chile. Pretty soon they turned us all out and hilt the
inquess."

"You do not recollect any other circumstance?"

"The lamp on the table was burnin'--and ther' wan't much oil left in
it. I seen Miss Angerline blow it out, after the Doctor come."

"Who found the chloroform vial?"

"Don't know."

"Did you hear any name mentioned as that of the murderer?"

"Miss Angerline tole the Crowner, that ef the will was missin', Gen'l
Darrington's granddaughter had stole it. They two, with some other
gentleman, sarched the vault, and Miss Angerline said everything was
higgledy piggledy and no will there."

"You testified before the Coroner?"

"Yes, sir."

"Why did you not give him the handkerchief you found?"

"I didn't have it then."

"When and where did you get it? Be very careful now."

For the first time Bedney raised his eyes toward the place where Dyce
sat near the prisoner, and he hesitated. He took some tobacco from his
vest pocket, stowed it away in the hollow of his cheek, and re-crossed
his arms.

"When Marster was dressed, and they carried him out to the
drawing-room, Dyce was standin' cryin' by the fireplace, and I went to
the bed, and put my hand under the bolster, where Marster always kep'
his watch and his pistol. The watch was ther' but no pistol; and just
sorter stuffed under the pillow case--was, a hank'cher. I tuk the watch
straight to the gentlemen in the drawin'-room, and they come back and
sarched for the pistol, and we foun' it layin' in its case in the table
draw'. Of all the nights in his life, ole Marster had forgot to lay his
pistol handy."

"Never mind about the pistol. What became of the handkerchief?"

"When I picked it up, an injun-rubber stopper rolled out, and as ther'
wan't no value in a hank'cher, I saw no harm in keepin' it--for a'mento
of ole Marster's death."

"You knew it was a lady's handkerchief."

"No, sir! I didn't know it then; and what's more, I don't know it now."

"Is not this the identical handkerchief you found?"

"Cant say. 'Dentical is a ticklish trap for a pusson on oath. It do
look like it, to be shore; but two seed in a okrey pod is ezactly
alike, and one is one, and t'other is t'other."

"Look at it. To the best of your knowledge and belief it is the
identical handkerchief you found on Gen'l Darrington's pillow?"

"What I found had red specks sewed in the border, and this seems jest
like it; but I don't sware to no dentical--'cause I means to be
kere