Part 15 (1/2)

”Could you describe the man, Uncle Mose?” the coroner asked.

”No, sah, I don' know as I could 'scribe 'im perzacly; but I'd know 'im, no matter where I sot eyes on 'im, and I know'd 'im the nex'

time I see 'im. Well, sah, dat aft'noon, mars'r Mainwaring an' de folks had gone out ridin', an' I was roun' kind o' permiscuous like, an' I see anoder kerridge way down de av'nue by de front gate, an'

I waited, 'spectin' maybe I'd see dat man again. While I was waitin'

by de front dooh, all oh a sudden a man come roun' from de side, as ef he come from mars'r Mainwaring's liberry, but he was anoder man.”

”Didn't he look at all like the first man?” inquired the coroner.

”No, sah; he looked altogedder diff'rent; but I don' know as I could state whar'in de differensiashun consisted, sah. Dis man was berry good lookin' 'ceptin' his eyes, an' dem yoh cudn' see, 'case he had on cull'ed gla.s.ses. Mebbe his eyes was pow'ful weak, er mebbe he didn't want n.o.body to see 'em; but I 'spicioned dem gla.s.ses d'rectly, sah, an' I watched 'im. He goes down to de kerridge an' takes out a coat an' says sump' in to de driver, an' de kerridge goes away tow'ds de town, an' he walks off de oder way. Bime'by I see 'im gwine back again on de oder side ob de street-”

”Was he alone?” interrupted the coroner.

”Yes, sah; an' I done kep' my eye on 'im, an' he didn' go on to de town, but tuhned down de fust side street. Well, sah, I didn' see no moah ob 'im den; but dat ebenin' I'd ben a-workin' roun' de house, sprinklin' de gra.s.s and gettin' ready foh de nex' day, when I happens to pa.s.s by de side dooh, an' I sees dem two men comm'

out togedder.”

”What time was this, Uncle Mose?” the coroner asked, quickly.

”Well, sah,” said the old man, reflectively, ”my mem'ry is a little derelictious on dat p'int, but I knows 'twas gettin' putty late.”

”Are you sure these were the same two men you had seen earlier in the day?”

”Yes, sah; 'case I stepped in de bushes to watch 'em. Dey talked togedder berry low, an' den one man goes back into de house, an' I seen 'im plain in de hall light, an' he was de fust man; an' while I was a-watchin' 'im, de oder man he disappeahed an' I cudn' see 'im nowhar, but I know'd he was de man dat came in de aft'noon, 'case he look jes' like 'im, an' toted a coat on his arm. Well, sah, I t'inks it a berry cur'is sarc.u.mstance, an' I was jes' comm'

to de preclushun dat I'd mention it to some ob de fambly, when de fust man, he come to de dooh wid de housekeeper. I was in de shadder and dey didn' see me, but I heah 'im say, kind o' soft like, 'Remember, my deah lady, dis is a biz'ness contract; I does my part, an' I 'spects my pay.' An' she says, 'Oh, yes, yoh shall hab yohr money widout fail.' An' I says to myse'f, 'Mose, yoh ole fool, what you stan'in' heah foh? Dat ain't nuffin dat consarns yoh nohow,' an' I goes home, an' dat's all I know, sah. But I'se ben pow'ful sorry eber sence dat I didn' let mars'r Mainwaring know 'bout it, 'case I has my 'spicions,” and the old darkey shook his head, while the tears coursed down his furrowed cheeks.

”How did you hear of Mr. Mainwaring's death?” asked the coroner.

”De coachman, he done tole me, sah.”

”Why, the coachman stated that you told him what had occurred.”

”No, sah; he done tole me; I'd come up to de place pow'ful ahly dat mawnin' 'case dere was to be such big doings dat day, an' I was gwine to de tool-house foh sump'in, an' I see mars'r Walter ridin' away from de stables pow' ful fas' on his hoss-”

”Do you mean Walter LaGrange?”

”Yes, sah; an' de coachman he came out an' I ax 'im whar de young man was gwine dat ahly, an' he say mars'r Mainwaring ben killed, an'

mars'r Walter had to go to town as fas' as his hoss cud take 'im.”

”Do you know when he returned?”

”He came back, sah, befo' berry long, an' den he went away agin and didn't come back till mos' noon.”

When the old darkey had been dismissed the coachman was recalled.

”What did you mean by stating that you first heard of Mr.

Mainwaring's death from the gardener, when the reverse was the truth?”

”I don't know,” he replied, carelessly; ”I s'pose I got mixed. I remember talking with him about it, and I thought he told me.”