ver his inward emotions, he outwardly showed no
signs of discomfiture. "This seems to be a day of strange tales," he
said to the coroner, "and the last we have heard is stranger than the
first. Of course, it is quite absurd on the face of it. The
suggestion that I would be a party to robbing Mr. Harris of twenty
thousand dollars, and so balk a transaction in which I stood to make
a profit of more than twice that amount, is too ridiculous for
discussion. I didn't say so before, because it didn't seem to bear on
the case, but I have at home a telegram which I received a few days
ago from the New York investors, offering me a personal commission of
twenty per cent, on the transaction if I was able to get this
property for them at the price they had offered. So, from a purely
selfish point of view, you see where my interests lay. But there are
other reasons for this fine tale which you have just heard. To spare
the feelings of some present, I intended to say nothing of them, but
if I must tell what I know, why, I must tell what I know. This man
Travers was a farm hand working for Harris on his farm back in
Manitoba. Harris is--or was--well-to-do, and Travers accordingly
mustered up an attachment for his daughter. This the young lady, it
seems, was foolish enough to return. They--"

"That'll do, Gardiner," interrupted Travers, in a quiet, vibrant
voice. "You are getting away from the subject."

"On the contrary, I'm getting close to the subject--a little too
close for your comfort, it seems."

"I am not investigating any family closets," said the coroner. "You
will have to show the connection between these matters and the
inquiry we are making."

"I will do that in a moment, sir," Gardiner returned. "But I cannot
show the connection until I have shown the events that are connected.
Travers had trouble with Harris and had a fight with Allan. Then he
and the young lady ran away. They have both been in this part of the
country for some time. But Travers' plan to inherit the Harris
property was upset on account of the girl quarrelling with her
parents, and his ardour seems to have cooled off noticeably. But he
was as keen for the property as ever. Riles was a weakling in the
hands of a man like Travers, and no doubt he betrayed the fact that
Harris was taking his money with him into the hills. Then the two of
them framed up the plan which has resulted in the death of one and
the arrest of the other." During these exchanges