ime. At his words
everybody moved impatiently. It was certain he was referring to the
absent wife. The idea of Louise committing such a crime, or being able
to commit it, was ridiculous. The Coroner presently stated that he
had only asked the question so as to remove this possibility from
consideration.

The Young Doctor immediately said that probably no woman in the
hemisphere could have committed the crime, which needed enormous
strength of hands.

The Coroner looked round the room. "The widow, Mrs. Mazarine, is not
here?" he said questioningly.

Nolan Doyle interposed. "Mrs. Mazarine is at my ranch. She came there
yesterday evening at eight o'clock and remained with my wife and myself
until twelve o'clock. The murder was committed before twelve o'clock.
Mrs. Mazarine does not even know that her husband is dead. She is not
well to-day, and we have kept the knowledge from her."

"Is she under medical care?" asked the Coroner. Nolan Doyle nodded
towards the Young Doctor, who said: "I saw Mrs. Mazarine at the house
of Mr. Doyle last evening between the hours of eight and ten o'clock.
To-day at noon also I visited her. She has a slight illness, and is not
fit to take part in these proceedings."

At this point, Scarsdale, who had come upon Orlando and the dead man
at the Cross Trails the night before, told his story. He did it with
evident reluctance.

He spoke with hesitation, yet firmly and straightforwardly. He described
how he saw Orlando climb down from the wagon where the dead man was. He
added, however, that he had seen no struggle of any kind, though he
had seen Orlando close to the corpse. Questioned by the Coroner, he
described the scenes between Orlando and Mazarine in the main street
of Askatoon and at the railway-station, both of which he had seen. He
repeated Orlando's threat to Mazarine.

He was pressed as to whether Orlando showed agitation at the Cross
Trails. He replied that Orlando seemed stunned but not agitated.

He was asked whether Orlando had shown the greater agitation at the
Cross Trails or in the town when he threatened Mazarine. The answer was
that he showed agitation only in the town. He was asked to repeat what
Orlando had said to him. This he did accurately.

He was then asked by counsel whether he had arrived at any conclusion,
when at the Cross Trails or afterwards, as to who committed the crime;
but the Coroner would not permit the question. The Coroner added that
it was only t