The Washington times., 1916-03-26
CHAPTER X.
Polloek,a Threat.

the scattered papers on the Ia
BILE and brought out boyish
glints in LanEdon's dark head as II lay
on his folded arms. sunk In ineffable
WEAKNESS.
All through the long hours OF tho
night he had kept his lonely vigil-now
porting over the legal documents on the
table. now pacing the floor In frenzy
OF anxiety. or making his way down the
echoing corridors to look In with mute
suffering at the room where Or. Fos-
ter and Nurse walton watched so 81
lently beside q moaning, twitching ng-
ure on a narrow prison bed. But when
the scanty furniture OF the office was
gradually emerging from the envelop-
ing cloak OF night into visible ugliness
he had at,Iast sunk into n doze OF COM
plete exhaustion. Miss walton. COM
ing to the door. an eager message on
her lips. turned silently and pityingly
away. Some betraying sound reached
him. however. and he lifted his head
with a start. blinking TO find the lamp
light paling before the gray OF morning.
Yawning. he got TO his feet and
crossed to the window. He flung II
wide and drew in great breaths OF the
chill air. A heavy fog was wrapping
the city In dense gray waves. and from
the river came the minor monotony OF
warning whistles. Dreary as II was.
his heart Ightened: for after all. II
was morning. and he was still young
enough TO feel that nothing can be
! quite so bad in the day as II is In the
shadows OF the night.
For the first time since Mary's at
/ tack Of madness in the court room he
realized fully how tremendous an as
set the tragedy was to the defense. and
In spite OF his grief. a. a lover. over
her suffering. the lawyer In him ex-
ulted in the episode which cemented
into place the cornerstone OF his case.
The thought OF this lent q hint OF
| buoyancy to his tired body as he made
another trip to the cell where. at DR..
! Fosters orders, they had carried Mary.
still screaming with frenzy. But II
was the lover rather than the lawyer
who had surged uppermost by the time
he reached the door. and all thoughts
OF the trial were submerged In an
Overwhelming anxiety and pity for the
slender girl who was paying so heavy
. price for her fathers sin Of drunk
enness.
Mary herself was sleeping soundly
when he glanced into the cell. and DR.,
Foster was on his feet, frankly stretch
ing, while Miss Walton was bathing her
tired eyes at the basin in the corner.
Both greeted him with a smile, and
answering the question in his eyes
rather than the one he huskily whisper
ed with his lips. DR.. Foster said:
She will be all right now. She woke,
conscious. Just after your last visit and
is now sleeping soundly.. There's moth.
Ing to worry about at least, not just
at present
Thank God! Lansdon's voice broke
on the words, and DR.. Foster put out
his hand and patted the shoulder OF
we all say that. but you'd better &c
get some rest now; you look done up
"oh. I'm all right" said Langdon
But, doctor, In shells II going to b
possible to 60 on with this trial Car
Il think So" The answer came slow,
ly. "Of course yesterdays scene was
bad, very bad. But you must realize
that the attack. while It was plainly
due to the whisky thrust upon her, wai
the fact that the liquor was handed her
at q time when she was hysterical and
had been re-enacting events that kept
her earlier experiences constantly In
her mind. Given healthy surrounding
and happiness l wouldn't worry about
attacks In the future. But It's a fine re-
Election upon an American city" he con.
tinued harshly, drawing Langdon out
into the hall so as not to wake Mary
- fine thing when i is impossible e
drunken men and tho smell Of liquor
Langdon nodded absently. for his hear
was echoing the earlier words of thu
great alienist: Given healthy sur
roundings and happiness / wouldn't
worry about attacks In the future" ant
he was vowing to himself that. cos
what II might. he would vet win free
dom and happiness for her.
He had not dared hope that she
would be we'll enough for the trial to
when she woke a few hours later she
vowed she was perfectly able to 10
into court even then. And so. no more
than an hour late. the PROCEEDINGS were
| That hour had seemed a very short
time to Mary. and to Langdon. but Il
was a very long one to the excitsj
spectators who crowded the rooms Ia
the door, ~ whisperhinE excited reminis-
Whatever doubts had fingered In the
minds Of the public as to the veracity
and the strength OF the defense built
UP by Langdon had been shattered at
one blow. For Mary. as everyone said
might indeed have been actress enough
TO felgn madness at the sight OF the
drunken policeman. hut she could not
| have feiRnod that great bruise on her
| shoulder. The shadow of the 1rippina
hand with those livid scars beneath n
told mutely OF how the cruel fingers
had torn into the tender flesh.
| The newspaper bearing DIR. Foster'a
article on "Repressed Psychosis'' which
the district attorney had so sarca site
ally introduced as evidence had been
pored over by every Juryman, and from
coast to coast the dramatic story OF
the scene In court was the one subject
at the breakfast tables OF rich and
poor alike.
1t seemed incredible to those who had
watched the frenzied. screaming wo.
man carried out the day before thai
che could eve regain her sanity. Wher
she came In. very pale. very wan. hui
screnely calm and smiling. nothing hui
the. fear of being shut out from III,
ftnal scenes of the great drama kent III,
cr0Yds from wild appliance.
| Ihe prosecutor alone did not look a
her. He felt at that moment almost a
II he hated her with personal vindic
tiyeness. For he. too. had had an ali
night vigil. seeking some ruse or Iega
technicality that would keep the event
or the day before out OF the record
OF the case. lie knew only too wei
that any jury, having seen Mary
seizure, would be readily convince