d more hopeful than I had yet seen her. And
when, a few moments later, she turned to bid me good-by in front of her
friend's house, it was with almost a cheerful air she put out her hand
and entreated me to call on her the next day, and inform her how the
inquest progressed.

I shall not attempt to disguise from you the fact that I spent all
that long evening in going over the testimony given at the inquest,
endeavoring to reconcile what I had heard with any other theory than
that of Eleanore's guilt. Taking a piece of paper, I jotted down the
leading causes of suspicion as follows:

1. Her late disagreement with her uncle, and evident estrangement from
him, as testified to by Mr. Harwell.

2. The mysterious disappearance of one of the servants of the house.

3. The forcible accusation made by her cousin,--overheard, however, only
by Mr. Gryce and myself.

4. Her equivocation in regard to the handkerchief found stained with
pistol smut on the scene of the tragedy.

5. Her refusal to speak in regard to the paper which she was supposed to
have taken from Mr. Leavenworth's table immediately upon the removal of
the body.

6. The finding of the library key in her possession.

"A dark record," I involuntarily decided, as I looked it over; but
even in doing so began jotting down on the other side of the sheet the
following explanatory notes:

1. Disagreements and even estrangements between relatives are common.
Cases where such disagreements and estrangements have led to crime,
rare.

2. The disappearance of Hannah points no more certainly in one direction
than another.

3. If Mary's private accusation of her cousin was forcible and
convincing, her public declaration that she neither knew nor suspected
who might be the author of this crime, was equally so. To be sure, the
former possessed the advantage of being uttered spontaneously; but it
was likewise true that it was spoken under momentary excitement, without
foresight of the consequences, and possibly without due consideration of
the facts.

4. 5. An innocent man or woman, under the influence of terror, will
often equivocate in regard to matters that seem to criminate them.

But the key! What could I say to that? Nothing. With that key in her
possession, and unexplained, Eleanore Leavenworth stood in an attitude
of suspicion which even I felt forced to recognize. Brought to this
point, I thrust the paper into my pocket, and took up the evening
_Express_.