“Well, I _will_ tell you, John. Night before last, Monday night, I had hard words with Albert, up at the house. You know how he sent for me, insisted on my coming, and what he wanted. Of course I could only say no, and we quarreled. Toward the end we raised our voices, and Isabel, who was upstairs, overheard us. Just then he began about me and her--it seems he had noticed or heard something--and she, hearing her name, took it for granted the whole quarrel was about her. I went upstairs, and presently he drove out of the yard with the grays. I couldn’t sleep, I was so agitated by the idea of our rupture, and I went out to walk it off. It was while I was out that I met Annie and had the talk I have told you about. Then I came home, went to bed, and slept till after ten--long after everybody else had heard the news. I heard of it first from Isabel, and she--she----” He came to an abrupt halt. The duty of saying nothing which should incriminate the woman rose before him, and fettered his tongue. “And she--what?” asked John. “Well, she somehow got the idea that I had followed Albert out and--and--was responsible for his death! _Now_. you have it all!” There was a long silence. They were nearing the four corners, and walking slowly. Finally John, with his eyes on the ground, said: “And so that’s what she has told Annie, you think?” “That’s the only way I can explain the note.” “But Annie couldn’t possibly believe such a thing as that!” “No--but there’s an explanation for that too. Come to think of it, I must have said a lot of things to her, that night, which seem now to her to fit in with this awful theory. Poor girl! I don’t blame her.” John answered, after a pause, “There’s no use of my saying anything to show you what a situation you are in, or to scold you for it. I suppose you realize it fully enough. What’s more to the purpose, we must consider what is to be done. It is safe enough to assume that if Isabel thinks this and has said it to one person, either some one else will think it, or she will hint about it to another. The thing is too terrible to have even one person, even if she were silent as the grave, think about it. The obvious thing, I should think, would be to have a postmortem examination.” “I thought they always had them at inquests.” “No, the Coroner can dispense with one if he and the jury agree that it isn’t necessary. Timms sent me word that he had decided to dispense with one, in this case, ‘out of consideration for the feelings of the family.’ That means, of course, that he wants the _Banner_ to help re-elect him next year. But now out of ‘consideration for the family’ we’ll have to have one. Don’t be so down in the mouth about it, boy; it will all come right, never fear!”