It was shortly after that the coroner arrived.
“I don’t want to see that man,” said Stebbins, “him and me ain’t good friends,” and rising quickly, the owner of the house fled toward the kitchen quarters, and spent the rest of the morning with the Thorpes out there.
Doctor Crawford, the county physician and coroner, was a man of slow speech and dignified manner. He was appalled by the circumstances in which he found himself, and a little frightened at the hints he had heard of ghostly visitations.
Indeed, that had been the real reason for his delay in arriving,—he had not been willing to brave the darkness of the night before. This was his secret, however, and his excuse of conflicting duties had been accepted.
The whole party gathered in the hall to hear what the newcomer had to say.
Eve and Milly returned, the latter, quivering and tearful, going straight to her husband’s side, and sitting close to him.
Norma was pale and trembling, too, and Tracy’s watchful eye regarded her sympathetically, as he led her to a seat.
Eve, self-reliant and calm, flitted about incessantly. She went to the kitchen and talked over household matters with Hester, for Milly was unable to do this. Then, returning, Eve went into the drawing room, and after a few moments returned, closing the door again after her. Then she stepped into the Room with the Tassels. She was there longer, but at last came out, and locking the door behind her, retained the key. No one noticed this but Norma, and she kept her own counsel, but she also kept a watchful eye on Eve.
Even before he went to look at the bodies of the two victims of the tragedy, Doctor Crawford asked some questions.
His slowness was maddening to the alert minds of his listeners, but he methodically arrived at the facts of the case.