o
condition to go on.

"Anything further, Mr. Royce?" he asked.

"Not at present, sir," answered our junior hoarsely. I think he was
just beginning fully to realize how desperate our case was.

"We will dismiss the witness, then, temporarily," said the coroner.
"We shall probably recall her later on."

The maid was led back to the witness room on the verge of hysteria,
and Goldberg looked over the papers on his desk.

"We have one more witness," he said at last, "Miss Holladay's
coachman, and perhaps a little testimony in rebuttal. If you wish to
adjourn for lunch, Mr. Royce, I'm quite ready to do so."

"Thank you, sir," said my chief, welcoming any opportunity to pull
himself together and prepare a plan of defense. "I _do_ wish it."

"Very well, then; we'll adjourn till two o'clock," and he pushed back
his chair.

"May I have one word with you, sir?" asked Mr. Royce.

"Certainly."

"I should like to see Miss Holladay a few moments in private. We wish,
of course, to arrange our rebuttal."

The coroner looked at him for a moment with eyes in which just a tinge
of curiosity flickered.

"I'll be very glad to allow you to see her in private," he answered
readily. "I regret greatly that we couldn't find you last night, so
that you could have opportunity to prepare for this hearing. I feel
that, in a way, we haven't been quite fair to you, though I don't see
how delay could have altered matters, and, in a case of this kind,
prompt action is important. I had no intention of placing Miss
Holladay on the witness stand, so I thought it best to proceed at once
with the inquest. You must admit, sir, that, as the case stands,
there's only one course open to me."

"I fear so," assented the other sadly. "It's a most incomprehensible
case. The chain of evidence seems absolutely complete, and yet I'm
convinced--as every sane man must be--that there is in it some fatal
flaw, which, once discovered, will send the whole structure tottering.
It must be my business to find that flaw."

"Strange things happen in this world, Mr. Royce," observed Singleton
with a philosophy born of experience.

"The impossible never happens, sir!" retorted our junior. "I hope to
show you that this belongs in that category."

"Well, I hope you will," said the district attorney. "I'd be glad to
find that someone else is guilty."

"I'll do my best," and Mr. Royce turned to me. "Lester, you'd better
go and get some lunch. You look quite done