“Now, Mrs Varian,” he said, consolingly, “it is an awful occurrence, but in comparison with your nearer sorrows, it means little to you. Try not to think about it; leave it to us and trust me to do all that is necessary or possible.” Potter arrived then, and Granniss went down to receive him. “Another!” the sheriff exclaimed. “What devil’s work is going on here, any way?” He went to the kitchen and knelt beside the dead girl. “Strangled,” he said, briefly, after an examination. “Choked to death by a strong pair of man’s hands. Mr Granniss, I accuse you of the murder of this girl!” CHAPTER X Pennington Wise Granniss looked at the constable blankly. Then he said, “Oh, well, you may as well accuse me as anybody, for the present. Where’s Dunn?” “He’s coming,” replied Potter, angry at the young man’s indifference to his charge. “But you can’t treat this matter so scornfully, Mr Granniss. I’ve been thinking a whole lot about you in connection with all these mysteries up here, and I’m of the opinion you know more about some things than you admit.” “Quite right, I do,” said Rod, cheerfully. “But don’t arrest me just yet, for a really worth while detective is coming this morning and he may disagree with your conclusions. But this is a bad thing,—about this poor girl. I can’t understand it.” “I can,” and Potter looked straight at him. “You found her in your way and—you put her out of it.” “Oh, come now, Sheriff,” this from Bill Dunn, who had come hurrying in, “don’t go off half-primed! You haven’t any evidence against Mr Granniss, except that he was in the house.” “I will have, though!” Potter muttered. “Where’s the butler?” “Here I am,” and Kelly put in his appearance. “Who saw this girl last?” Potter thundered, glaring round at the assembled members of the household. They were all present, for Nurse Fletcher had been unable to resist her aroused curiosity, and Minna Varian, too, stood in the background, composed and quiet, but evidently holding herself together by a strong effort of will-power. “I did,” said Hannah, who stood, silent and grim, with folded arms, watching the sheriff. “Where was she, then?” “In her bed,—last night after midnight. She had been down stairs,——” “After midnight?” “Yes. She heard somebody down stairs, and—Martha was a brave one! She thought it was robbers in the house and she went down to see.” “Well?” “Well, it was Mrs Varian, who had gone down to the library. So Martha came up again,——” “Leaving Mrs Varian down there?” “Yes,” Minna interrupted, “leaving me down there.” “What were you doing, Mrs Varian?” “I was wakeful, and I went down to the library to look over some papers.” “And this girl came to you there? Tell the story in your own way.” “There’s little to tell. I was startled at Martha’s unexpected appearance, and sent her back to her room. Shortly afterward, I went back to my own room. That is all.”