outer door opened?"

"Not over five minutes."

"And who was it entered?"

"Miss Frances Holladay--the daughter of my employer."

"You're quite sure? You know her well?"

"Very well. I've known her for many years. She often drove to the
office in the evening to take her father home. I supposed that was
what she came for yesterday."

"You looked at her attentively?"

Rogers hitched impatiently in his chair.

"I glanced at her, as I always do," he said. "I didn't stare."

"But you're quite sure it was Miss Holladay?"

"Absolutely sure, sir. Good God!" he cried, his nerves giving way for
an instant, "do you suppose I'd make an assertion like that if I
wasn't absolutely sure?"

"No," said the coroner soothingly; "no, I don't suppose any such
thing, not for a moment, Mr. Rogers; only I want the jury to see how
certain the identification is. Shall I proceed?"

"Go ahead, sir," said Rogers. "I'll try to hold myself together a
little better, sir."

"I can see what a strain this is for you," said the coroner kindly;
"and I'll spare you as much as I can. Now, after Miss Holladay entered
the inner office, how long did she remain there?"

"About ten minutes, I should say; not longer than that, certainly."

"Did you hear any sound of conversation, or any unusual noise of any
kind?"

"No, sir. It would have been a very unusual noise to be audible. Mr.
Holladay's office has heavy walls and a double door which completely
shut off all sounds from within."

"Miss Holladay then came out?"

"Yes, sir."

"And walked past you?"

"Yes, sir; walked past me rapidly."

"Did you not think that peculiar?"

"Why, sir, she didn't often stop to speak to me. I was busy and so
thought nothing particularly about it."

"Did you notice her face? Did she seem perturbed?"

"No, sir; I didn't notice. I just glanced up and bowed. In fact, I
didn't see her face at all, for she had lowered her veil."

"Her veil!" repeated the coroner. "You hadn't mentioned that she wore
a veil."

"No, sir; when she came into the office she had lifted it up over her
hat-brim--you know how women do."

"Yes--so you saw her face distinctly when she entered?"

"Yes, sir."

"But when she went out, she had lowered her veil. Was it a heavy one?"

"Why, sir," the witness hesitated, "just an ordinary veil, I should
say."

"But still heavy enough to conceal her face?"

"Oh, yes, sir."

The coroner nodded. "Now, Mr. Rogers, how long a time elap