The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-06-19
Continued from Last Sundays News.)
CHAPTER XIV.
THE TEST.

A stiffness so tense as to be almost
painful succeeded the plaintiffs words.
and the summons to admit the defend
ant while the plaintiff passed him on
his way to the seclusion of the office.
Mr. Hamilton, for such he was, UNI
doubtedly, whether the true or false
claimant, was deeply moved, as was
apparent to all when he stood in the
witness box before them all. His face
was pallid, his eyes were cleaning,
his hands were tightly clenched.
All glances were rivited upon him
with establishment as he said in a
strange tone, not waiting to be ques-
toned at all:
81 will go to get it. I will go to get
it,
Twice he said it, and then stood look
ing at vacancy rather than at the
judge.
The counsel looked at each other, the
jurymen at the judge. There were sew
eral seconds of waiting.
HAS the learned counsel for the
plaintiff any objection?" asked Mr..
Ferguson.
None, whatever" replied Mr.. Nor
ley, crisply; "if his honor is willing,
the prosecution has no objections"
A moments reflection and the judge
directed that the counsel for both par
ties and the jurymen attend the de-
PENDANT to his destination, if not too
distant. and see the search take place.
oI5
til / o'clock. And his honor went to
dinner. The sheriff followed the thir-
teen, who filed down the street toward
the bank building no doubt the place
to which the defendant was leading
them. Tall, erect, impassive, he passed
on as in a dream, never hesitating,
never speaking, neither looking to the
right nor to the left
Thus he led them to the bank and
up the steps. Pushing open the door,
Mr.. Morley explained their errand to
the cashier.
1T is in the vault, the safe, the small
drawer" said the defendant, and the
cashier successfully opened each re-
ceptacle except the drawer.
Il have no key to that" he said. I
have never been able to find it. The
directors told me nothing was ever
kept in it, because it was not accounted
a safe receptacle, being poorly con-
structed."
At this moment Tony Osborn came
forward with key. Il found it not
long ago." he explained, under the
corner of the safe"
TRY it," said Mr.. Morley, but the
cashier handed it to the defendant, who
inserted it in the lock.
The jurymen crowded forward to see
what was in the drawer. Nothing, evil
IDENTIFY, but piece of tissue paper, I'M
less that paper contained the diamond
stud.
It did.
A flash, CLEAN and the defendant
thrust it into the hands of Mr.. Morley,
instead of his own counsel's.
For my wife. Give it to her." and
then he fell prone on the floor.
Had he tainted? Was it a fit?
The doctor was called and pro-
nounced it the last, but he soon re-
vived and was in a short time appar-
emily as we'll as ever. He attended the
afternoon session of court, and was the
center of curious interest to all. In
deed, it was generally admitted that
he had triamphed by leading the jury
though it could not be denied
that the other claimant had in
dictated the place just as sure
~ by his words. Strange that both
should know what was secret eX-
cept to one of them and to Mrs. Ham
ilton! She seemed dazed by the cir
cumstance, while a hopeless, detected
look settled over her countenance..
Tony Osborn's testimony was taken
in the afternoon, and told against the
defendant. since it was plainly made
evident that he had distrusted him
from from the first. He was sharply
cross questioned as to why he had
so stoutly declared in the first place
that it was Mr.. Hamilton who visited