one on and told Sybil's own explanation of her
appearance, but was stopped there by the State's Attorney, at whose
request the presiding Judge instructed him that such declarations on the
part of the accused, could not be received in evidence.

And so he was told to withdraw.

I will not weary my readers with any detailed account of this trial. A
slight sketch of the principal points will he sufficient for our
purpose.

There were some half dozen more witnesses who had been present at the
death of Rosa Blondelle, and who, being duly sworn, corroborated the
testimony of Captain Pendleton.

Then the Scotch nurse, Jennie McGruder, was called to the stand.

Her testimony bore very heavily upon the accused.

She told how, on the night of the murder, she had, according to her
custom, carefully searched both the bed chamber and the nursery that
constituted Mrs. Blondelle's apartments; that finding no intruder there,
she had securely fastened all the windows and all the doors of the two
rooms, with the exception of the door leading to the staircase
communicating with Mrs. Berners' apartments, which were immediately
above those of Mrs. Blondelle. This door was always left unfastened, as
it was thought perfectly safe to leave it so.

She told how, while she was with the child in the nursery that same
night, she was startled by hearing piercing screams from the adjoining
bedroom; that she had rushed there in time to see the deceased Rosa
Blondelle running wildly from the room, followed by the prisoner, Sybil
Berners, who had a dagger in her hand.

She also corroborated the testimony of the other witnesses as to the
fatal words of the dying woman charging the prisoner with her death.

After this witness came a number of others who testified to the
ill-feeling which existed between the prisoner and the deceased.

These witnesses were all in turn severely cross-examined by the counsel
for the defence, but, as the State's Attorney had said, their testimony
was so clear and simple that it was impossible to involve them in any
self-contradiction.

The State's Attorney had also been very careful to call the attention of
the jury to each condemning point of the fatal evidence against the
accused.

And here the examination of witnesses on the part of prosecution closed,
and the court adjourned.

Sybil was conducted into the sheriff's room, where refreshments were
provided by that kind-hearted officer for herself and her fri