"
Gertrude's replies were fully as concise as Halsey's. Mrs.
Fitzhugh subjected her to a close inspection, commencing with her
hat and ending with her shoes. I flatter myself she found
nothing wrong with either her gown or her manner, but poor
Gertrude's testimony was the reverse of comforting. She had been
summoned, she said, by her brother, after Mr. Armstrong had gone.
She had waited in the billiard-room with Mr. Bailey, until the
automobile had been ready. Then she had locked the door at the
foot of the staircase, and, taking a lamp, had accompanied Mr.
Bailey to the main entrance of the house, and had watched him
cross the lawn. Instead of going at once to her room, she had
gone back to the billiard-room for something which had been left
there. The card-room and billiard-room were in darkness. She
had groped around, found the article she was looking for, and was
on the point of returning to her room, when she had heard some
one fumbling at the lock at the east outer door. She had thought
it was probably her brother, and had been about to go to the
door, when she heard it open. Almost immediately there was a
shot, and she had run panic-stricken through the drawing-room and
had roused the house.
"You heard no other sound?" the coroner asked. "There was no one
with Mr. Armstrong when he entered?"
"It was perfectly dark. There were no voices and I heard
nothing. There was just the opening of the door, the shot, and
the sound of somebody falling.
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