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Show 1Q SYNOPSIS. Howard Jeffries, banker's son, under the evil Influence of Robert Underwood, fellow-student at Yale, leads a life of dissipation, dis-sipation, marries tbe daughter of a s'am-ler s'am-ler who died in prison, and Is disowned by his fatlier. lie Is out of work and In Jesperate straits. Underwood, who had 3nce been enai,red to Howard's stepmother. step-mother. Allela. is apparently in prosperous prosper-ous circumstances. Taking advantage of his Intimacy . with Alicia, be becomes a sort of social hie;bwayman. Discovering Tls true character. Alicia denies lii 'lie holism. He sends her a note threat ne; suicide. Art dealers for whom be acted as commissioner, demand an accounting-Ue accounting-Ue cannot make pood. Howard calls at his apartments' in an intoxicated condl-:ion condl-:ion to request n loan of S:000 to enable lim to take up a business proposition. Howard drinks himself into a maudlin condition, and goes to s'ecp on a divan. A. caller Is announced and Underwood 3raws a screen around the drunken ;lcr,1- .ML-i-i ..nlrn-s She demands a promise from Underwood that be will not :ake his life. He refuses unless she will renew her patronage. This she refuses, and takes her leave. Underwood kills himself. Tbe report of tbe pistol nwa- ns Howard. He finds Underwood dead. Howard Is turned over to the police. ?apt. Clinton, notorious for bis brutal :realment of prisoners, puts Howard :hrough the third decree, and finally sets in allege-1 confession from the harassed -nan. Ai ie. Howard's wife. deelo.res her relief ii. Iter husband's innocence, and ?alls on Jeffries. r. He refuses to help .niless she wdll consent to a divorce. To save Howard she consents, but when she Inds that the elder Jeffries does not in-rd in-rd to stand by bis son, except financially, finan-cially, she scorns bis help. Annie appeals '.o Judge Brewster, attorney for Jeffries, ?r.. to take Howard's ease. He declines. It Is reported that Annie is going on tbe Mage. The banker and bis wife call on Judge Brewster to find some way to present pre-sent it. CHAPTER XV. Continued. "You're going on the stage?" She nodded. ""ve had a very big offer." : judge leaned forward, and in a It. 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. "Yon 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 s'ook his head. "I can'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 criminal. crim-inal. He is innocent. I don't want a lawyer who is always defending criminals. crim-inals. I want one who defends a man because he isn't a criminal." Judge Brewster waved his hand contemptuously. con-temptuously. "Go and see some other lawyer there are plenty of 'em." She leaned eagerly l'prward. Her face was flushed from excitement, her eves 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 Howard's 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 again every time I see you." The 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. "I 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 pretended 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," she said. The lawyer gasped. "Well, I must say you you you're very brave." Annie shook her head. "No, I'm not," she said, earnestly. "I'm an awful coward, but I'm fighting fight-ing for him. Howard Jeffries lifted me up 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 dog has gratitude, even a dog will lick the hand that feeds him. Why should I hesitate to express my gratitude? That's all I'm doing just paying him back a bit of the debt 1 owe him, and I'm going to move Heaven and earth to bring his father around to my way of thinking. I've got you already " The judge bounded to his feet. Could his ears have heard aright? "Got me already?" he exclaimed. "What do 'ou mean by that?" ARTHURDHOIWBLOW V j ILLUSTRATIONS BY RAY W41TER$ 5 COPYKIGMT, 1909, BY- G.W. DllLINCHArt COMPANY; Annie returned his angry look with the utmost calm. She was playing her cards well, and she knew it. She had hit the old man in a sensitive place. Quietly, she went on: "You'd say 'yes' in a minute if it wasn't for Mr. Jeffries." "Oh, you think so, do you?" he gasped. "I'm sure of It," she replied, confidently. confi-dently. Boldly she went on: "You're afraid of him." Judge Brewster frowned. He did not like the insinuation that he was afraid to do the right thing because it might interfere with his emoluments. emolu-ments. Yet, secretly, he had to admit ad-mit to himself that she had almost guessed right. Now he came to think of it, he had taken this stand in the matter because he knew that any other course would displease his wealthy client. After all, was he doing do-ing right? Was he acting in con form- he not letting his material interests interfere with his duty? He was silent si-lent 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, well you don't like to disobey him. It's very natural. He's an influential man, a personal friend of the president presi-dent and all that. You know on which side your bread is buttered, and oh, died in Sing Sing and the rest are not worth " "Yes, yes, 1 know," replied the judge, hastily. "I got your family history his-tory from Mr. Jeffries after your marriage. mar-riage. It is filed away amoug the family archives." She smiled sadly. "It's a wonder you don't burn 'em up my folks were not a very brilliant bril-liant lot." Earnestly she went on: "lut my father was all right, judge. Blood was thicker than water with him. He'd never have gone back on me in the way Howard's father has on him." The lawyer looked at her fixedly without speaking. Their eyes met, and the silence continued until it became be-came embarrassing. Judge Brewster shook his head. "It's too bad. I'm sorry for you, really, I " Annie laughed, and he asked: "You Take Too Much for Granted." it's very natural you're looking out for your own interests " Judge Brewster interrupted her impatiently. im-patiently. "Circumstances are against Howard. How-ard. His father judges him guilty from his own confession. It's the conclusion con-clusion I'm compelled to come to myself. 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." "Mrs. Jeffries, how do you know that your husband did not kill 'Robert Underwood?" "1 know it," she said, confidently.' "Yes," persisted the judge, "but how do you know it?" Annie looked steadily at him, and then she said solemnly: "1 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 feminine fem-inine logic." "Well, it's all I have," she retored, with a toss of her head. "And it's a mighty comfort, too, because when you know a thing you know it and it makes you happy." Judge Brewster laughed outright. "Feminine deduction!" he cried. "Think a thing, believe it, and then you know it!" Looking up at her, he asked: "Haven't you any relatives to who.n you can go?" She shook her head. "No," she said, sadly. "My father "What's the use of crying?" she said. "Ha! Ha! It's almost a joke. You're sorry, my father-in-law is sorry, sor-ry, and I suppose my mother-in-law 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?" The lawyer said nothing. He still stored at her in a strange, absent-minded absent-minded kind of way, until finally she lost patience. Boldly . she said: "Well, you sent for me. What do you want to see me about, judge?" "I want to tell you that you mustn't come here again," he answered. "Anything else?" she exclaimed. The judge began to fuss with the papers on his desk, as he usually did when embarrassed for words. "Of course," he stammered, "you will be amply compensated." "Of course," she cried. Rising from her chair, she shrugged her shoulders, and said: "Oh, well, this is not my lucky day. They wouldn't let me into the prison to see Howard to-day. Capt. Clinton doesn't like me. He has always tried to prevent my seeing Howard, but I'll see him to-morrow, captain or no captain. He can make up his mind to that!" The lawyer looked up at her. "Poor girl you are having a hard time, aren't you?" "Things have been better," she replied, re-plied, with a tremor in her voice. "Howard and I were very happy when we first " A sob choked her utterance, utter-ance, and she forced a laugh, saying: "Here, I must keep off that subject " "Why do you laugh?" demanded the lawyer. Already hysterical, Annie had great difficulty in keeping back her tears. "Well, if I don't laugh," she sobhed. "I'll cry; and as I don't want to cry why I just laugh. It's got to be one or the other see ?" He said nothing, and she continued: "Well, I guess I'll go home home that's the worst part of it home " She stopped short, she could go no further. Her bosom was heaving, tbe hot tears were rolling down her cheeks. The old lawyer turned away his head so that she might not see the suspicious redness in his eyes. Moving toward the door, she turned around. "Well, you have your own troubles, judge. I'll go now, but I'll come again to-morrow. Perhaps you'll have better bet-ter news for me." The lawyer waved her back to her seat with a commanding gesture she could not resist. There was determination deter-mination around his mouth; in his face was an expression she had not seen there before. "Sit down again for a moment," he said, sharply. "I want to ask you a question. How do you account for Howard's confessing to the shooting?" "I don't account for it," she replied, as sl.e resumed her seat. "He says he didn't confess. I don't believe he did." "But three witnesses " "Who are the witnesses?" she interrupted, inter-rupted, contemptuously. "Policemen!" inai manes no ennerence, ne saia. "He made a confession and signed " Annie leaned forward. What did this question mean? Was the judge becoming interested after all? Her heart gave a leap as she answered eagerly: "He confessed against his will. I mean he didn't know what he was doing at the time. I've had a talk with the physician who was called in Dr. Bernstein. He says that Capt. Clinton is a hypnotist, that he can compel people to say what he wants them to say. Well, How:ard is what they call a subject they told him he did it till he believed he did." "Oh, well, what's the use ?" The judge quickly put out his hand and partly pushed her back in the chair. "Don't go," he 'said. Then he added: "Who told you he was a hypnotic subject?" Her hopes revived once more. Quickly she said: "Dr. Bernstein. Besides, Howard told me so himself. A friend of his at college used to make him cut all sorts of capers." "A friend at college, eh? Do you "remember his name?" "Howard knows it." "Urn!" ejaculated the lawyer. He took up a pad and wrote a memorandum memoran-dum on it Then aloud he said: "I'd like to have a little talk with Dr. Bernstein. I think I'll ask him to come and see me. Let me see. His address is " "342 Madison avenue," she exclaimed, ex-claimed, eagerly, ' The lawyer jotted the address down, and then he looked up. "So you think I'm afraid of Mr. Jeffries, Jeff-ries, do you?" She smiled. "Oh, no, not really afraid," she answered, an-swered, "but just scared. I didn't mean " Judge Brewster was enjoying the situation hugely. He had quite made up his mind what to do, but he liked to quiz this bold young woman who had not been afraid to show tjiin where his duty lay. Striving to keep a serious face, he said: Oh, yes, you did, and 1 want you to understand I'm not afraid of any man. As to allowing my personal interests in-terests to interfere with my duty " Annie took alarm. She was really afraid she had offended him. "Oh, I didn't say that, did 1?" she exclaimed timidly. Judge Brewster forced his face into a frown. "You said I knew on which side my bread was buttered!" "Did I?" she exclaimed in consternation. con-sternation. "You say a great many things, Mrs. Jeffries," said the lawyer solemnly. "Of course, I realize how deeply you feel, and I make excuses for you. But I'm not afraid. Please understand that" He rapped the table with his eyeglasses eye-glasses as if he were very much offended of-fended indeed. "Of course not," she said apologetically. apologetic-ally. "If you were you wouldn't even see me let alorfe talk to me and and " Pointing to the piece of paper pa-per he held in his hand, she added: "And" "And what?" demanded the judge, amused. Half hysterical, now laughing, now crying, she went on: "And and take the names and addresses ad-dresses of witnesses for the defense and think out how you're going to defend Howard and and all that " The lawyer looked at her and laughed. "So you think I'm going to help Howard?" he said. "You take toe much for granted." (TO HE CONTINUED.) |