She was always capricious in her ways and never more so than at that
moment. Would to God that it had been different! Would to God that
she had shown herself to be a suffering woman! Then I might have
reached her heart and this tragedy would have been averted."
The coroner favored the witness with a look of respect, perhaps
because his next question must necessarily be cruel.
"Is that all you have to say concerning this important visit, the
last you held with your sister before her death?"
"No, sir, there is something else, something which I should like to
relate to this jury. When she came into my room, she held in her
hand a white ribbon; that is, she held the two ends of a long satin
ribbon which seemed to come from her pocket. Handing those two ends
to me, she asked me to tie them about her wrist. 'A knot under and
a bow on top,' she said, 'so that it can not slip off.' As this was
something I had often been called on to do for her, I showed no
hesitation in complying with her request. Indeed, I felt none. I
thought it was her fan or her bouquet she held concealed in the folds
of her dress, but it proved to be - Gentlemen, you know what. I pray
that you will not oblige me to mention it."
It was such a stroke as no lawyer would have advised her to make, - I
heard afterward that she had refused the offices of a dozen lawyers
who had proffered her their services.
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