w it--a blotch of
red--lying on the floor beside my father's chair! How did it get
there, Mr. Lester? Had he been there? Did he follow us?" She stopped
again, as she saw the look in Goldberger's eyes, and then the look in
mine. With a long, indrawn breath of horror, she cowered back into the
chair, shaking from head to foot. "Oh, what have I done!" she moaned.
"What have I done?"

There could be no question as to what she had done, I told myself,
bitterly: she had added another link to the chain of evidence about
her lover. I could see the same thought in the sardonic gaze which
Goldberger turned upon me; but before either of us could say a word,
the doctor, with a peremptory gesture, had driven us from the room.

CHAPTER XVII

THE VERDICT

Goldberger paused at the stair-head and looked at me, an ironical
light in his eyes. I knew he suspected that Miss Vaughan's story of
the handkerchief was no great surprise to me.

"Well," he asked, "will you wish to put her on the stand?"

I shook my head and started down the stairs, for I was far from
desiring an argument just then, but he stopped me with a hand upon the
sleeve.

"You realise, Mr. Lester," he said, more seriously, "that it is
plainly my duty to cause Swain's arrest?"

"Yes," I assented. "I realise that. Under the circumstances, you can
do nothing else."

He nodded, and we went downstairs together. I saw Swain's eager eyes
upon us as we came out upon the lawn, and his lips were at my ear the
instant I had taken my seat.

"Well?" he whispered.

"She cannot help you," I said. I did not think it necessary to say how
deeply she would hurt him when her testimony was called for in open
court, as, of course, it would be.

"And you won't put her on the stand?"

"No," I answered, and he sank back with a sigh of relief. Then
something in my face seemed to catch his eye, for he leaned forward
again. "You don't mean that she believes I did it!" he demanded
hoarsely.

"Oh, no," I hastened to assure him; "she says such an accusation is
absurd; she was greatly overcome when she learned that you were even
suspected; she said...."

But the coroner rapped for order.

"Have you any other evidence to introduce, Mr. Lester?" he asked.

"No, Your Honour," I answered, and I saw the cloud of disappointment
which fell upon the faces of reporters and photographers. To have been
able to feature Miss Vaughan would have meant an extra column. I could
also see, f