Part 2 (2/2)
”Go ahead, sir,” said Rogers. ”I'll try to hold myself together a little better, sir.”
”I can see what a strain this is for you,” said the coroner kindly; ”and I'll spare you as much as I can. Now, after Miss Holladay entered the inner office, how long did she remain there?”
”About ten minutes, I should say; not longer than that, certainly.”
”Did you hear any sound of conversation, or any unusual noise of any kind?”
”No, sir. It would have been a very unusual noise to be audible. Mr.
Holladay's office has heavy walls and a double door which completely shut off all sounds from within.”
”Miss Holladay then came out?”
”Yes, sir.”
”And walked past you?”
”Yes, sir; walked past me rapidly.”
”Did you not think that peculiar?”
”Why, sir, she didn't often stop to speak to me. I was busy and so thought nothing particularly about it.”
”Did you notice her face? Did she seem perturbed?”
”No, sir; I didn't notice. I just glanced up and bowed. In fact, I didn't see her face at all, for she had lowered her veil.”
”Her veil!” repeated the coroner. ”You hadn't mentioned that she wore a veil.”
”No, sir; when she came into the office she had lifted it up over her hat-brim--you know how women do.”
”Yes--so you saw her face distinctly when she entered?”
”Yes, sir.”
”But when she went out, she had lowered her veil. Was it a heavy one?”
”Why, sir,” the witness hesitated, ”just an ordinary veil, I should say.”
”But still heavy enough to conceal her face?”
”Oh, yes, sir.”
The coroner nodded. ”Now, Mr. Rogers, how long a time elapsed after the departure of the woman before you went back into the inner office?”
”Not more than three or four minutes. I thought perhaps Mr. Holladay was getting ready to accompany his daughter, and I didn't wish to detain him.”
”And you found him, as you say, lying forward across his desk with a knife in his throat and the blood spurting out. Did you recognize the knife?”
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