her's room in great haste and go down-stairs, and a little
later, from one of the upper windows, saw him riding away from
the stables in the direction of the south gate.

But one servant remained, "Uncle Mose," as he was familiarly called,
the old colored man having charge of the grounds at Fair Oaks. His
snow-white hair and bent form gave him a venerable appearance; but
he was still active, and the shrewd old face showed both humor and
pathos as he proceeded with his story. He had been a slave in his
younger days, and still designated his late employer by the old term
"mars'r." He was a well-known character to many present, including
Dr. Westlake, who knew that in this instance questions would have
to be abandoned and the witness allowed to tell his story in his
own way.

"Well, Uncle Mose, you have been employed at Fair Oaks for a long
time, haven't you?"

"Moah dan twenty yeahs, sah, I'se had charge ob dese y'er grounds;
an' mars'r Mainwaring, he t'ought nobody but ole Mose cud take cyah
ob 'em, sah."

"You were about the grounds as usual Wednesday, were you not?"

"I was 'bout de grounds all day, sah, 'case dere was a pow'ful lot
to do a-gittin' ready for de big doins dere was goin' to be on
mars'r's birfday."

"Did you see either of the strangers who called that day?"

"I'se a-comm' to dat d'rectly, sah. You see, sah, I wants to say
right heah, befo' I goes any furder, dat I don' know noffin 'cept
what tuk place under my own obserbation. I don' feel called upon
to 'spress no 'pinions 'bout nobody. I jes' wants to state a few
recurrences dat I noted at de time, speshally 'bout dem strangers
as was heah in pertickeler. Well, sah, de fust man, he come heah
in de mawnin'. De Inglish gentlemens, dey had been a-walkin' in
de grounds and jes' done gone roun' de corner oh de house to go
to mars'r Mainwaring's liberry, when dis man he comes up de av'nue
in a kerridge, an' de fust ting I heah 'im a-cussin' de driver.
Den he gets out and looks roun' kind o' quick, jes' like de possum
in de kohn, as ef he was 'fraid somebody done see 'im. I was fixin'
de roses on de front poach, an' I looked at 'im pow'ful sharp, an'
when de dooh opened he jumped in quick, as ef he was glad to get
out o' sight. Well, sah, I didn't like de 'pearance ob dat man,
an' I jes' t'ought I'd get anoder look at 'im, but he stayed a
mighty long time, sah, an' bime'by I had to go to de tool-house,
an' when I gets back the kerridge was