ng the match box, but then someone had called her
away and she could not remember what she had done with it. She thought
she must have returned it because she always did return things, but she
was not at all sure. Very possibly she had kept it, and dropped it
herself on her way out of the cave.

It was evident that she did not wish to say anything which would
incriminate Radnor; and she was really too perturbed to remember what
she had done. Several other people were questioned, but no further light
could be thrown on the subject of the match box; and so it remained in
the end, as it had been in the beginning, merely a very nasty piece of
circumstantial evidence.

This ended the hearing for the day, and the inquest was postponed until
ten o'clock the following morning. So far, no word had been dropped
touching the ha'nt, but I was filled with apprehension as to what the
next day would bring forth. I knew that if the subject came up, it would
end once for all Radnor's chances of escaping trial before the grand
jury. And that would mean, at the best, two months more of prison. What
it would mean at the worst I did not like to consider.

CHAPTER XIV

THE JURY'S VERDICT

My first glance about the room the next morning, showed me only too
plainly what direction the inquiry was going to take. In the farther
corner half hidden by Mattison's broad back sat Clancy, the Washington
detective. I recognized him with an angry feeling of discouragement. If
we were to have his version of the stolen bonds, Radnor's last hope of
gaining public sympathy was gone.

Radnor was the first person to be called to the stand. He had not
noticed the detective, and I did not have a chance to inform him of his
presence. The coroner plunged immediately into the question of the
robbery and the ha'nt, and it was only too evident from Radnor's
troubled eyes that it was a subject he did not wish to talk about.

"You have recently had a robbery at your house, Mr. Gaylord?"

"Yes."

"Please describe just what was stolen."

"Five bonds--Government four per cents--a bag of coin--about twenty
dollars in all--and two deeds and an insurance policy."

"You have not been able to trace the thief?"

"No."

"In spite of every effort?"

"Well, we naturally looked into the matter."

"But you have been able to form no theory as to how the bonds were
stolen?"

"No, I have no theory whatever."

"You employed a detective I believe?"

"Yes.