ain't got nothin' on him! Tain't no silent treatment he gives that niece of his'n! Nur that classy brunette soivant, neither!" "He was not even kindly-spoken to his niece, then?" "I guess no! Gee, the foist time I seen that skoit, I t'ought I'd been shot in the eye wit' a magazine cover! An' she's as daisy actin' as she is lookin'. I sure admire Miss Pembroke!" This was not the kind of information Mr. Ross wanted, but young McGuire rolled it forth so rapidly, and with such graphic facial expression that his audience listened, uninterrupting. "That's enough, McGuire," said Mr. Ross, sternly; "please confine your speech to simple and direct answers to my questions." "Sure," agreed the boy, grinning. "But I[Pg 73] thought you wanted me to tell you all what I was wise to of the family's doin's." [Pg 73] "What I want to know especially, is, whether any one came into the house last evening, or late last night, who was a stranger to you?" "Well, no; I ain't seen no Rube divin' into my cage, wot looks suspicionary. But then, you see, Mr. Coroner, I ain't on the night shift. This week I goes off at six P. M. and toddles myself off to a tremblin' scenery show." "Then you're not the elevator boy we want, at all," said Mr. Ross, greatly annoyed at this loss of time. "Be-lieve me, I ain't! But I'm glad to add it against brother Pembroke. He never left his rooms, but, gee! he didn't have to, fer me to hear him bally-hooin'! Every time I passed this floor, 'most, he wuz a handin' it out to the young lady good an' plenty!" McGuire was excused, and being loath to leave the room, he was materially assisted by Inspector Crawford. Though not an attractive specimen of his class, and though his evidence was unimportant, he had at least helped to prove the irascibility of the late Mr. Pembroke, and the fact that his ugly temper was often vented upon his niece. [Pg 74] [Pg 74] As I learned all this, I felt more than ever glad that Janet was at last freed from this tyrant. Indeed, my attention was only half given to the business in hand. My thoughts continually wandered to the girl who had, all
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