“Did you see him tie up the boat?”

“Yes.”

“Did you observe any stains on the rope?”

“I did not notice any.”

“What was the prisoner’s manner at that time?”

“I thought he was surly.”

“Now, Mrs. Pitman, tell us about the following morning.”

“I saw Mr. Ladley at a quarter before seven.  He said to bring breakfast for one.  His wife had gone away.  I asked if she was not ill, and he said no; that she had gone away early; that he had rowed her to Federal Street, and that she would be back Saturday.  It was shortly after that that the dog Peter brought in one of Mrs. Ladley’s slippers, water-soaked.”

“You recognized the slipper?”

“Positively.  I had seen it often.”

“What did you do with it?”

“I took it to Mr. Ladley.”

“What did he say?”

“He said at first that it was not hers.  Then he said if it was, she would never wear it again—­and then added—­because it was ruined.”

“Did he offer any statement as to where his wife was?”

“No, sir.  Not at that time.  Before, he had said she had gone away for a few days.”

“Tell the jury about the broken knife.”

“The dog found it floating in the parlor, with the blade broken.”

“You had not left it down-stairs?”

“No, sir.  I had used it up-stairs, the night before, and left it on a mantel of the room I was using as a temporary kitchen.”

“Was the door of this room locked?”

“No.  It was standing open.”

“Were you not asleep in this room?”

“Yes.”

“You heard no one come in?”

“No one—­until Mr. Reynolds roused me.”

“Where did you find the blade?”

“Behind the bed in Mr. Ladley’s room.”

“What else did you find in the room?”

“A blood-stained towel behind the wash-stand.  Also, my onyx clock was missing.”

“Where was the clock when the Ladleys were moved up into this room?”

“On the mantel.  I wound it just before they came up-stairs.”

“When you saw Mrs. Ladley on Sunday, did she say she was going away?”

“No, sir.”

“Did you see any preparation for a journey?”

“The black and white dress was laid out on the bed, and a small bag. 
She said she was taking the dress to the theater to lend to Miss
Hope.”

“Is that all she said?”

“No.  She said she’d been wishing her husband would drown; that he was a fiend.”

I could see that my testimony had made an impression.

CHAPTER XII

The slipper, the rope, the towel, and the knife and blade were produced in court, and I identified them all.  They made a noticeable impression on the jury.  Then Mr. Llewellyn, the lawyer for the defense, cross-examined me.

“Is it not true, Mrs. Pitman,” he said, “that many articles, particularly shoes and slippers, are found floating around during a flood?”