the
insane?"

"No--but nevertheless, there are a hundred persons in this court room
who will testify to the fact that she is mentally unbalanced and not a
fit person to fasten a crime upon any man's head by her testimony. And
referring even to yourself, Coroner, have you within the last
twenty-five years, in fact, since a short time after the birth of her
son, called her anything else but Crazy Laura? Has any one else in
this town called her any other name? Man, I appeal to your--"

"What you say may be true. It may not. I don't know. I only am sure
of one thing--that a person is sane in the eyes of the law until
adjudged otherwise. Therefore, her evidence at this time is perfectly
legal and proper."

"It won't be as soon as I can bring an action before a lunacy court and
cause her examination by a board of alienists."

"That's something for the future. In that case, things might be
different. But I can only follow the law, with the members of the jury
instructed, of course, to accept the evidence for what they deem it is
worth. You will proceed, Mrs. Rodaine. What did you see that caused
you to come to this conclusion?"

"Can't you even stick to the rules and ethics of testimony?" It was
the final plea of the defeated Farrell. The coroner eyed him slowly.

"Mr. Farrell," came his answer, "I must confess to a deviation from
regular court procedure in this inquiry. It is customary in an inquest
of this character; certain departures from the usual rules must be made
that the truth and the whole truth be learned. Proceed, Mrs. Rodaine,
what was it you saw?"

Transfixed, horrified, Fairchild watched the mumbling, munching mouth,
the staring eyes and straying white hair, the bony, crooked hands as
they weaved before her. From those toothless jaws a story was about to
come, true or untrue, a story that would stain the name of his father
with murder! And that story now was at its beginning.

"I saw them together that afternoon early," the old woman was saying.
"I came up the road just behind them, and they were fussing. Both of
'em acted like they were mad at each other, but Fairchild seemed to be
the maddest.

"I did n't pay much attention to them because I just thought they were
fighting about some little thing and that it wouldn't amount to much.
I went on up the gulch--I was gathering flowers. After awhile, the
earth shook and I heard a big explosion, from way down underneath
me--like thunder