Tat banker turned on bit wife.
Sternly he eeid:
"Alicia, I cannot permit you to in?
terfere. That young man is a self
confessed murderer and therefore no
son ef mine. I've dene with him long
ago. I cannot be moved by maudlin
fctuiinieatality. Please let that be
final." Turning to the lawyer, he
?aid, coldly:
"So, in the matter of this stage
business, you can take no steps to re
atraln herr
The lawyer shook his head.
"No, thsre is aothlng I can do."
Quickly hs added: "Of course, you
doL i doubt ny loyalty to you?"
Mr. Jeffries shook his head.
"No, bo, Brewster."
The lawyer laughed as he said:
"Right or wrong, you know?'my
country*?that Is, xuy client?' 'tis of
thee. " Turning to Alicia, he added,
laughingly: "That's the painful part
of a lawyer'** profession. Mrs. Jeffries.
The client's weakness is the lawyer's
strength. When men hate each other
and rob each other we lawyers don't
pacify them We dare not, because
that is our profession. We encour?
age them. We pit them against each
other for p/o?L If we didn't they'd
go to some lawyer who would."
Alicia gave a feeble smile.
"Yes,* she replied; "I'm afraid we
all love to ue advised to do what we
want to do.'
Mr. Jeffries made an impatient ges?
ture of dissent. Scofflngly he re?
marked :
"That may apply to the great gen?
erality of people, but not to me."
ewster looked skeptical,
hut o further comment. The
ba:il and Alicia followed suit
As h*? ? BO! ed toward the door, he
Bd said:
uivp in and see me this evening,
Brew3ier. Mrs. Jeffries will be de?
lighted if you will dine with us."
Alicia smiled graciously. "Do come,
judg*; we shall be all alone."
The lawyer bent low over her hand
as he said good by. Mr. Jeffries had
already reached the door, when he
'turned again and said:
"Are you sure a very liberal offer
wouldn't induce her to drop the
name?"
The lawyer shook his head doubt
?fully.
"Well, see what you can do," cried
-the banker. To his wife he said:
**Are you coming, Alicia?"
"Just a moment, dear," she replied.
"1 want to say a word to the Judge."
"All right," replied the banker. "I'll
be outside." He opened the door, and
as he did so he turned to the lawyer:
"If there are any new developments
let me know at once."
He left the office and Alicia breathed
a sigh of relief. She did not love her
husband, but she feared him. He
was no' 20 years fee senior, but
vis cold, aristocratic manner intimi
?da.ed her. H*r first Impulse had been
to U*l him everything, but she dare
His manner discouraged her. He
*uuiu oegln to ask questions, ques?
tions which she could not answer
without seriously Incriminating her?
self But her conscience would not
allow her to stand entirely aloof from
the tragedy in which her husband's
ocapegrace son was Involved. She
felt a strange, unaccountable desire to
meet this girl Howard had married.
In a quick undertone to the lawyer,
ahe said:
"I must see that woman, Judge. 1
think I can persuade her to change
her course of action. In any case I
must see her, I must?" Looking at
him questioningly. she said: "You
don't think It Inadvisable, do you?"
The judge smiled rrlmly.
"T e her first," he
?me back a lit
I b 1 l probable that
?he 'ternoon. Ill
an interview."
.as a niiocK at the door, and
Alicia started guiltily, thinking her
husband might have overheard their
conversation The head clerk entered
and whispered something to the Judge,
after which he retired. The lawyer
turned to Alicia with a smile.
"It's Just as I thought," he said,
p!easantly. "she's out there now.
You'd better go and leave her to me."
The door opened again unceremon?
iously, and Mr. Jeffries put in his
head:
"Aren't you coming. Alicia?" he de?
manded. Impatiently. In a lower
mice to the lawyer, he adde-d: "Say,
?prewster. that woman is outside in
?your office. Now is your opportunity
to come to some arrangement with
her."
Again Mrs. Jeffries held out her
hand.
"Good by, Judge; you're so kind!
It needs a lot of patience to be a
lawyer, doesn't it?"
Judge Brewster laughed, and added
In an undertone:
"Come back by and by."
The door closed, and the lawyer
went hick to his desk. For a few mo?
ments he sat still plunged in deep
thought. Suddenly, he touched a bell.
The head clerk entered.
"Show Mrs. Howard Jeffries. Jr.. in."
The e'erk looked surprised. Strict
orders hitherto had been to show the
unwelcome visitor out. He believed
that he had not heard aright
"Did you say Mrs. Jeffries, Jr.,
Judge?"
"I said Mrs Jeffries, Jr.," replied
tbo lawyer, grimly.
"Very well. Judge," said the clerk,
as he left the room.
Presently there was a timid knock
at the door
"Come in!" called out the lawyer.
CHAPTER XV.
Annie entered the presence of the
famous l?wyer pale end ill at ease.
This iffddea summons to Judge
Brewster's private office was bo unex?
pected that it came like a shock. Per
days she bad haunted the premises,
Avowed candiadtes for county of
sitting tn the outer office for hours At
s time exposed to tho stare and
corert smiles of thoughtless clerks
sad office boys. Her requests for an
Interview had been met with eurt re?
fusals. They either said the judge
waa out of town or else that he was
too busy to be seen. At last, evi?
dently acting upon orders, they flat?
ly refused to even aend in her name,
and she had about abandoned hope
when, all at oaee, a clerk approached
her, and addressing her more politely
than usual, said that the judge would
see her in a few minutes.
Her heart gars a great throb. Al?
most speechless from surprise, aha
stammered a faint thanks and braced
herself for the interview on which so
much depended. For the flrnt time
since the terrible affair had happened,
there was a faint glimmer of hope
ahead. If eely she could rush ever
to the Tombs and tell Howard the
Joyful news so he might keep lap cour?
age! It was eiglU days now since
Howard's arrest, and Che trial would
take place rn six weeks. There was
still time to prepare a strong defense
if the Judge would only conaent to
take the case. She was more sure
than ever that a clever lawyer would
have no difficulty in convincing a Jury
that Howards alleged "confession"
was untrue and improperly obtained.
In the intervals of waiting to see
the lawyer, she had consulted every
one she knew, and among others she
had talked with Dr. Bernstein, the
noted psychologist, whom she had
seen once at Yale. He received her
kindly and listened attentively to her
story- When she had finished he had
evinced the greatest interest. He
told \er that he happened to be the
physician called in on the night of the
tragedy, and at that time he had
grave doubts as to it being a case of
murder. He believed it was suicide,
and he had told Capt. Clinton so, but
the police captain had made up his
mind, and that was the end of it.
Howard's "confession," he went on,
really meant nothing. If called to the
stand he could show the jury that a
hypnotic subject can be made to
"confess" to anything. In the inter?
est of truth, justice, and science, he
said, he would gladly come to her
aid.
All this she would tell Judge Brew?
ster. It would be of great help to
him, no doubt. Suddenly, a cold
shiver ran through her. How did she
know he would take the case? Per?
haps this summons to his office was
only to tell her once more that he
would have nothing to do with her
and her husband. She wondered why
he had decided so suddenly to see
her and, like a flash, an idea came to
her. She had seen Mr. Jeffries, Sr.,
enter the inner sanctum and, in?
stinctively, she felt that ehe had
something to do with his visit. The
banker had come out accompanied by
a richly-dressed woman whom she
guessed to be his wife.
She looked with much Interest at
Howard's stepmother. She had heard
so much about her that it seemed to
her that she knew her personally. As
Alicia swept proudly by, the eyes of
the two women met, md Annie was
surprised to see in the banker's wife's
face, Instead of the cold, haughty
stare she expected, a wistful, longing
look, as if she would like to stop and
talk with her, but dare not. In an?
other instant she was gone, and, obey?
ing a clerk, who beckoned her to fol?
low him, she entered Judge Brew
ster's office.
The lawyer looked up as she came
in, but did not move from his seat.
Gruffly he said:
"How long do you intend to keep
up this system of?warfare? How
"It s Your Duty to Do It."
long are you going to continue for?
cing your way into this office?"
"I didn't force my way in," she said,
quietly. "I didn't expect to come in.
The clerk said you wanted to see me."
The lawyer frowned and scrutinized
her closely. After a pause, he said:
"I want to Ml you for the fiftieth
time I can do nothing for you."
"Fifty?" she echoed. "Fifty did yo'i
say? Really, it doesn't seem that
much."
Judge Brewster looked at her quick?
ly to Hee If she was lauthing at him.
Almost peevishly, he said:
"For the last time, I repeat I can
do nothing for you."
"Not the last time. Judg? ," she re?
plied, shaking her head. "I shall
come again to-morrow."
The lawyer swung around in hit
chair with indignation.
"You win?r
Annie nodded
"Yes. sir," she said, quietly
"You're determined to force your
way In here?" exclaimed the lawyer.
"Yes. sir."
The Judge banged the desk with his
flRt.
"But I won't allow it! I have <r:ie
thing to say. you know! I can | per
mit this to go on I repn , at my
flcea are becoming more n< live and
client, Mr. Howard Jeffries, Sr., and
he won't consent to my taking up
your husband's case."
There was a shade of sarcasm In
Annnle's roles as she asked calmly:
"Can't you do it without his con?
sent?"
The lawyer lookod at her grimly.
"I can," he blurted out, "but?I
won't."
Her eyes flashed as she replied
quickly.
"Well, you ought to?"
The lawyer locked up In amaze?
ment.
?"hat do you mean?" he demanded.
"It's your duty to do it," sha said,
quietly. "Your duty to his sou, to mt,
and to Mr. Jeffries himsolf. Why, he'i
so eaten up with his family prido aud
false principles that he can't see the
difference between right and wrong.
You're his lawyer. It's your duty to
put him right. It's downright wicked
of you to refuses?you're hurting bins.
Why, when I was hunting around for
a lawyer one of them actutiiiy re?
fused to take up the case because he
said old Brewster must thick How?
ard was guilty or he'd have taken it
up himself. You and his father are
putting the whole world against him,
and you know it." .
The Judge was staggered. No one
In his recollection had ever dared to
speak to him like that. He was so
astonished that he forgot to resent it,
and he hid his confusion by taking
out his handkerchief and mopping his
forehead.
"I do know it?" he admitted.
"Then why do you do it?" she
snapped.
The lawyer hesitated, and then he
said:
"I?that's not the question."
Annie leaped quickly forward, and
3he replied:
"It's my question?and as you say,
I've asked it 50 times."
The lawyer sat back in his chair
and looked at her for a moment with?
out speaking. He surveyed her crit?
ically from head to foot, and then, as
if satisfied with his examination,
said:
"You're going on the stage?"
She nodded.
"I've had a very big offer."
The Judge leaned forward, and in a
low voice, so that no one in the outer
office might hear, he said:
"Well, I'll give you twice as much
If you refuse the engagement."
She laughed ironically.
"You mean that my father-in-law
will give it." she said, lightly. Then
she went on:
"You know it's no use your asking
me to concede* anything unless you
agree to defend Howard."
The lawyer shook his head.
"I oan't?it's impossible."
"Then neither can I," she exclaimed,
defiantly.
Judge Brewster could not refrain
from smiling. This young woman
had actually enveigled him into an
argument. Almost mockingly, he said:
"So you're determined to have me."
"Yes," she said, simply.
"But I don't argue criminal cases."
"That's Just It," she exclaimed,
eagerly; "my husband Is not a crim?
inal. He is innocent. I don't want a
lawyer who is always defending crim?
inals. I want one who defends a man
because he isn't a criminal."
Judge Brewster waved his hand con?
temptuously.
"Go and see some other lawyer?
there are plenty of 'em."
She leaned eagerly forward. Her
face was flushed from exritement, her
eyes flashed.
"There's only one Judge Brewster,"
she exclaimed. "He's the greatest
lawyer In the world, and he's going
to help us. He is going to save How?
ard's life."
The Judge shifted uneasily on his
chair. He didn't like this forceful,
persistent young woman. Almost
fretfully, he said:
"You always say that. Upon my
word. I shall begin to believe it soon.",
"I shall say it again," she exclaimed,
"and Pgaln every time I Ree you."
Th^ lawyer turned round. There
was a comic look of despair in his
face which would have amused his
visitor had her errand not been so
serious.
"How often do you intend that shall
be?"
"Every day." she replied, calmly. "1
shall say It and think it until?until
it comes true."
Judge Brewster tried to feel angry,
although inwardly he had hard work
to keep from smiling. With pretend
ed indignation, he said:
"You mean that you intend to keep
at me until I give way?through
sheer exhaustion?"
She nodded.
That's it exactly," ah?> said.
The lawyer gasped.
"Well, I must say you?you?you're
very brave."
Annie shook her head.
"No, I'm not." she ,:aid. earnestly.
"I'm an awful coward, but I'm fight?
ing for him. Howard JeffrleR lifted
me tip when I was way down in the
world. He gave me his name. He
gave me all he had. to make me a
better woman, and I'm grateful. Why,
even a d ?g has gratitude, even a dog
will lick tin hand that feeds him.
Why should I hesitate to express my
gratitude" That's all I'm doing Just
naytng bin back a bit of the debt I
owe him, and I'm going to mow
Heaven and earth to bring his rather
around to my way of thinking I've
got you already?"
The |udge bounded to his feet.
Could his < ars have heard aright*'
"Got me already0" he exclaimed.
' What do you lit* nn by ?hat*'"
Annie returned Ins angry look with
the utmost calm. She was playing
her cuds well, and ?be knew it S 1
had hit the old man in a sensit I
place Quietly. ih< went on
"You'd say 'yes' In a miuute ii !t
wasu't for Mr JuffiUs."
there i. tal ? ol the rtnitounc tment of
"Oh. you think bo, do your ne
gasped.
"I'm sure of It," she replied, confi?
dently. Boldly she went on: "You're
afraid of him."
Judge Brewster laughed heartily.
"Afraid of him?" he echoed.
"It isn't so funny," she went on.
"You're afraid of opposing him. I'm
not surprised. I'm afraid of him my?
self."
The lawyer looked at her in an
amused kind of v.a/.
"Then why do y?<i oppose him in
everything?" he d* uanded.
Annie laughed ai *he replied:
"That's the only ?ray 1 can get his
attention. Why, wun he met me out
there to-day he act rtliy looked at me.
For the fl:*i time ui his lite he rec?
ognized thai he Diu a daughter-in-law.
He looked at me- and I'm not sure,
but I think he wa.. ted to bow to me.
He's kind of begwing to sit up and
take notice."
Judge Brewster frowned. He did
not like the insinuation that he was
afraid to do the right thing because
It might interfere with his emolu?
ments. Yet, secretly, he had to ad?
mit to himself that she had almost
guessed right. Now he came to think
of it, he had taken thin stand in the
matte: because he knew that any
other course would displease his
wealthy client. After all, was he dc
!ng light? Was he acting in conform?
ance with his professional oath? Was
he not letting his material interests
.nlerfere with his duty? He was si
ent for several minutes, and then, in
an absent-minded kind of way, he
turned to his visitor.
"So you think I'm afraid of him, do
you?"
"I'm sure of it/' she said, quickly.
You liked my husband, and you'd
just love to rush in and fight for him.
His father thinks he is guilty and,
..til?you don't like to disobey him.
It's very natural. He's an influential
man, a personal friend of the presi?
dent and all that. You know on which
side your bread is buttered, and?oh,
it's very natural?you're looking out
for your own interests?"
Judge Brewster interrupted her im?
patiently.
"Circumstances are against How?
ard. His father judges him guilty
rrom his own confession. It's the con?
clusion I'm compelled to come to my?
self. Now, how do you propose to
change that conclusion?"
"You don't have to change it," she
said, quietly. "You don't believe
Howard guilty."
"I don't?" exclaimed the lawyer.
"No, at the bottom of your heart.
You knew Howard when he was a boy,
and you know he is as incapable of
that crime as you are."
Judge Brewster lapsed into silence,
and there followed a perfect quiet,
broken only by the suppressed chatter
of the clerks and clicking of the type?
writers in the outer office. Annie
watched him closely, wondering what
was passing in his mind, fearing in
her heart that she might have preju?
diced him against her husband only
the more. Suddenly he turned on
her.
"Mrs. Jeffries, how do you know
that your husband did not kill Robert
Underwood?"
"I know It," she said, confidently.
"Yes," persisted the judge, "but how
do you know it?"
Annie looked steadily at him, and
then che said solemnly:
"I know there's a God, but I can't
tell you how I know it, that's all!
Howard didn't do it. I know he
didn't."
The lawyer smiled.
"That's a very fair sample of fem?
inine logic."
"Well, it's all I have," s! p retored,
with a toss of her head. " Ind it's a
mighty comfort, too, bee:.,ise when
you know a thing you know it and it
makes you happy."
Judge Brewster laughed c it. -'\t.
'Feminine deduction!" he < ? ied.
"Think a thing, believe it, and hen
you know it!" Looking up at her, he
asked:
"Haven't you any relatives to whom
you can go?"
She shook her head.
"No," she said, sadly. "My father
died in?Sing Sing?and the n Bt are
not worth?"
"Yes, yes. 1 know," repl.ed the
judge, hastily. "I got your family his?
tory from Mr. Jeffries alter your mar?
riage. It is filed away among the
family archives."
She smiled sadly.
"It's a wunder you don't burn 'em
up?my folks were not a very bril?
liant lot." Earnestly she went on:
"But my father was all right, judge.
Blood was thicker than water with I
him. He'd never have gone back on '
me In the w ay Howard's tatlc r has
on him."
The lawyer looked at her fixedly
without speaking Their eyes mot,
and tn*? silence continued until it be
(ame embarrassing. .Indue Brewster
shook his head.
"It's too bad I'm sorry for you,
really. I?"
Annie laughed, and he asked:
"Why do you laught"
"What's the use of crying?" she
s;iid. "Iis! Ha' It's slmosl a joke.
You're sorry, my father-in law is sor?
ry, and I suppose my mother-ln-laa is
shedding tears for me, too You're
all sorry and you're all wearing crape
for US, but why can't some of you
do something?"
i ll.' lawyer said nothing. He still
trued ;if her in a strange, absent
minded kind of way. until finally she
lost i atb nee Boldly she said ?
Well, yon - lit for nie What do
yo-i want to e me about. Judge?" j
"I went to tell you that you mustn't
h r * again," he anaa ered.
'Anything else?" she exclaimed.
The Judg began to fuss with the
spers on his desk, ;is he usually did
when embarrassed for e^erds,
others.
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