Then Tony West was called, and told all that he had to tell of his
knowledge of the night's happenings in a rather irritated manner, as
though the whole thing bored him utterly, and he couldn't for the life
of him make out why any one even dreamed that old Nigel had murdered a
man. He told the coroner something of this before he finished, and as he
returned to his place a murmur of approval went up. His manner had taken
the public fancy, and they would have liked to hear more of him.
But there was another piece of evidence to be shown, and this took the
form of a scrap of creased white paper.
It was waved aloft in the coroner's hand, so that everyone could see it.
"This," said the coroner, "is an I.O.U. found upon the dead man, for two
thousand pounds, and signed with the name of Lester Stark. An important
piece of evidence, this. Will Mr. Stark kindly come forward?"
There was a rustle at the back of the court, and Stark pushed his way to
the front, his face rather red, his eyes a trifle shamefaced. As he
came, Merriton was conscious of a quickening of his pulse, of a leap of
his heart, though he loathed himself afterward for the sensation.
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