coveries I was making behind the high rack which
shuts off one end of the room, that any appeal to me at that time must
have passed unnoticed. I had come to Professor Darling's house,
according to my usual custom on Tuesday mornings, to study astronomy
with his daughter Helen. I had come reluctantly, for my mind was full of
the secret intention I had formed of visiting Mrs. Clemmens in the
afternoon, and I had no heart for study. But finding Miss Darling out, I
felt a drawing toward the seclusion I knew I should find in the
observatory, and mounting to it, I sat down by myself to think. The rest
and quiet of the place were soothing to me, and I sat still a long time,
but suddenly becoming impressed with the idea that it was growing late,
I went to the window to consult the town-clock. But though its face
could be plainly seen from the observatory, its hands could not, and I
was about to withdraw from the window when I remembered the telescope,
which Miss Darling and I had, in a moment of caprice a few days before,
so arranged as to command a view of the town. Going to it, I peered
through it at the clock." Stopping, she surveyed the District Attorney
with breathless suspense. "It was just five minutes to twelve," she
impressively whispered.

Mr. Ferris felt a shock.

"A critical moment!" he exclaimed. Then, with a certain intuition of
what she was going to say next, inquired: "And what then, Miss Dare?"

"I was struck by a desire to see if I could detect Mrs. Clemmens' house
from where I was, and shifting the telescope slightly, I looked through
it again, and----"

"What did you see, Miss Dare?"

"I saw her dining-room door standing ajar and a man leaping headlong
over the fence toward the bog."

The District Attorney started, looked at her with growing interest, and
inquired:

"Did you recognize this man, Miss Dare?"

She nodded in great agitation.

"Who was he?"

"Craik Mansell."

"Miss Dare," ventured Mr. Ferris, after a moment, "you say this was five
minutes to twelve?"

"Yes, sir," was the faint reply.

"Five minutes later than the time designated by the defence as a period
manifestly too late for the prisoner to have left Mrs. Clemmens' house
and arrived at the Quarry Station at twenty minutes past one?"

"Yes," she repeated, below her breath.

The District Attorney surveyed her earnestly, perceiving she had not
only spoken the truth, but realized all which that truth implied, and
drew back a