Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1908-01-10
CHAPTER V.

TO find Godfrey just within, in close
conference with Mr.. Royce.
Here he isl" ne cried. mo, no;
don't AXE off our coat; don't ever
take off your hat! Come along; it's a
Mighty close thing now" and he caught
me by the arm.
"tts all right, Lester" said our jun
Tor. seeing my astonished countenance
MI. Godfrey will explain on the way
out"
That was enough; | needed no second
bidding. and ran after Godfrey to the
elevator. At the curb a cab was wait
ing, and we jumped into ii.
James Slip" called Godfrey, in
an instant we were off.
The driver seemed to realize the need
of haste, for we bumped over the paw
ing stones at a prodigiOus rate, thread
ing the dirty streets of the Italian and
Jewish quarters, and finally pulling up
with a whirl in the shadow OF Brook
lyn bridge.
Come on" cried Godfrey, and we
crossed the ferry-house at a jump,
slammed our tickets into the chopper,
and sprang aboard the boa just as 1t
was casting loose.
That was a close shave" said God
frey, sinking into the nearest seat and
taking off his hat.
l sat down beside him and mopped
away the perspiration. | had need OF
all my breath for a moment, but at last
| managed to blurt Out a question.
What's it all about?"
Well" began Godfrey, putting on his
hat again n looking at me with a
quizzical smile, "in the first place, the
eminent and widely known firm of Ora
ham a. Royce has been engaged to de-
fend one John Tolbert Drysdale, now
under arrest charged with murder and
robbery. You are on our way to Baby
Ion, Long Island, to look over the
ground, have a talk with your client,
and get the case ready"
Sol" / nodded; yes, l read of the
case in last nights papers. But Mr..
Drysdale has never, l think, been a
client of our; how did he happen to
choose u.s."
He didn't; / chose you. | wanted
him to have the best in the market"
Thanks l said, coloring a little.
But how did the office come to take
the case? We're always rather shy of
criminal cases, you know"
Yes, | know you are. But | Chinned
your junior a bit"
THAT explains it," l said, laughing.
"Of course We'll do our best for him."
you'll acquit him." said Godfrey.
with conviction. Il was at Boston yes
terday, or I'd have gone down to Baby
Ion at once and taken you with me"
Then | shouldn't have got to say
gOOdby to CeCily."
ITO whom"
"TO CeCily-Tremaine's sweetheart,
you know. He shipped her back to
Martinique this morning"
"Oh, did hep" and my companions
eyes narrowed suddenly. why was
that ?"
l related briefly the incidents of the
preceding evening and of the morning.
Godfrey" l added impulsively, IF
you knew Tremaine personally, l think
you'd realize what a poor case we've
got against him. Why, it's no case at
all! Theorizing's all very we'll, but
what a jury wants is evidence-plain,
straight-out, direct evidence, and we
haven't enough of that to build a cob
web. l thought I'd found some yester-
day afternoon, but it was all the effect
of s|elf-induCed hypnosis and l told
him Of my visit to Sing Sing.
He listened with intent face.
I'm not so sure it was hypnosis" he
said, when / had finished. AT least,
I'll have a look at those photographs
myself before | accept that theory. In
fact, l rather think it's Tremaine who
has hypnotized you, not l."
Il don't believe he's guilty" 1, re-
peated.
Then who isl"
"Cecily!" 1 said bluntly. Il believe
she's the Z who killed Thompson,
anyway"
Where's your e~vidence?"
Il haven't any," l said helplessly;
"only a kind of intuition"
Well, I've the same kind OF intuition
it was Tremaine."
But we haven't any evidence
against him, either; not a shred of real.
direct, convincing evidence"
Perhaps not" he agreed; but we're
going to get tt-enough TO convict him
and some to spare"
Convict him Of what?'
of two murders and one robbery"
Then you believe he's implicated in
this Edgemere AFFAIR.""
I'm sure of IT,"
But there isn't a shred OF evidence
against him." / protested again, coming
back to my old objection: really God
frey was allowing his prejudices to car
ry him too far.
Not a shred, apparently" he assent
ed readily.
Well, then, how"
Here's the landing" he interrupted.
I'VE can talk II over on the train
We left the boat and FASTENED across
10 the station. The train was waiting
the word TO start, and was i'm motion q
moment alter we stepped aboard. There
were not many passengers, for the
morning travel is toward the city. not
from 1t; and we had no difficulty in
finding a seat where we could talk with
out fear OF being overheard.
Now" began Godfrey, "as you saw.
there isn't a shred of evidence, appar-
entity, against Tremaine. How about
your client?"
Against Drysdale." | answered. THE
evidence seems to be unusually COM
plete."
You might have used a stronger
phrase. It's not only complete, it's con-
summately perfect. Not q link is miss
ing. He was on the spot; his revolver
Is found near by with blood
on It; a button from his coat
Is in the dead mans hand
when he returns to the house.
he is visibly disturbed; al the mo-
ment OF his arrest. he was preparing
to escape: he refuses To explain where
he was al the time the crime was COM
United: he's involved In steel specula-
ton and presumably needs ready
money"
Welt"
Well" said Godfrey earnestly, that
very perfection is it's greatest weak
ness. It's too perfect. Amy one of
those things might have happened;
perhaps any two OF them; but hat they
should all AVE happened outrages the