until midnight or later, when some person or persons came into
his room, murdered him, and went away again, without making
sufficient noise or disturbance to arouse the sleeping
household."

"Perhaps Mr. Crawford himself had fallen asleep in his chair,"
suggested one of the jurors,--the Mr. Orville, who was
continually taking notes in his little book.

"It is possible," said the doctor, as the remark was practically
addressed to him, "but not probable. The attitude in which the
body was found indicates that the victim was awake, and in full
possession of his faculties. Apparently he made no resistance of
any sort."

"Which seems to show," said the coroner, "that his assailant was
not a burglar or tramp, for in that case he would surely have
risen and tried to put him out. The fact that Mr. Crawford was
evidently shot by a person standing in front of him, seems to
imply that that person's attitude was friendly, and that the
victim had no suspicion of the danger that threatened him."

This was clear and logical reasoning, and I looked at the coroner
in admiration, until I suddenly remembered Parmalee's hateful
suspicion and wondered if Coroner Monroe was preparing for an
attack upon Miss Lloyd.

Gregory Hall was summoned next.

He was self-possessed and even cool in his demeanor. There was a