“‘My mistress requested me to deliver this paper to you immediately after the court met this morning,’ said Zuleka, as she put the envelope in Mr. Rockland’s hand.
“The iron lawyer deliberately commenced reading the contents of the letter. I imagined that his hands began to tremble slightly, and I thought I could see a perceptible deepening of the color on his face.
“‘If the court please,’ said he, ‘I hold in my hand a most extraordinary paper, which has just been handed to me by Mrs. Ragland’s maid. This document makes a most startling disclosure. I do not think the contents of this letter ought to be made public, until an officer shall have been sent to inquire about Mrs. Ragland.’
“‘Perhaps her maid can enlighten you as to the condition of her mistress’s health,’ observed Flipout.
“Mr. Rockland then asked the maid if she had seen her mistress that morning.
“‘No,’ said the maid, ‘I have not seen her since eleven o’clock last night. She rang for me at eleven, and gave me the envelope, and told me to deliver it to Mr. Rockland at ten o’clock this morning.’
“‘Mr. Sheriff,’ said Flipout, ‘send a deputy to Mrs. Ragland’s residence immediately and instruct him to report her condition to the court without delay.’
“At last a short, dumpy little deputy with a ponderous nose and bushy hair came dashing into the room, with a face very pale, and excited manner.
“‘If your Honor please, Mrs. Ragland is dead, sir. She has killed herself. The door was locked on the inside, and we had to break it open before we could get in. We found her lying on the bed cold and stiff!’
“‘With your Honor’s permission,’ said Mr. Rockland, ‘I will now read this letter, which will explain everything.’