Page:The Mystery of Central Park.djvu/33

Rh poison, and she quietly hoped that the doctors who held the post-mortem examination would set at rest all the doubts in the case.

The park policeman, in a grandiloquent manner, gave his testimony.

He told how he found the young couple bending over the dead girl, who was half lying on a bench. When the officer asked what was wrong, the young man, who seemed excited and frightened—and he laid great stress on those words—replied "The girl is dead." The officer had then looked at the body but did not touch it. The young people denied any knowledge of the girl's identity, and then his suspicions being aroused he asked the young man why he had replied "The girl is dead," if he did not know her?

The young man repeated that he had never seen the dead girl before, and his companion gave him a quick, frightened glance; so the officer said sternly: