As the coroner held up the dainty trifle the young man started and with a quick indrawn breath he leaned closer to examine it. Then with a look of relief he straightened to his full height.
"No, I do not recognize it," he said.
"Whose did you think it was when I first held it up?" Again Coroner Graves surprised me by his astuteness.
"Why—why, Ruth's—Mrs. Darwin's," stammered the young man, somewhat taken aback.
"And it isn't hers?" persisted the coroner.
"No, I'm positive it isn't."
Certainly he was a young man after my own heart.
"Would you swear to that fact?" went on the coroner inexorably.
"Look here, do you think I'm lying to you?" demanded Lee Darwin, angrily.
"Would you swear to that fact?" repeated the coroner monotonously, taking no notice of the outbreak.