Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1916-03-24
Her RaCTHEN'S
STORY
District Attorney stood al
the window of his private Office
adjoining the court and stared


the window of his private Office
adjoining the court and stared
down at the hurrying throngs
while enc nervous hand beat devils
tattoo again the somewhat grimy
pane.
Ii had been raining, and the identity,
even tue sex of the crowd was sub
merged beneath sea of bobbing black
umbrellas between which the wet and
shining tops of the motor ears darted
like huge black beetles. But the prose
cutor saw neither the crowd nor the
tralfic-he saw only Mary Page, She
had become almost an obSeSsien with
him now. and though it was not YET
time for court and there were other
clients besides the State whose bust
ness claimed his attention in his Other
Office. he had drifted here, as he had
drifted unwittingly each morning TO
mentally test the links in the chain OF
his evidence against her.
Ii SHOULD be streng enough to
bind her upon the mereiless wheel OF
the law. and yet he was conscious
that more than one of its links was
weak-so weak. in fact, that not even
his mastery summing up for the jury
had been entirely able to gloss it over.
He did not DOUBT for a moment that
Mary Page was guilty of the murder
Of James Pollock. but he had not
PROVED her so 10 his own satisfae,
ton.
He had shown that Pollock was iii
her eyes an enemy. he had proved that
the dead man WIS wooer whose pur-
suit was unweleome; he had shown
that twice during the recent years Pol
lock had forced Mary to promise TO be
his wife. but that once the necessity
for that step was removed she had
claimed her freedom again She had
everything to gain by his death. which
was surely motive enough; added to
which. if she were not guilty he felt
she would NOT have fed that night
after the murder
Time after time as he went back to
the testimony Ito the fact that Mary
had had the revolver in her bag. HAD
gone into the room and had been
found beside Polloeks body. he strove
to glimpse some faint clue that would
give a chance for "fresh evidence In
the meantime ii was Langdon's turn,
and the keen-eyed District Attorney
wondered cHriously Just what defense
he would bring Iangdons continual
refusal to cross-eyamiue the witnesses
for the State had naturally kept his
I.
The newspapers were. however. full
of theories AS 10 what the defence
would he Several claimed that il
would he the -unwritten law. the
guarding of Mary Pages honor: anoth
er that it would be proved that Pol
lock shot himself when he found that
not even his support of her stardom
conld make Mary marry him: while
still third said that the real criminal
would confess when put upon the
stand. Absurd. all of them. and vet
the third theory brought a frown TO
the lawyers face. Suppose Langdon
himself confessed to the murder,
Hello. Chief 3 voice from the
door interrupted his revery and he
turned quickly
Hello sheenan. Have you got any
thing
No" he said not thing along the
lines Won spoke of Shade doesn't know
anything except what lie told. aud I've
traced Iangdon's movements for three
Gays before the murder down TO each
minute. and there's nothing to hang a
dogs hair 10"
nDid you End out about the autemo-
biles parked on that night"
Yep. hut Casey was Oh the job AT
that corner. and there wasn't as much
as ghost of motor went into the
street back of the hotel The back
gates of the honseS were Iocked-had
been tried by the watchman just a few
minutes earlier. and the police We're on
The JOBS anyway. on account of the club
there. The Page woman must have
gone down the fire-escape and climbed
into the hotel at another hoor-that's
f4e only Hsswer''
The prosecutor turned again to the
window ~AIl right" he said CURLY.
But the deie aive fingered.
SAY. 1HieI. TIE SN--tStSu HtSiistt-
mgly. have ysu talked to Daniels?
Little fat guy that runs the Covington?
saw him yesterday and he looks
well. sick
The prosecutor iaHghed.
"He doesn't know anything. I've
pumped him dry rs powder"
A discreet knock sounded, and the
baIlif put his head in at che door.
His Honor Is ready to 90 into Court
sir he said. and with nod OF relief
the prosecutor gathered up his papers
Defence begins today, don't i!
asked the detective as he lett. What
do You ea,ess it's going to be|
I'm net guessing anything" said the
District Attorney grimly except that
his witnesses are going 10 have bad
time when thes get into my hands.
Tel me something ] don't know.
chueklea the detective with honest adj
mirati0a. though afEer a moment
pause he added behind BIZ superior