Hand and Ring

Fir

ction is rendered so indefinite and indistinct, that I cannot always determine, with u

gfe

then ringing in his ears, real words, which he had overheard spoken outside of his door some time

fficulty in recognizing as that of the landlord of the hotel; could even recall the faint sounds of bustle which accompanied them, a

ds were

visit must have been a great surprise. A sad occurrence, that, sir,

ho called them forth can be no other than the tall and florid gentleman whom I encountered in the bar-room. But is it a remembrance, or

to decide. So, for the twentieth time, he put th

nd solitary breakfast, did he ask himself whether, in case the words were real, he had not found i

in the sudden appearance at his room doo

ity: “here is a line from the superinten

er a letter which had been brought to him by the de

d have found difficult to explain, Mr. Byrd

o the exclusion of the person mentioned in your letter. But if you or that person think that he can render you any real assistance by his interference, he

d Mr. Byrd, returning the note with a constrain

,” remarked the coroner, shortly,

ould have to see my duty very clearly and possess the very strongest reasons for interfe

ess-like tone of one preparing to take his leave, “At all events the matter stands open for the present; and if during the course of to-day’s inquiry you see fi

uperintendent, but that the final hint concerning the inquest had aroused his old interest to quite a formidable degree, and, what was worse, had reawakened certain feelings which since last night it had been his most ea

termost by interested spectators, took up his stand on the outside of a curtained window, where with but a slight craning of his neck he could catch a very satisfactory view of the different witnesses as they appeared before the jury. The day was warm and he was by no means uncomfortable, though he could have wished that the advantages of his position had occasi

a relief. Since it had become his duty to attend this inquiry, he wished to do so with a free mind, unhindered by the watchfulness of those who knew his interest in the affair

a standstill when he f

had evidently added little if any thing to the testimony already given. Taking advantage o

g all the morning?” he as

Nobody has seen any thing, nobody knows any thing. The murderer might have risen up through the floor to deal his blow, an

d at him with an amused smile. Indeed, of all the various individuals in his immediate vicinity, only one forbore to take any notice of his remark. This was a heavy, lymphatic, a

erve to awaken suspicion or put justice on the right track?” pursued M

bstinate tendency, and his

and find out who commits a crime in these days. Nothing else has co

ervation had raised; but the coroner rapping with his gavel on the table at this moment, every other c

hing to say before he cal

rest, “we have spent the morning in examining the persons who live in this street, with a view to ascerta

embled directly before Mr. Byrd? It was of the slightest character, and was merely momentary in its duration; nevertheless, it attracted his attent

proceeded wi

ited Mrs. Clemmens on that day. I now propose to open another examination of a totally different character,

sed with decency, if not taste, and took her stand before the jury with a lady-like yet perfectly assured a

ll name,

titia Fir

th a throb of sudden interest. “That is the

the coroner, “and the place

the reply, “and I am living in Utica, wher

lemmens, the lady who was foun

; her grandmother and m

ved, and what can you tell us of he

mother and myself, who, as I have before said, live in Utica, where I am connected with the dress-making establishment of Madame Trebelle; and, secondly, a nephe

gentleman and his

uffalo, where he has a situation of some trust in the la

oluntary start, and became, i

r’s questi

now this

l times to our house in the c

on, as well as of his regard for the woman who pr

est and capable young man, who might do us credit some day, if he were allowed to have his own way and not be interfered with too much. As for his feelings toward his aunt, they were doubtless those of

ward his benefactress?” continued the coroner, somewhat carelessly, “or possessed

m, as far as I know, and I never heard him say any thing about his expectations one way or the other. He is a man of much natural force, of strong,

otice, perhaps. And such it would have undoubtedly received from Mr. Byrd, at least, if the words she had

f character,” he kept repeating to himself. “The description, as I

ink this nephew of Mrs. Clemmens either to the tragedy itself, or to that person still in the background,

er had plans and suspicions to which the foregoing questions had given no clue, Dr. Tredwell leaned slowly forward, and,

endly terms with her, and are acquainted with her affairs. Does that mean you ha

, neither was she by nature very communicative. Only at rare times did she make mention of herself or her troubles: but w

us something of her history, and why it is she k

history was simple enough, but her reasons for living as she did have never been explained. She was no

rious loss or disappointment that may have soured her dis

sband very much — indeed, has never be

as that, if

go, sir; just before

know Mr.

e — a month if not less after their marriage. She was inconsolable for a time, and, though she consented to come East,

r suddenly changed to on

that the hermit life she led was due to any fear or a

ir

that she was not alone in her surprise or even her expression of it; that the indefinable stir he had before observed had again taken place in the crowd before him, and that thi

on might be. The coroner’s questions were every moment gro

the victim of any secret or personal apprehension that might have caused her to seclude herself as she did? Or let me put it in another wa

d somewhat excited reply, “

amid which Mr. Byrd thought he heard a suppressed but bitter exclamation. He could not be sure of it, however, and had just made up his mind that his ears had deceived him, when his attention was attracted by a shifting in the position of the s

nment to Mr. Byrd, and he at once made up his mind that this dull, abstracted-looking nonentity leaning with such apparent unconcern against the wall, was the n

s, by disclaiming the existence of any special meaning of his own, an

edo, sir; a young man who could only come int

ken of any such person

I do not know as they were ever acquainted, or, as for that matter, ever saw each other’s faces. T

yourself. I do

dchildren — their father being a very dissipated and reckless man — made his will in such a way as to prevent its distribution among his heirs till after the death of two persons whom he mentioned by name. Of these two persons one was the son of his head clerk, a young boy, who sickened and died shortly a

s? What of them d

cause of this peculiar will tying up the property, died some little time ago; also one or two of his children, but beyond that I know little

h the greatest interest, now asked if she

e, “I do. It i

m among several that lay on the table before him. “Miss Firman,” he inquired, retaining this paper in his hand, “do you know when i

en she first came

e ever express herself as sorry for the posi

sir; s

greater gravity, and his manner

to have cherished apprehensions of her personal safety, during these

s face, and she looked around at the jury with

old me her peace of mind had left her since she knew there were persons in the world to whom her death would be a matter of rejoicing. ‘It makes me feel as if I wer

ich she stood to these Hildreths? — or any facts or gossip detailed to her concerning them, that w

xpensive ways of living and somewhat headlong

eth? Any special goss

N

to affirmations. This was one of them. N

hange of voice: “Are you sure you have never heard any thing spec

e called derogatory. As for Mrs. Clemmens, she may have heard as much, and she may have h

u have been more or less separated from Mrs. Clemmens, you have, dou

s,

of this letter, which I found lying half finished on h

bled nervously for her glasses, put them on, and then

no other friend whom she would have be

w minutes, previous to the brutal assault that has led to the present inquiry. Miss Firman, as the letter was i

t was due, perhaps, as much to the sadness of her task as to any forebodin

Nothing goes just to my mind, and somehow the many causes for secret fear which I have always had, assume an undue prominence in my mind. It is always so when I am not quite well. In vain I reason

aper from her hand and looking dismally around upon the

be an officer of the law, quietly advanced, and picking up the paper she had let f

tly legal one, is surely justified by the gravity of the situation. If Mrs. Clemmens had finished this letter,

have considered that the solitary life le

he speaks? To what and whom w

ut it would have been impossible for me, under the circumstances, to have t

inexorably purs

verneur