Miss Langmore's monogram in the
corner. I went on hunting around the house and I found the other half
of the handkerchief in a dark corner of the upper hallway, not far from
where Mrs. Langmore's body was found."

At this announcement there was a buzz of excitement. All present
looked at the witness and then at Margaret. The girl had thrown aside
her veil once more, and was standing up, with a face as pale as death
itself.

"I--I--may I speak?" she faltered.

"Yes."

"I bought that chloroform a month ago and used it to put a sick canary
and a sick parrot out of their misery. Mary Billings saw me chloroform
the parrot."

"When did you do the chloroforming?"

"About a week ago, on the parrot. The canary I chloroformed when I
obtained the drug."

"Sure, and that's roight, sur," broke in the servant girl.

"Then you know all about using chloroform?" remarked the coroner dryly.

"The druggist told me."

"Did it take all you had for the birds?"

"No."

"What did you do with what remained?"

"I threw it away, for I had no further use for it."

"Hum." The coroner turned to Mary Billings. "Did you see her throw
the chloroform away?"

"N--no," stammered the servant girl. "But if she says she did, she
did," she added stoutly.

"Now, Mrs. Morse, did you find anything else of value?"

"I did not, but Mrs. Gaspard, who was in charge downstairs, did."

"Very well, you may step down. Mrs. Gaspard!" And the other woman
came forward to face the coroner and his jury, and was sworn.

"Mrs. Morse says you found something of importance. What was it?"

"It was this, Mr. Busby," and the woman held out a sheet of note paper.
"I came across it on the stairs leading to Miss Langmore's room. Shall
I read it?" And as the coroner nodded, the woman read as follows:

"Since you refuse to open your room door to me, let me give you fair
warning. You must either obey your mother that now is, and me, or
leave this house. I have had enough of your willfulness and I shall
not put up with it any longer."

As the woman finished reading she handed the paper to the coroner.

"Ahem! Mrs. Gaspard, do you know who wrote this note?" asked the
latter.

"The handwriting is exactly like Mr. Langmore's. I have compared the
two, and so have Mrs. Morse and Mr. Pickerell, the schoolmaster."

Again all eyes were bent upon Margaret. She had again arisen and was
swaying from side to side.

"My father--never--never sent