"I crossed the lawn to come home, when I heard three shots fired one after the other in the tower. I heard them plainly. I turned with a start; but the Colonel had done so many queer things that I thought he was only shooting to amuse himself."
"It never struck you that it was murder?"
"No! If the Colonel had not been so eccentric I might have suspected, but nothing ever surprised me in that house. I waited for a moment. There were no more shots. I looked towards the house and there I saw Frisco standing in the doorway. I saw him quite plainly."
"That was some time after hearing the shots?"
"Indeed no. It was immediately after the first shot. When the other two were fired I saw him there. I thought that he might see me, and as I did not want Colonel Carr to think I had been spying round his house at so late an hour, I ran home as fast as I could. Sidney had arrived before me. I said nothing about the shots, and went to bed. When I heard how you had discovered the body, I knew that I had heard the shots fired by the murderer. But I knew also that when Frisco was missing he was not guilty. So that was why I defended him. I could not speak plainer could I?"
"Well, I see no reason why you should not have told the story you tell me now."
"If Frisco had been arrested I should have. But you know," here Bess looked down, "can you not understand Dr. Jim? The people round about here are sad scandalmongers. Because I called on Colonel Carr to get an article as I told you, people said that I was fast."
"The brutes!" cried Herrick firing up. "Well then, you can understand that if it had become known that I was near Colonel Carr's house so late at night, there would have been more talk. I really don't know what they would have said. So I said nothing not even to Ida. Of course I could have told them that I went out to get Sidney--but--" Bess shrugged her shoulders, "you know how spiteful people are. No! After consideration I thought it best to hold my tongue."
"But you might have told me," said Herrick.
"I was afraid to," faltered Bess.