it? I'm not
afraid. was the only person out
side and it couldn't lave been me-"
She faced round on Rawson. NO
body could think that. Ask them
these people. They'll tell YOU"
That's not at all necessary,
Mrs. Stokes" BaWson was mild
and suave. "Now if you'll try TO
be calm"
Calm. calm" she groaned and
bent almost double, dropping her
face into her hands. Stokes got up,
chalk-white in the lamplight:
"My wife's pretty well knocked
out, Mr.. Rawson."
"Quite understandable, Mr..
Stokes. We won't trouble her any
more just now. And if the rest of
you ladies and gentlemen will re-
frain from saying what you think
or offering suggestions Well get on
a good deal quicker"
They went Oh &c Stokes, who was
very clear and composed. He had
walked about-down the path TO
the pine wood and round that end
of The house. Il was absolutely !
still and he had heard nobody. He
not sure Of the direction of the
shot as he had been reading a pa
per at the time. Like the rest of
them he had had no suspicion of
anything serious or. of course, he
would have investigated.
Everybody else was in the house.
Bassett indicated their positions,
pointing them out as he explained
their whereabouts.
Miss Saunders movements fol-
She had spent the earlier
part of the evening sitting on the
cliffs with Miss Tracy. Miss Tracy
had left her some time after six,
Miss Saunders saying she would
follow but wanted 10 see the end
of the sunset. No one had seen
her come back but she had come
oack. for shortly before seven Mrs.
Cornell had noticed her leaving the
house.
Mrs. Cornell, invested with the
grisly excitement of the hour, was
eager 10 tell what she knew. She
had been standing at the window
Of her room. and she saw Sybu on
the path below passing the end OF
the balcony. Mrs Cornell was ur-
prised for it was not far from sup
per time and Sybil was still in her
Viola dress. She had not watched
her. but had gone back to lock her
trunk. Both she and Miss Pinkney
agreed chat The shot had followed
soon a~fter-about six or seven min
MES. they thought.