eyes of all in the courtroom were fixed upon the girl.

"It is said that you had violent quarrels," pursued the coroner.

"No very violent quarrels. Sometimes we did not speak to each other
for days."

"Then you admit that you did quarrel?"

"I do."

"And you also quarreled with your father?"

"No, sir."

"What, not at all?" queried Coroner Busby, elevating his eyes in
surprise, either real or affected.

"We held different opinions upon certain questions, but we did not
quarrel."

"Hum!" The coroner mused for a moment.

"That is all for the present," he added, and Margaret moved back to
where she had been first sitting.

"I am glad that is over," whispered Raymond. "Can I do anything? Get
you some water?"

"No, nothing," she answered, and dropped a veil over her face.

The next witness called was Mary Billings, the domestic employed at the
Langmore mansion, and who had been about the place at the time of the
tragedy. She proved to be a round-faced Irish girl, not particularly
bright, and now all but terror-stricken. As soon as she was sworn in
she burst into tears.

"Sure as there is a heavin above me, Oi didn't do that murder, so Oi
didn't!" she moaned.

"Nobody said you did," answered the coroner dryly, while a general
smile went around the courtroom.

"Then why did yez bring me here, I dunno? Sure an' Mr. Langmore was
afther bein' me bist frind, an' Oi wouldn't harm him fer a million
dollars, so Oi wouldn't!" It was with difficulty that she was quieted
and made to tell what she knew.

"Where were you from ten o'clock to twelve of the morning of the
tragedy?" was the first question put to her.

"Oi was in the kitchen, an' down to the barn, yer honor."

"Were you in the kitchen first."

"Sure an' Oi was that."

"What were you doing?"

"Phat was Oi doin'? Sure Oi was washin' the dishes, cl'anin' the
silverware, peelin' the praties, shellin' the beans, cleanin' the
lamps, fixin' the--"

"Ahem! You mean you were doing the housework, eh?"

"Yis, sur."

"While you were in the house, did you leave the kitchen?"

"Only to go to the ciller fer a scuttle o' coal."

"Did you see or hear anything unusual going on while you were in the
kitchen?"

The Irish girl scratched her head and shrugged her shoulders.

"Oi heard a lot av things, yer honor."

"What were they?"

"Oi heard Mrs. Langmore walkin' around upstairs, an' Oi heard Miss
Margaret walkin' around, too. Then Oi heard