The face of the woman in black was the original of the photograph Kirby
had seen in his uncle's room, the one upon which had been written the
words, "Always, Phyllis."




CHAPTER XIV

A FRIEND IN NEED

The rest of the coroner's inquest was anticlimax. Those who had come
to tickle their palates with excitement tasted only one other moment of
it.

"According to your own story you must have been in your uncle's
apartment at least a quarter of an hour, Mr. Lane," said the
prosecuting attorney. "What were you doing there all that time?"

"Most of the time I was waitin' for him to return."

"Why did you not call up the police at once, as soon as you found the
crime had been committed?"

"I suppose I lost my head an' went panicky. I heard some one at the
door, an' I did not want to be found there. So I ran into the bedroom,
put out the light, an' left by the fire escape."

"Was that the conduct one would expect of an innocent man?"