I could see that Rogers was deeply moved. His face was very white, he moistened his lips nervously from time to time, and his hands grasped convulsively the arms of his chair. Plainly, the task before him was far from an agreeable one. "Well, sir," he began, "we had a very busy day yesterday, and were at the office considerably later than usual; but by five o'clock we had closed up work for the day, and all the other clerks, with the exception of the office-boy, had gone home. I had made some notes from Mr. Holladay's dictation, and had returned to my desk to arrange them, when the outer door opened and Mr. Holladay's daughter came in. She asked me whether her father was engaged, and upon my saying no, opened the inner door and entered his office. She remained, I should think, about ten minutes; then she came out again, walked rapidly past without looking at me, and, I suppose, left the building. I finished arranging my notes, and then entered Mr. Holladay's office to ask if he had any further instructions for me, and I found him lying forward on his desk, with a knife sticking in his neck and the blood spurting out. I summoned aid, but he died without regaining consciousness--I should say he was practically dead when I found him." I felt, rather than heard, the little stir which ran through the room. There was an indefinable horror in the story and in the conclusion to which it inevitably led. "Now, let us go back a moment," said the coroner, as Rogers stopped and mopped his forehead feverishly. "I want the jury to understand your story thoroughly. Mr. Holladay had been dictating to you?" "Yes." "And was quite well?" "Yes--as well as usual. He'd been suffering with indigestion for some time past." "Still he was able to attend to business?" "Oh, yes, sir. There was nothing at all serious in his illness." "You then left his office and returned to your own. How long had you been there before the outer door opened?" "Not over five minutes." "And who was it entered?" "Miss Frances Holladay--the daughter of my employer." "You're quite sure? You know her well?" "Very well. I've known her for many years. She often drove to the office in the evening to take her father home. I supposed that was what she came for yesterday." "You looked at her attentively?" Rogers hitched impatiently in his chair. "I glanced at her, as I always do," he said. "I didn't stare." "But you're quite sure it was Miss Holladay?" "Absolutely sure, sir. Good God!" he cried, his nerves giving way for an instant, "do you suppose I'd make an assertion like that if I wasn't absolutely sure?" "No," said the coroner soothingly; "no, I don't suppose any such thing, not for a moment, Mr. Rogers; only I want the jury to see how certain the identification is. Shall I proceed?" "Go ahead, sir," said Rogers. "I'll try to hold myself together a little better, sir."