The woman's face flushed a little and then she said:
“No, sir. That is, she did not say why she was back so early, but I was surprised to see her—more so because of what she did.”
There came a silence in the room and the low whispers that one could hear after each statement died away. The coroner, who seemed to know just what the woman would testify, asked:
“You say, ‘What she did.’ What do you mean?”
The housekeeper had been speaking in a low voice without any apparent show of emotion. Now she raised her head, and her voice was quick and impulsive as she replied:
“I was in the living room when the secretary returned. She rushed in the front door and ran upstairs. She lived at the house. I thought that she had gone to her room for something. I thought nothing of this until a few moments later she came downstairs; in her hand was her suit case.”
“Her suit case?”
“Yes. And she seemed very excited. Her face was flushed and when I spoke to her she was very angry.”
“What did you say to her?”
“Why, naturally, I asked her where she was going. Seeing the suit case and knowing that it was not time for Mr. Warren to stop work, I wondered what had happened.” She paused, and as she did not continue, the coroner asked: