Silence fell on the room. Bernard Hayden leaned forward a trifle, that he might watch the witness the better, and anyone looking at him must have fancied that in his eyes there was an expression of anxiety which he could not wholly conceal, even if he sought to do so.
“Piper,” said Lawyer Marsh, “I wish you to tell His Honor in your own language, and as concisely and clearly as possible, what you know about this case. Go on, my lad.”
Sleuth cleared his throat. “Your Honor and gentlemen of the jury,” he began; and then he stopped short, realizing there was no jury. The slight titter that ran through the room did not disturb him, however. “Your Honor,” he commenced once more, “being personally acquainted with the parties of the first part and the parties of the second part involved in this case——”
“I presume,” interrupted the justice, repressing any inclination to smile that he may have felt, “you are referring to the prisoner and the plaintiff.”
“Yes, Your Honor,” bowed Sleuth; “in the language of the law, they are the parties under consideration. Being personally acquainted with the before-mentioned parties, what was more natural than that, on hearing that this heinous crime had been committed, I should become profoundly interested in the case and should resolve to give it my earnest attention with the determination of solving the deep, dark mystery appertaining thereunto?”
In the silence following Sleuth’s pause at the end of this rounded period Chipper Cooper was distinctly heard as he whispered in the ear of Charlie Tuttle:
“Say, Chub, old Sleuthy is slinging English some, isn’t he?”
The judge rapped for silence, requesting the witness to endeavor to tell his story in the simplest language he could command. Still unruffled, Piper proceeded:
“Unfortunately, Your Honor, I was not present at the time the apartment of Benjamin Stone was searched by the representative of the law. Had I been present, doubtless, witnessing the discovery of the loot and the message penciled by the agitated hand of the unfortunate prisoner at the bar would have aided me greatly in drawing a correct and accurate deduction. Nevertheless, upon learning something of what had taken place I set forth to obtain precise knowledge as far as possible of every detail. I sought the fountain head of knowledge, our esteemed and highly efficient deputy sheriff, Mr. Pickle, but found him unwilling to accept my assistance upon the case, even though I gave him my generous assurance that I would solve the mystery. He was in a hurry; he wouldn’t talk about it; he told me to get out and stop bothering him.
“I then proceeded to interview my fellow schoolmate, the plaintiff, Bernard Hayden; but he likewise received me with extreme ungraciousness, informing me that I had better mind my own business. Although thus repulsed, I was in no whit discouraged and I vowed I would not be baffled.