of some bushes. Now these are the
only bushes there are," and he rapidly indicated on the board the
rows of currant bushes, the asparagus, the sunflowers, and the
lilacs which lined the garden on its right-hand corner. "That's a
good way from the path."

"Ah'll be there, me!" cried Pete, in indignant alarm. "No, seh!
M'sieu' Edwards say dat? Respect_a_ble mans lak M'sieu' Edwards! It
was shame for lie so. No, seh! Ah go home t'rough de horchard. Mebbe
Ah'll go leetly ways off de path of it,--mebbe for peek up apple
off'n de groun' what no one ain't want for rot of it,--Ah'll don't
remembler. But I ain't go for hide in de bush! Ah'll be honest mans,
me. Ah'll go for walk where all mans can see, ain't it? What Ah'll
go hide for, me?"

Paige drew a square on Mr. Peaslee's side of the fence, directly
opposite the bushes.

"That," said he, "is Mr. Peaslee's hen-house," and he brushed the
chalk from his fingers with an air of indifference.

"So-o?" cried Pete, with an air of pleased surprise. "M'sieu'
Peaslee he'll got hen-rouse? First tam Ah'll was heard of it, me.
Fine t'ing for have hen-rouse, fine t'ing for M'sieu' Peaslee. Ah'll
t'ink heem for be lucky, M'sieu' Peaslee. But Ah'll ain't know it.
Ah'll ain't see nossin' of it, no, seh!" and Pete smiled innocently
round at the enigmatic faces of the jurymen.

"Mr. Lamoury," said Paige, with a very casual air, "behind those
bushes is a broken board."

"So-o?" said Pete.

"Any one who was there had an excellent chance to study the
fastenings of Mr. Peaslee's hen-house door."

"_Mais_, Ah'll was tol' you Ah'll not be dere, me!" cried Pete,
alarmed and excited.

"That," said Mr. Paige, calmly, "is the only place where you could
be and get shot from the boy's window. Either you were there or you
weren't shot. Besides, Mr. Edwards found your foot-prints."

Pete shrunk his head into his shoulders and glared questioningly at
the state's attorney. The examination was not going to his liking.

"What Ah'll care for dat?" he said at last.

"Oh, nothing," said Paige, "nothing at all. Let us talk of something
else. Let me ask why Mr. Edwards discharged you from his employ last
spring?"

"Nossing! Nossing! Ah'll be work for heem more good as never was."

"If he treated you as unjustly as that," said Paige, with sympathy,
"you cannot have a very high opinion of Mr. Edwards."

"Ah'll tol' you he was bad mans. He'll discharge me more as seexty
mile off. Ah'll have for wa