ful, accomplished, and
fascinating woman. That a man should deliberately plan to murder such a
wife, merely in order to obtain possession of wealth which was already
practically his, is incredible; and until some more reasonable motive is
discovered, many will refuse to believe even the evidence."

Anne, reading this sentence, felt faint. So far the mysterious testimony
to which vague allusion had been made in the beginning had not been
brought forward; the time had been occupied by the evidence concerning
the events at Timloesville, and the questioning and cross-questioning of
the Timloesville witnesses. A "more reasonable motive." The veiled shape
that accompanied her seemed to assume more definite outline, and to grow
from Dread into Fear. And yet she could not tell of what she was
afraid.

The days passed, and she wondered how it was that she could still eat,
and sleep, and speak as usual, while her whole being was away in that
little Pennsylvania town. She did speak and teach as usual, but she did
not eat or sleep. Something besides food sustained her. Was it hope? Or
fear? Oh, why did not all the world cry out that he was not, could not
be guilty! Were people all mad, and deaf, and blind? She lived on in a
suspense which was like a continual endurance of suffocation, which yet
never quite attains the relief of death.

Miss Teller's lawyers labored with skill and vigilance; all that
talent--nay, more, genius--could do, they did. Their theory was that the
murder was committed by a third person, who entered Mrs. Heathcote's
room by the same outside stairway which her husband had used, after his
departure; and they defied the prosecution to prove that they were
wrong. In answer to this theory the prosecution presented certain facts,
namely: that Heathcote was seen entering by the outside stairway, and
that no one else was seen; that the impressions found there were those
of a left hand, and that Heathcote was at the time left-handed; that a
towel, marked with the name of the hotel and stained with blood, was
found on the river-bank at the end of a direct trail from the garden,
and that the chamber-maid testified that, whereas she had placed four
towels in the room a few hours before, there were in the morning but two
remaining, and that no others were missing from the whole number owned
by the hotel.

At this stage of the proceedings, Anne, sitting in her own room as usual
now in the evening, with one newspaper in