his is Miss Stanton, I believe, Miss Belle Stanton?" and he smiled
encouragingly.

"Yes, Inspector," she answered.

"We will not detain you any longer than necessary, Miss Stanton, and you
must not be nervous," he continued, still with the same reassuring
manner, and she smiled sweetly at him in return.

I felt myself getting out of temper. What business had Dalton indulging
in gallantry and platitudes when engaged on an official investigation
that involved life and death? I fear my manner or expression must have
suggested my feelings, for he resumed his business-like tone and
conducted his examination from then on more tersely, though he could not
quite abandon a little gallantry of manner.

"I believe, Miss Stanton, that you reside with Mrs. Bunce?" The answer
was in the affirmative.

"And have you any knowledge of the finding of that ulster?"

"I understand from Mrs. Bunce that it was found in her hallway, though I
did not see it there till later in the morning, and I do not know how it
came there," was the answer.

"Did you ever see it before or have you any knowledge of its owner?"

"Yes," she said, "I have seen it a number of times when worn by Mr.
Arthur White."

"Then you knew Mr. White," Dalton asked.

"Yes, I have known him for about a year"; and the questions and answers
continued in rapid succession:

"Was he a particular friend of yours?"

"He was."

"Was he in the habit of visiting you and sometimes in the evening,
rather late, perhaps?"

"He was."

"As late as one o'clock?"

"Yes, sometimes, not often."

"Did Mr. White have a latch-key to the house?"

"He did."

"Had you seen him on the evening or night before the ulster was found?"

"I had not, nor for a couple of days."

"Have you any knowledge of Mr. White or of any one else having been at
your house late that night or any knowledge of how the ulster came
there?"

"I have not."

"It was through you, was it not, that its discovery was reported to the
police?"

"It was; I heard of Mr. White's death, and considered it my duty to have
so curious a coincidence reported."

"Thank you, Miss Stanton. I think that is all; we won't trouble you any
longer," Dalton concluded.

The witness smiled her thanks brightly to her interrogator as she left
the stand, but I thought she seemed troubled and somewhat sad too in
spite of her apparent indifference. As she rejoined her companion she
replaced her veil and, turning her back to th