"Deed, I didn't, Sah. Miss Susan hadn't no money to buy peaches at dis time o' year," Oscar's voice expressed astonishment. "Dis hyar month am March." "We have them from California." Penfield was growing impatient, and his manner stiffened as he faced the old negro. "Who purchased the peaches which Miss Baird was eating just before she died?" "I dunno, Sah; honest to God, I dunno." Oscar shook a puzzled head. "I was flabbergasted to see them peaches on the tea table. They weren't in the house when I was gettin' dinner, an' they weren't there when I left after servin' dinner." "Is that so?" Penfield stared at Oscar. The black face of the negro was as shiny as a billiard ball and about as expressionless. "That is all, Oscar, you may retire." Hardly waiting for the servant to descend the steps, Penfield turned to the deputy coroner whose busy pen had been transcribing the notes of the inquest. "Dr. Fisher, take the stand," he directed, and waited in silence while he was being sworn. "You performed the autopsy, Doctor?" he asked. "I did, Sir, in the presence of the Morgue Master and Dr. Leonard McLean," responded the deputy coroner. "State the results of the autopsy." "We found on investigation of the gastric contents that death was due to prussic acid, the most active of poisons," Fisher replied, with blunt directness. "There was no other cause of death, as from the condition of her body, we found Miss Baird, in spite of her age, did not suffer from any organic disease." The silence lengthened in the court room. Penfield did not seem in haste to put the next question and the suspense deepened. "Can you estimate how long a time must have elapsed between Miss Baird taking the poison and her death?" he asked finally. "Between two and five minutes, judging from the amount of poison in her system," responded Fisher. "Can you tell us how the poison was administered, Doctor?" questioned Penfield. "Did you analyze the contents of the tea pot and cup?" "Yes. No trace of poison was in either the cup or the teapot." Fisher spoke with deliberation, conscious that his words were listened to with breathless interest. "There was on her plate a half-eaten peach on which still remained enough poison to kill several persons." Penfield broke the tense pause. "Have you any idea, Doctor, how the poison got on the peach?" "On examination we found that drops of prussic acid still remained on the fruit knife used to cut the peach." Fisher hesitated a brief instant, then continued, "The poison had been put on one side of the knife-blade only." "You mean--" "That whoever ate the other portion of the peach was not poisoned." CHAPTER VII MRS. PARSONS HAS CALLERS CORONER'S INQUEST RETURNS OPEN VERDICT Miss Susan Baird Killed by Party or Parties Unknown