Show n f 0 4 rt n n J t i r B tit ps b J L E t L 1 J i A C C CT t y f flay 1 lay JQ K KENNETT E al tf t BI U P n T II L HARliS j A In Il 1 I R te 1 l W r r L t n d 1 But I dp do it protested the prisoner wiping tr er r eyes anew with her handkerchief The matron seated s ted in a by her desk deskit it the further end of the bare barc room and stitching busily y t the hem of an m apron coughed and directed a half hali Sliding glance at It the stout dapper young lawyer lawer and andus us lis prospective client The young joung law lawyer er from his perch lerch on the ledge of the window winked in m return The girl was ryas young joung and she made madeS S rather pathetic little figure in in that stern cheerless che en cn She could hardly have been heen more than nineteen or twenty and md her face paled u b by her last nights vigil igil isil and tearstained had a certain delicacy and refinement if not actual beauty Elise Harper occupation saleslady residence 19 Flournoy Avenue Ave Avenue nue That was her booking hookins below Please believe I do ill it J she cried Of course you didn t agreed Levy Lcy the stout young oung lawyer with smiling sarcasm The only trouble will willbe willIx willbe be Ix to make the jury jUf believe you If J f I was the jury joud you leave this jail without a slam slain on your our char character character acter in just about a holy second but as it is He shrugged his plump shoulders and threw out his hands palms upward A look of terror came me into the blue eyes that were raised appealingly appealing to his bold black ones and the slight sl figure in the frock shivered a little Levy Lcy looking at her was puzzled in spite of his nat natural natural ural acuteness sharpened by b six years cars of highly suc sue successful successful criminal practise furthermore he le experienced a feeling almost entirely new to him that of pity pit Dont you get scared now he said well get you off all right some way Youre too pretty He checked himself and that for the tine mere reason that the girl seemed distressed Then the t e pro professional professional instinct asserted itself What did you OU do with the money mone money he asked bluntly The money Why Vh yes the mono money mone repeated the lawyer sharply The money you ou got on the thc check checkI I cash the thc check the girl cried passionately I tell you I I 1 I 1 I Again the tears tear came and again Levy Lcy was stirred by II strange emotions The woman identified you jou ou pretty prell positively posit el he said after a pause eying her narrowly his full ful red lips pursed If Im any an judge she was honest about it itI itI it itI I think she was honest about out it too said i the thc girl I T dont understand it it She swore lo to my dress and my hat and everything and the little boy bo was vas sure it was me meThe meThe The fhe lawyer rubbed his chin which was already tend tending tending tending ing to and smiled It was mighty well done he told himself Young as lie Ilc was he had seen some good counterfeits of angelic innocence but this one beat them all It was so o good that he J felt obliged obI get ed to make ke ashow of if it itI I have gone in there lucre and cashed the thc check without knowing it could I n asked his client with wilh the same engaging candor of of expression express on Levy Le chuckled Im afraid we work that he said Was Vas it the thc same dress youre wearing Yes Same hat hOlt you rou wore in court yesterday Yes His keen eyes surveyed the cheap not too suit with a careful scrutiny under which the girl blushed faintly Hm Hmm m they become you So you jou OU work in a 1 store for seven dollars per pcr and help to sup support support support port your our mother out of that Yes sir But your name Harper and you jou dont live on Flournoy Her IIer chin quivered I J tell them that she said If 1 f mother had seen it in the papers it would have killed her I thought thed let me go when they found it me Oh Olt cut that out said id Levy Le roughly What do you jou ou take me for How do you suppose Im going goin to tD todo todo do anything for you IOU if you jou ou dont give me the straight of it The girl irl looked at him at first in amazement and then without replying she arose and walked over Oer to the thc matron Im ready to go back now no she announced tremulously tremulously Thank you for being so kind but I dont want him for my mj lawyer What I 1 exclaimed the thc matron She looked at Levy sternly The lawyer shrugged his shoulders and threw out his hands I 1 lie He thinks I r passed the check died sobbed the girl he hc believes In I n lying to him about it I want to lo go back Olt Oh I 1 what shall I 1 do I Nonsense I 1 said the thc matron matran not unkindly Sec here said Levy Ley himself himsel lying and with artis artistic artistic artistic tic case se I dont believe you ou passed it I wanted to tose sec se what you yon would say ay Youre all right On the square now Come back and well talk this Ibis over oer He took her by the arm and ehe hc he suffered him to lead her herback herback back uck to tD o the window You dont want to get sore Elise he remonstrated Is ls your our name Elise Yes the girl Cirl whispered flY You ou aint sore now No she replied and smiled for the first time not if ii you OU really believe what I t say SI Sure I do said id Levy and Im Im going to lo get you out of this You can C ln bank on it Now lets leis see sec where we stand You cant prove an alibi and theres two strong stron witnesses against you ou and the police had your description before you jou OU were arrested The 1 he old ladys respectable and theres no motive we can an lay laj to her tells a straight story stor and ami I dont believe going to weaken on it He Hc rubbed his chin and regarded her thoughtfully Now how do you OU think Im going to lo get around all that he asked suddenly I 1 dont know Elise answered with despair in her hertOl tone tome Well Vell Im going to tD do it il all the tine same said slid Levy shortly Youve You vc told toM me mc all you DU can have you ou Yes Ies Cs Goodby said id Levy Lcy holding out his hand handShe handShe handShe She laid hers within it I dont know what to say Sl to thank you jou ou she he faltered I dont know how Ini Im ever going goin to lo pay you Forget it said Levy half jocularly well fix that later Ilter He turned abruptly and nodding to 10 the matron as he lie passed left the room A few moments later the grated crated door of the the jail closed behind him Well Vell I guess Im easy cas he lie mused as he made his way wr down a side street Not even a contingent contin ent fee in in it and md its going to cost money Still she might as aswell aswell aswell well blow me mc ash as any of oJ cm em What kind of a game is is she playing pla anyway anlY I wonder if I do look like a sucker Tr He lIe paused where a window afforded him hima a view view of himself f and smiled at It his reflection A rather massive man C head square jaw merging almost imperceptibly t im imperceptibly imperceptibly perceptibly into the thc throat full red lips swarthy com complexion complexion pl xion jetty penetrating pencilling eye eyes clothes almost too fitting pink striped linen black necktie and Od bril pin A prosperous figure fi certainly Certainly C not the thc face of a fool Not an unattractive face fare either Shines a n peach pc ch anyway anway he thought a little peach and Ill gamble that this is her first But if its r J ti first urged superior reason rC lson how did she manage manasc to throw it into you oU the way tay wa she did This was something of a poser There lure could be no doubt of the girls guilt the evidence was strong enough to lo convince an anybody body of that Levys experience experience experience ence had taught him to presume guilt in iii almost any case until innocence was established by absolute proof and then to make mental reservations of doubt but hut the most credulous of jurymen would not have ac accepted accepted accepted the bare hare denial of the accused girl in in the le face Ice of the thc circumstances At the time the bogus check was passed on the thc unsuspecting proprietress of oi the little store the tine Miss 71 iss Harper was downtown according to her own story but ut she was alone llone had conversed with no one could offer no proof of it She was arrested in in the immediate neighbor neighborhood neighborhood hood of the store probably working the district About the bluest eyes eves I 1 At this stage stage in his meditations Levy arrived at po police police police lice headquarters and woke to action Opening with without without out ont hesitation a door whose upper panel bore borc the thc legend Private Pr ate he lie entered a large room where half a dozen or more men were lounging smoking smoking ing reading or chatting One of these was a florid sand haired person of middle age whose feet were comfortably com disposed on a table as he lie scanned the headlines of the thc latest edition of an In afternoon paper Him Levy Le tapped lapped familiarly on the shoulder Spare me nine a 1 minute Jerry Jerr he asked Sure answered Detective Jerry J err Monahan cordial cordially ly 1 Ir minute and a half if jou you want it hats doing I want to have a talk with you said Levy Come over oer here The detective e reluctantly removed his legs from the table and antl followed the lawyer to a secluded corner of the room roost where the two conversed for several min minutes minutes minutes utes At the close of the conference Levy Lew shook the th florid mans hand with w th some effusion Monahan on his part was shaking his head Then send her up this evening ening asked Levy Sure answered Monahan Ill II send her tIp up if I Isay Isa Isay say sa I will But He Hc shook his head again Dont you think shell do it il Shell do anything thing I J say you ou can bet on that thal re rc replied replied plied the detective Ill see sec to that part of it all right And the queen of cm em all but Then all right ri ht Levy IA said hastily Dont Dant you feu worry about anything Sec See you later He backed off waved his plump handin hand in m farewell alid went quickly away leaving Monahan m still shaking shaling his head doubtfully Levy Ley had the honor of receiving the royally men mentioned bj hj his friend in his own office at It the time ap appointed appointed appointed pointed She S e was a young joung woman apparently in fact f ct her youth was as rather apparent than real as Je OS s skeen keen eyeS at It once discovered A very cn ing woman w man in a way Perhaps a trifle lri c overdressed a little verging upon gorgeousness gor s in the matter of jewel jewelry ry but butI I guess do was Levys mental comment com comment comment ment approving on the whole The visitor smiled You can get my by applying appling at the proper quarter she remarked but I Iguess Iguess Iguess guess be ue able to swear to me without it Sit down Kate said Levy affably Now Ill tell your you in in a mighty few words what I want with you youell Well Vell ell it much is is it said the woman sarcas sarcastically sarcastically when he had told her I 1 always heard your jour nerve well spoken of Three jobs and an elegant show sho for getting nipped in any my one of them I 1 t I tell you it was fixed asked a the lawyer That part of it t is all right Then I guess Ill make em cm a thousand apiece and shake the thc town she slid said lightly Levy Le frowned do exactly what I tell you jou jouhe youlie ou he lie declared sternly pulling some slips of paper from Ins his vest pocket take these and bring tiring the tine stuff back here to lo me meThe meThe meThe The woman look toole time thc slips and glancing at them smiled as if something amused her Then Them she laid them down on Levys Les desk Im Jm too much of f a lady Ild to do anything of that sort rt she said sa d decidedly and besides s she added what is there in it for me rite meA mcA A new dress and nd hat hatNot hatNot hatNot Not good enough Come Conic again ag n nAnd And the privilege of obliging my friend Jerry Mona Monahan Monahan I na han hall and me nee Kate insinuated Levy Lev The Tine woman picked up the slips again again and md bestowed them in her silver and mill seal handbag I suppose suppose Ill have hac to then she said discontentedly It often seemed to Elise that the day of of the tine trial would never come the tint hours dragged so wearily along in the gray graj sunless monotony of her confinement At Ai certain periods steel doors clanged or hinge hinges grated or 0 measured footsteps sounded with hollow echoes through the time bare corridors at other times tunics there was the tine rever of voices voices now in harsh accents of reproof and again in quickly suppressed wailing in sobbing and in in cursing but for the time rest silence dead and ant ominous There was unspeakable relief to h in Levys frequent visits lie IFe had little to tell her usually and find much to ask her Some of his questions perplexed perplex d the girl girt others distressed her by the implication of or a recur recurring recurring recurring ring doubt doub of of her innocence Yet Y cl when she challenged his belief belic he itc would hasten to profess e s his entire un shadowed faith and always he Inc left her with the earnest assurance that the day da of trial trill would be her day of vindication and nd liberation And it was vas impossible not notto notto to lo feel feci confidence in in him So when the day daj conic came at last its terrors were mill miti Rated gated in some degree However severe the little wrin wrinkled wrinkled kled man with the white while moustache looped looked as he re sat in jn judgment behind the tall desk Levy Ley was cool and cheerful as might aright be ue The fhe room was IS gloomy and de dc depressing depressing pressing the lie prosecuting attorney had a terrifying terri as aspect aspect aspect the witnesses w regarded the prisoner vindictively and with anticipated triumph and the jury seemed dull and lOd apathetic but hut Levy was unruffled by bj all this ibis Calm consciousness of power absolute confidence fairly radi radiated radiated from him and communicated themselves to his client in in every smiling glance he le gave gate her You may 1111 take the thc witness said the assistant States Slates attorney Levy seemed to tD hesitate Then leisurely rising from his scat he Inc smiled reassuringly at the thc elderly woman who was showing symptoms of nervousness I think I will waive ahe he said addressing the thc Court Wait though He Ilc turned to the tine witness I 1 notice you arc are wearing glasses he hc remarked Arc you DU nearsighted Yes Y cS J Did Iid D d the appearance of the woman who cashed this check strike you in any an way ay remarkable I say that answered the witness but I knew her again the minute I laid eyes on her Her appearance and md manner inspired confidence She worked it pretty smooth She worked it pretty prett smooth repeated the law laty lawer er slowly slow I Then she ale had hall no rio appearance of nerv nervousness nervousness I will ask you to look at the prisoner All es turned tinted on the slight girl who blushed holl hotly under their gaze Her lips imps were trem trembling trembling bling piteously and a coral necklace that she wore rose rosc and fell rapidly with the agitation of her bosom hosom Her I Ier hands clutched the railing near her as if for sup C Cr CL r L 1 i T f I port It could not h the been done better Levy thought with satisfaction lie lIc waited for an effective space of tunic tune e ehe s all he said with an In equally effective air nir of giving it up James King Judson a freckled boy of Dr thirteen son pf f the prosecuting witness was the next called call d His testimony was at atthe atthe atthe the preliminary hearing hear g that he had heard the accused ac accused accused ask Is his mother if she sine could cash esh a 1 small check for her as S the banks were closed and she was short of change |