“I do not say that he was killed for a book. In fact I have grave doubts if the murderer even took the books. But he may have smashed that case by accident. What I was getting at is simply this. You have the Chinaman who went to the library. No one saw him come back. You have that farm-hand, or whatever you call him, who saw the boat. Now did the Chinaman go away in a boat he found on the shore or was it some one else?”
For a few moments we discussed this, reaching in the end no agreement. Of one thing we were certain. It was that, save for the Chinaman, there had been no evidence of any one going to the library during the afternoon. But what the testimony of the man who had charge of the grounds could mean we were not sure. There was no way of telling if the boat had come from Warren's shore or not. And then with a hurried glance at his watch Carter ended the argument by saying we had just time to reach the Court House before the afternoon session opened.
We found the room again filled and had just time to take our chairs as the jury filed back into the box. Then, with one glance around the room, the coroner recalled the housekeeper to the stand. As she took her chair she seemed very much surprised as if she had not expected to testify again. With a look at a paper which he held in his hand the coroner asked the first question.
“You told us this morning that Mr. Warren worked every afternoon in his library. Did his secretary work with him?”
The woman nodded and then said: “Yes.”
The coroner went on: “What time did she return to the house yesterday afternoon?”
I saw a strange look flit across the woman's face and she replied: “Around four o'clock.”
“Was that her usual time to return?”
“No, sir. As a rule she worked until five and often until seven.”
“And did she give any reason for her return at this early hour?”