“Nobody said you did,” answered the coroner dryly, while a general smile went around the courtroom.

“Then why did yez bring me here, I dunno?  Sure an’ Mr. Langmore was afther bein’ me bist frind, an’ Oi wouldn’t harm him fer a million dollars, so Oi wouldn’t!” It was with difficulty that she was quieted and made to tell what she knew.

“Where were you from ten o’clock to twelve of the morning of the tragedy?” was the first question put to her.

“Oi was in the kitchen, an’ down to the barn, yer honor.”

“Were you in the kitchen first.”

“Sure an’ Oi was that.”

“What were you doing?”

“Phat was Oi doin’?  Sure Oi was washin’ the dishes, cl’anin’ the silverware, peelin’ the praties, shellin’ the beans, cleanin’ the lamps, fixin’ the—­”

“Ahem!  You mean you were doing the housework, eh?”

“Yis, sur.”

“While you were in the house, did you leave the kitchen?”

“Only to go to the ciller fer a scuttle o’ coal.”

“Did you see or hear anything unusual going on while you were in the kitchen?”

The Irish girl scratched her head and shrugged her shoulders.

“Oi heard a lot av things, yer honor.”

“What were they?”

“Oi heard Mrs. Langmore walkin’ around upstairs, an’ Oi heard Miss
Margaret walkin’ around, too.  Then Oi heard Mrs. Langmore call to Miss
Margaret.”

“Did Miss Margaret answer?”

“Oi dunno—­if she did, Oi didn’t hear her.”

“What else?”

“Thin Oi heard the front dure slam.”

“Did you see anybody come in or go out?”

“Sure, an’ Oi did not.”

“What time was this, as near as you can remember?”

“Atwixt tin an’ eliven o’clock.”

“Did you hear anything after the slamming of the front door?”

“Oi did not, fer Oi wint down to the barn directly afterwards.”

“How long did you remain down at the barn?”

“Till Miss Margaret came scr’amin’ from the house.  She cries, ’Mary, oh Mary!  Me father!  Me father!’ an’ staggers around loike she was goin’ to fall, an’ Oi run up to her an’ hild her up, poor dear.”  And the servant girl shot a sympathetic glance in Margaret’s direction.

“Ahem!  Now—­er—­you remained in the barn until you heard her cry out.  Did you hear or see anything from the barn while you were down there?”

“Well, to tell the truth, sur, Oi didn’t notice anythin’ at the toime, bein’ that interested in me pet chickens, sur.  Ye see, Pat Callahan gave me three foine Leghorns, an’—­”

“Never mind the Leghorns.  If you saw or heard anything, what was it?”

“‘Twas something Oi was afther hearin’, sur.  Oi think somebody ran past the barn, aisy loike.”

“You didn’t see anybody?”

“No, sur.  As Oi said before, thim Leghorns that Pat Callahan gave me—­”