the golf course mystery(高尔夫教程)-第16节
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〃I just received a summons；〃 said Bartlett； and he seemed to breathe
more easily。
〃Shag … Where's that black boy of mine？〃 exclaimed the colonel。
〃I sent him to the servants' quarters；〃 said Miss Mary Carwell； coming
in just then。 〃How do you do； Colonel Ashley。 I don't know whether you
remember me； but … 〃
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〃Indeed I do。 And I remember that the last time I dined with you we
had chicken and waffles that … well； the taste lingers yet！〃 and the colonel
bowed gallantly； which seemed to please Miss Carwell very much indeed。
〃So you have looked after Shag； have you？〃
〃Yes。 We have plenty of spare rooms； and I thought you'd want him
near you。〃
〃I want him this moment；〃 said the detective。 〃If you will be so good
as to send him here I'll get him to open my bag and take out a note…book I
wish to use。〃
A little later Colonel Ashley had thrown himself heart and soul into the
〃Golf Course Mystery；〃 as he marked it on a page in his note…book。
On the preceding page were the last entries in a case； the beginning of
which was inscribed 〃The Diamond Cross Mystery。〃 It was thus that
Colonel Ashley kept the salient facts of his problems before him as he
worked。
Between them Viola Carwell and Harry Bartlett told the colonel such
facts leading up to the death of Mr。 Carwell as they knew。 They spoke of
the day of the big golf matches； and the exhilaration of Mr。 Carwell as he
anticipated winning the championship contest。
The scene at the links was portrayed； the little excitement among the
parked cars； caused； as developed later； by a blaze in a machine standing
next the big red； white； and blue car belonging to Mr。 Carwell； and then
the sudden collapse of Carwell as he make his winning stroke。 The finding
of some peculiar poison in the stomach and viscera of the dead man was
spoken of； and then Viola made her appeal again for a disclosure of such
truth as Colonel Ashley might reveal。
〃I'll do my best；〃 he promised。 〃But I believe it will be better to wait
until after the inquest before I take an active part。 And I think I can best
work if I remain unknown … that is if it is not published broadcast that I am
here in my official capacity。〃
To this Viola and Bartlett agreed。 As neither of them had； as yet；
spoken of bringing the colonel into the case； it was a comparatively easy
matter to pass him off as an old friend of the family； which； in truth； he
was。
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So Colonel Ashley was given the guest chamber； Shag was provided
with comfortable quarters； and then Viola seemed more content。
〃I know；〃 she said to her aunt； 〃that the truth will be found out now。〃
〃But suppose the truth is more painful than uncertainty； Viola？〃
〃How can it be？〃 asked the girl； as tears filled her eyes。
〃I don't know；〃 answered Miss Carwell softly。 〃It is all so terrible；
that I don't believe it can be any worse。 But we must hope for the best。
I trust business matters will go along all right。 I confess I don't like the
forgetting； on the part of LeGrand Blossom； of attending to the bank
matter。〃
〃It was probably only an oversight。〃
〃Yes。 But it has started a rumor that your poor father's affairs might
not be in the best shape。 Oh； dear； it's all so terrible！〃
But there were other terrors to come。
Following his plan of acting merely as a guest and an old friend of the
family who had journeyed from afar to attend the funeral； Colonel Ashley
went about as silent as though on a fishing trip。 He looked and listened；
but said little。 He was not yet ready for a cast。 He was but inspecting
the stream … several streams； in fact； to see where he could best toss in
his baited hook。
And it was in this same spirit that he attended the coroner's inquest；
which was held in the town hall。 Over the deliberations； which were； at
best； rather informal； Coroner Billy Teller presided。
The office of coroner was； in Lakeside； as in most New Jersey cities or
towns； much of an empty title。 At every election the names of certain
men were put on the ticket to be voted for as coroners。
Few took the trouble to ballot for them； scarcely any one against them；
and they were automatically inducted into office by reason of a few votes。
Just what their functions were few knew and less cared。 There used
to be a rumor； perhaps it is current yet in many Jersey counties； that a
coroner was the only official who could legally arrest the sheriff in case
that official needed taking into custody。 As to the truth of this it is not
important。
Certain it is that Billy Teller had never before found himself in such
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demand and prominence。 He was to act in the capacity of judge； though
the verdict in the case； providing one could be returned； would be given by
the jury he might impanel。
There was a large throng in attendance at the town hall when the
inquest began。 Reporters had been sent out by metropolitan papers； for
Horace Carwell was a well known figure in the sporting and the financial
world； and the mere fact that there was a suspicion that his death was not
from natural causes was enough to make it a good story。
Billy Teller was； frankly； unacquainted with the method of procedure；
and he confessed as much to the prosecutor； an astute lawyer。 As the
latter would have the conducting of the case for the state in case it came to
a trial in the upper courts； Mr。 Stryker saw to it that legal forms were
followed in the selection of a jury and the swearing in of the members of
the panel。 Then began the taking of testimony。
The doctors told of the finding of evidences of poison in Mr。 Carwell's
body。 Its nature was as yet undetermined； for it was not of the common
type。
This much Dr。 Lambert stated calmly； and without attempting to go
into technical details。 Not so Dr。 Baird。 He spoke learnedly of
Reinsch's test for arsenic； of Bloxam's method； of the distillation process。
He juggled with words； and finally； when pinned down by a direct but
homely question from Billy Teller； admitted that he did not know what had
killed Mr。 Carwell。
Testimony to the same effect was given by several chemists who had
analyzed the stomach and viscera of the dead man。 There was a sediment
of poison present； they admitted； and sufficient had been extracted in a
free state to end the lives of several guinea pigs on which it had been
tested。 But as to the exact nature of the poison they could not yet say。
More time for analysis was needed。
It was certain that Mr。 Carwell had come to his death by an active
agent in the nature of some substance； as yet unknown； which he either
swallowed purposely； by accident； or because some one gave it to him
either knowingly or unknowingly。 This was a sufficiently broad
hypothesis on which to base almost anything； thought Colonel Ashley； as
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he sat and listened in the corner of the improvised courtroom。
There was a stir of excitement and anticipation when Viola was called；
but beyond testifying that her father was in his usual health when he went
with her to the golf game； she could throw no light on the puzzle； nor
could the dead man's sister or any of the servants。
〃Call Jean Forette；〃 said the prosecutor； and the chauffeur； a decidedly
nervous man on whom the excitement of testifying plainly told； came to
the stand。
He made a poor showing； and there were several whispers that ran
around the courtroom； but poor Jean's rather distressing manner was
improved when Mr。 Stryker took h
