" I understand Philip Crawford's action," said
Mr. Porter, very seriously. " In the first place he



THE MIDNIGHT TRAIN 801

was not quite himself, owing to the sudden shock
of seeing his brother dead before his eyes. Also
the sight of his own pistol, with which the deed had
evidently been committed, unnerved him. It was
an almost unconscious nervous action which made
him take the pistol, and it was a sort of subconscious
mental working that resulted in his abstracting the
will. Had he been in full possession of his brain
faculty, he could not have done either. He did
wrong, of course, but he has made full restitution,
and his wrong-doing should not only be forgiven
but forgotten."

I looked at Mr. Porter in unfeigned admiration.
Truly he had expressed noble sentiments, and his
must be a broadly noble nature that could show
such a spirit toward his fellow man.
Florence, too, gave him an appreciative glance,
but her mind seemed to be working on the pos-
sibilities of the new evidence.
" Then it would seem," she said slowly, " that
as I, myself, was in Uncle's office at about eleven
o'clock, and as Uncle Philip was there a little after
one o'clock, whoever killed Uncle Joseph came and
went away between those hours."

"Yes," I said, and I knew that her thoughts
had flown to Gregory Hall. "But I think there



SOS THE GOLD BAG

arc no trains in and out again of West Sedgwick
between those hours."

"He need not have come in a train," said
Florence slowly, as if simply voicing her thoughts.
