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Holladay
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(C')XTIM i:j.)
1 leaned my head hack apilust the
wnll with n little hIkIi of relief. What
n fool 1 hud been! Of course wo tdtotihl
Hud It. Mr. Noyce hud spoken the
words; Iho district attorney hud point
ed out the wny. Wo had only to prove
tin alibi, and the next witness would
lo It. Her coachman had only to tell
where ho had driven her, at what place
she had stopped, and the whole ques
tion would be settled. At the hour the
crime waB committed she had doubt
less been miles away from Wall street,
so the question would be settled set
tled, too, without the necessity of Miss
Holladay undergoing the unpleasant
ordeal of cross examination.
"It is a most extrnor-rdlnary affair,"
said a voice nt my elbow, nud I turned
with a start to see that the chair Just
behind me had been taken by n man
who was also reading an account of
the crime. He laid the paper down
itnd caught my eye. "A most extraor
dinary affair!" he repeated, appealing
to me.
1 nodded, merely glueing at him, too
preoccupied to notice him closely. I
got an impression of a florid face, of a
stout, well dressed body, of uu ulr un
mistakably French.
"You will pardon me, sir," he add
ed, leaning n little forward. "As a
stranger in tills country, I am much
luter-rested In your processes of law.
This morning 1 was present at the trial.
I per-rcelved you there. It seemed to
me that the young lady was In what
yon call a tight place."
He spoke English very well, with an
accent of the slightest. I glanced at
him again and saw that bis eyes were
very, bright and that they were fixed
upon me intently.
"It does seem so," I admitted, loath
to talk, yet not wishing to be dis
courteous. "The ver' thing I said to myself!"
he continued eagerly. "The what you
call coe-eucldence of the dress now."
I did not answer. I was in no hu
mor to discuss the case.
"You will pardon me," he repeated
persuasively, still leaning forward,
""hut concer-rnlng one point I should
like much to know. If she is thought
.guilty what will occur?"
"She will be bound over to the grand
Jury," I explained.
"That is, she will be placed In
prison?"
"Of course."
"Hut, as I understand your luw, she
may be released by bondsmen."
"Not in a capital case," I said; "not
iu a case of tills kind, where the- pen
Ally may be death."
"Ah, I see," and lie nodded slowly.
"She would then not be again released
until after she shall have been proved
Innocent. How great a time would
that occupy?"
"1 can't say Bix mouths a year, per
haps." "Ah, I see," he said again, and
drained a glass of absinth he had been
toying with. "Thank you, ver' much,
lr."
Ho arose and went slowly out, and
I noted the strength of his llgure, the
whorl neck
The waiter came with bread and but
ter, and 1 realized suddenly that It
was long past the half hour. Indeed,
ji glance nt my watch showed me that
nearly an hour had gone. I waited
lll'teen minutes longer, ate what I
could, and, taking a box lunch under
my arm, hurried back to the coroner's
ntllce. As I entered It I saw a bowed
figure sitting at the table, and my heart
fell as I recognized our junior. His
whole attitude expressed a despair nb
Bolute, past redemption.
"I've brought your lunch, Mr.
Noyce," I said, with what lightness I
niitld muster. "The proceedings will
commence In half an hour. You'd bet
ter eat something," and I opened the
box.
He looked nt it for a moment, and
then began mechanically to eat.
"You look regularly done up," I ven
tured. "Wouldn't I better get you a
glass of brandy? Thnt'll tone you up."
"All right," lie assented listlessly,
nud I hurried away on the errand.
The brandy brought a little color
buck to Ills cheeks, and he began to
eat with more Interest.
"Must I order lunch for Miss Holla
Any?" I questioned. I
"No," he said. "She said she dldn'l
wish nny."
He relapsed again Into silence. Plain
ly he had received some new blow dur
ing my absence.
"After all," I began, ".rou know
wo'vo only to prove an alibi to knock
to pieces this whole house of cards." I
"Yes, that's ull," he agreed. "But sup
pose wo can't do It, Lester?" i
"Can't do It?" I faltered. "Do you
A Mystery
Of Two
Continents
By
BURTON E.
STEVENSON
Copyright, 1903, by
Henry Holt anil
Company
f
mean"
"I mean that Miss Holladay posi
tively refuses to say where she spent
yesterday afternoon."
"Does she understand the the ne
cessity?" I asked.
"I pointed It out to her as clearly a
I could. I'm all at sea, Lester."
Well, if even he were beginning to
doubt, matters were Indeed serious!
"It's Incomprehensible!" I sighed,
after a moment's confused thought.
"It's"
"Yes past believing."
"But the coachman"
"The coachman's evidence, I fear,
won't help us much rather the re
verse." I actually gasped for breath. I felt
like n drowning man from whoso grasp
the snving rope had suddenly, unac
countably, been snatched.
"In that case" I began and stopped.
"Well, In that case?"
"We must tlnd some other wny out,"
I concluded lamely.
"Is there another way, Lester?" ha
demanded, wheeling round upon mu
fiercely. "Is there another way? If
there Is I wish you'd show it to me!"
"There must be!" I protested des
perately, striving to convince myself,
"There must be. Only, I fear, It will
take some little time to find."
"And meanwhile Miss Holladay will
be remanded! Think what that will
mean to her, Lester!"
I had thought. I was desperate as
he, but to find the flaw, the weak spot
in the chain, required, I felt, a better
brain than mine. I wns lost In a whirl
wind of perplexities.
"Well, we must do our best," he went
on more calmly after a moment. "I
haven't lost hope yet chance often di
rects these things. Besides, at worst I
think Miss Holladay will change Iter
mind. Whatever her secret, it were
better to reveal It than to. spend n
single hour in the Tombs. She simply
must change her mind! And thanks,
Lester, for your thoughtfulncss. You
have put new life Into me."
I cleared away the debris of tint
lunch, and a few moments later thu
lie arose and went nlowly out.
room began to fill again. At last the
coroner and district attorney came In
together, and the former rapped for or
der. "The inquest will continue," lie said,
"with the examination of John Brooks,
Miss Holladay's coachman."
I can give his evidence in few words.
His mistress had driven directly down
the avenue to Washington square.
There she had left the carriage, bid
ding hint wait for her, and had contin
ued southward into the squalid French
quarter. He had lost sight of her in a
moment and had driven slowly about
for more than two hours before she re
appeared. She had ordered him to
drive home as rapidly as lie could, and
he hud not stopped until he reached the
house. Her gown? Yes, ho bnd no
ticed that It was a dark red. He had
not seen her face, for it wns veiled.
No, he lmd never before driven her to
that locality.
Quaking at heart, I realized that only
one person could extricate Prances Hol
laday from the coll woven about her.
If she persisted In silence, there wns
no hope for her. But that she should
still refuse to speak was Inconceivable
unless
"That Is all " snld the coroner. "Will
you cross examine the witness, Mr.
Iloyce?"
My chief shook his head Bllently,
and Brooks left the atand.
Again (he coroner and Singleton
whispered together.
"We will recall Miss Holladay's
maid," said the former at last.
She was on the stand again In a mo
ment, calmer than she hud been, but
deadly pale.
"Are your mistress' handkerchiefs
marked In any way':" Uoldberg asked
as she turuNl to him.
"Some of them are, yes, sir, with
her Initials, In the form of a mono
gram. Most of them are plain." j
"Do you recognize this one?" and ho
handed her the ghastly piece of evi
dence. I held my breath while the woman
looked It over, turning it with trem
bling lingers.
"No, sir!" she replied emphatically
lis she returned it to him.
"Does your mistress possess my
handkerchiefs that resemble this one?"
"Oh, yes, sir. It's an ordinary cam
brie handkerchief of good quality, such
as most ladles use."
I breathed a long sigh of relief. Hero
nt least fortune favored us.
"Thut Is all. Have you any ques
tions, Mr. Boyce?"
Again our junior shook his bend.
"That concludes our case," added tlio
coroner. "Have you any witnesses to
Bimimou, sir?"
"What witnesses could wo have?
Only onoi and I fancied that the Jury
men wcro looking nt us expectantly.
If our client were indeed Innocent,
why should wo hesitate to put her on
the stand, to give her opportunity to
defend herself, to enable her to shatter,
In a few words, this chain of circum
stance so firmly forged about her? If
she were Innocent, would she not natu
rally wish to speak In her own lie
half? Did not her very unwillingness
to speak argue
"Ask for a recess," I whispered. "(o
to Miss Holladay and tell her that un
less she speaks"
But before Mr. Boyco could nnswer
a policeman pushed his way forward
from the rear of the room mid handed
a note to the coroner.
"A messenger brought this a moment
ago, sir," ho explained.
The coroner glanced at the super
scription and handed it to my chief.
"It's for you, Mr. Boyce," lie said.
I saw that the address read:
For Mr. Boyco,
Attorney for tlio Defense.
He tore it open nnd ran his eyes
rapidly over the Inclosure. He read
it through n second time, then held
out the paper to mo with an expression
of the blankest amazement. The note
read :
The man Rogers Isi lying. Tho woman
who was with Holliulny wore a, kowh of
dark green.
CIIAI'THK IV.
I STAKED at the lines In dumb be
wilderment. "The man Rogers
is lying." But what conceivable
motive could ho have for lying?
Besides, as I looked at him on the
stand, I would have sworn that he was
telling the truth, nnd very much
against his will. I had always prided
myself upon my Judgment of human
nature. Had I erred so egreglously In
tills Instance? "The woman who wns
with Holladay woro n gown of dark
green." Who was tho writer of the
note? How did he know the color of
her gown? There was only one pos
sible way lie could know lie knew
the woman. Plainly, too, lie must
have been present at the morning h ear
lug. But, if lie knew so much, why
did he not himself come forward? To
this, too, there was but one answer
ho must be an accomplice. But then,
ngaln, If he wore an accomplice, why
should he Imperil himself by writing
this note, for It could very probably
bo traced? I found myself deeper In
tho mire, farther from tho light, nt
every step.
"Do you wish to summon any wit
nesses, Mr, Boyce?" asked tho coroner
again. "I shall be glad to ndjourn the
hearing until tomorrow if you do."
Mr. Boyce roused himself with an ef
fort. "Thnnk you, sir," ho said. "I may ask
you to do that later on. Just at present
I wish to recall Mr. Rogers."
"Very well," said the coroner. And
Bogers was summoned from the wit
ness room.
I looked at him attentively, trying to
fathom his thoughts, to read behind his
eyes; but, look as I might, I could see
nothing iu his face save concern and
grief. He had grown gray in Holladay's
offlce, he hud proved himself u hundred
times n rann to bo rolled on, he had
every reason to feel nffeotlon and grat
itude toward Ills employer, and I was
certain that he felt both. He received
n liberal salnry, I knew, and was com
fortably well to do.
That ho himself could have commit
ted the crime or been concerned In it
in nny way was absolutely unthinka
ble. Yot why should he He? Above
all, why should ho seek to Impllcato
his employer's daughter? Even if he
wished to implicate her, how could ho
hnvo known tho color of her gown?
What dark, intricate problem was this
that confronted us?
In tho moment that followed I saw
that Mr. Boyco was studying him, too;
was Htrainlng to find n ray of light for
guidance. If wo failed now
I read tho noto through again "a
gown of dark green." And suddenly,
by a kind of clairvoyance, tho solution
of the myBtery leaped forth from it I
leaned over to my chief, trembling with
eagerness.
"Mr. Boyce," I whispered hoarsely, I
"I believe I've solved the puzzle. Hoid
uogers on the stand a few moments
until I get back."
He looked up at me astonished, then
nodded as I seized my hut and pushed
my way through the crowd. Once out
side the building, I inn to the nearest
dry goods Iimimo -three blocks away It
was, and what fearfully long blocks
they seemed!- then back again to thei
courtroom. Rogers was still on the
stand, but u glance at Mr. Koyce told
me that he had elicited nothing new.
"You take him, Lester."' he said us I
sat down beside him. "I'm worn out."
Quivering with apprehension, I anno.
It was the first time 1 hud been given
the center of the stage Iu so Important
a case. Here was my opportunity!
Suppose my theory should break down,
after all!
"Mr. Rogers," I began, "you've been
having some trouble with your eyes,
haven't you?"
He looked at mo In surprise.
"Why, yes, a little." ho said. "Noth
Ing to nmouirt to anything. How did
you know?"
My confidence had come bnck again.
I wiib on the right track then!
"I did not know," I said, smiling for
the first time since I had entered tlio
room, "but I suspected. I have hero
n number of pieces of cloth of different
coiors. I should like you to pick oul
the one that most nearly approximates
the color of Uie gown your visitor wore
yesterday afternoon."
I handed him tlio huudlo of samples,
and as 1 did ho 1 saw thu district at
torney lean forward over ids desk with
attentive face. The witness looked
through tho samples slowly, while 1
watched him with feverish eagerness.
Mr. Koycc had caught an Inkling of
my meaning and wits watching him
too.
"There's nothing here," snld Rogera
at last, "which seems quite the shade,
but this Is very near It."
He held up ono of tlio pieces. With
leaping heart, I heard the gasp of as
tonishment which ran around the room.
The Jurymen were leaning forward in
their chairs.
"And what Is the color of that piece?"
I asked.
"Why, dark red. I'vo stated that al
ready." I glanced triumphantly nt the coro
ner. "Your honor," I said as calmly as I
could, "I thliiK we've found the flaw In
the chain. Mr. Rogers Is evidently col
or blind. As you see, the piece lie hint
selected is a dark green."
The whole audience seemed to draw
n deep breath and a little clatter of ap
plause ran around the room. I could
hear the scratch, scratch of the report
ers' pencils. Here was a situation aft
er their hearts' desire! Mr. Boyce had
me by the hand and was whispering
brokenly In my ear.
"My dear fellow, you're the best of
us all. I'll never forget it!"
But Bogers was staring In amaze
ment from me to the cloth In his hand
and back again.
"Green!" he stammered. "Color blind!
Why, that's nonsense! I've never sus
pected It!"
"That's probable enough," I assented.
"The falling is no doubt a recent one.
Most color blind persons don't know It
until their sight Is tested. Of course
we shall have an oculist examine you,
but I think this evidence Is pretty con
clusive." Coroner Goldberg nodded, and the
district attorney settled back In his
chair.
"We've no further questions to ask
this witness at present," I continued.
"Only I'd like you to preserve this
piece of cloth, sir," and I handed it to
Goldberg. He placed It with the other
exhibits on bis desk, and I sat down
agaln-beslde my chief. He had regain
ed all his old time energy and keen
ness. He seemed another man.
"I should Ilko to recall Miss Holla
day's maid, If you please," he said, and
the girl was summoned, while Rogers
stumbled dazedly off to tho witness
room.
"You're quite sure your mistress
wore a dark red gown yesterday after
noon?" lie asked when the girl was on
tho stand again.
"Oh, yes, sir; quite sure."
"It wns not dark green? Think
carefully now."
"I don't have to think!" she retorted
shnrply, with a toss of her head.
"Miss Holladay hasn't any dark green
gown, nor light one either. She never
wears green. Slio doesn't like It. It
doesn't suit her."
"That will do," said Mr. Boyce, and
the girl went back to the witness room
without understanding in the least the
moaning of the questions. "Now, let
us have the office boy again," he snld,
and that young worthy wns called
out.
"You say you didn't see tlio face of
that woman who left your office yes
terday afternoon?"
"No, sir."
"But you saw her gown?"
"Oil, yes, sir.
"And what color was it?"
"Dark green, sir."
"That will do," sold our Junior, and
sank bnck in his chair with a sigh of
relief. The solution had been under
our hands in tho morning, nnd we had
missed It. Well, wo had found it now.
"Oentlemen," lie added, his volco
n-rlng, his face alight, as he sprang
to his feet and faced the Jury, "I'm
ready for your verdict. I wish only
to point out that with this one point
tho whole case against my client falls
to the ground! It was preposterous
from the very first!"
lie sat down again and glanced nt
Uie coroner.
"Gentlemen of the Jury," began
Goldberg, "I have merely to remind
you thiu your verdict, whatever It
may be, will not finally affect tills
case. The police authorities will con
tinue their Investigation In order that
the guilty person may not escape. I
conceive thut It Is not within our prov
ince to probe this case further that
may be left to abler and more expe
rienced hands -nor do I think we
should Inculpate any one so long us
there Is a reasonable doubt of Ills guilt.
We await yoty verdict."
(To In- Con'inu (1 )
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