Mr. Stryker.

"That I can not tell," said Bartlett firmly. "But it had nothing to do
with the matter in hand."

There was a rustle of expectancy on hearing this, and the prosecutor
quickly asked:

"What do you mean by 'the matter in hand'?"

"Well, his death."

"Naturally you didn't talk about his death, for it hadn't taken place,"
said Mr. Stryker. "Nor could it have been foreseen, I imagine. But what
did you talk about?"

"I decline to answer."

There was a gasp that swept over the courtroom, and Billy Teller banged
the gavel as he had seen real judges do.

"You decline to answer," repeated the prosecutor. "Is it on the ground
that it might incriminate you?"

"No."

"Then I must insist on an answer. However, I will not do so now, but at
the proper time. I will now ask you one other question, and I think
you will answer that. Did you resume friendly relations with Mr. Carwell
after your quarrel with him that day?" and Mr. Stryker fairly hurled the
question at Harry Bartlett.

If this was a trap it was a most skillfully set one. For there must be
an answer, and either no or yes would involve explanations.

"Answer me!" exclaimed the prosecutor. "Did you make up after the
quarrel?"

There was a tense silence as Bartlett, whose face showed pale under his
tan, said:

"I did not."

"Then you admit that you had a quarrel with Mr. Carwell?"

"Yes, but--"

Just at this moment Viola Carwell fainted in the arms of her aunt, the
resultant commotion being such that an adjournment was taken while she
was carried to an anteroom, where Dr. Lambert attended her.

"We will resume where we left off," said the prosecutor, when Bartlett
again took the stand, and it might have been noticed that during the
temporary recess one of the regular court constables from the county
building at Loch Harbor remained close at his side. "Will you now state
the nature of your quarrel with Mr. Carwell?" asked Mr. Stryker.

"I do not feel that I can."

"Very well," was the calm rejoinder. "Then, your honor," and again Billy
Teller seemed to swell with importance at the title, "I ask that this
witness be held without bail to await a further session of this court,
and I ask for an adjournment to summon other witnesses."

"Granted," replied Teller, who had been coached what to answer.

"Held!" exclaimed Bartlett, as he rose to his feet in indignation. "You
are going to hold me! On what grounds?"

"On suspicion," answered the p