The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1916-04-06

MARY.S DEFENSE

- HES way tnfO0gn the nea z
traflc. lodging drays an
caamOrOUs trolleys ON it's wa
toward the grim building where 3
many tragedies are staged by 9Th
hw" the young attorney felt his hear
@ink into engulflng waves OF doubt ant
fear
For the first time since the beginnin.
OF the trial he had lost his buOyan
I&OPe, his tremendous faith i'm his abilf
IT. to prove Mary Page innocent and Il
Reod be to snatch her from a cell by
the sheer power Of his love
The evidence was SO overwhelming
go irrefutab2e- And Mary herself al
terly unable to explain those last trag
II moments He knew she cOuldn'
remember couldn't explain But the
jury would not be convinced He re
allied that
Over and over i'm his bxUoilinx mind
6e saw again the tragedy OF that night
when the body Of James Pollock, the
efnbDlan and wine agent had been
found with a bullet In Its heart and
beside 1t the unconscious figure OF
Mary Page Between them had lain
that revolver with Its one accusatory
empty chamber. the revolver that
Mary herself admitted she had carried
That Mary was innocent he had nev-
or doubted His love was too great to
admit OF doubt. but he was a lawyer.
@nd HOW he saw only too clearly that
his defense might prove unconvincins
Am the face OF the damnatory facts
FIRST that Mary had hated and feared
James Pollock, who forced his atten-
f1oNs upon her; second, that she had
carried the revolver hidden I'm the front
OF her dress when she went into the
MMd, third that the shooting had oc-
curEed directly after the door had clos
ed upon the two OF them
If he. LAngdon, had only been five
minutes ear1iHrftat WAS the acid that
mite into his soul II he had only reach
ed that door five minutes sooner Der
kaps that fatal shot would never have
been fired
He wondered iFritahly why n was
that the public. and that portion OF fl
that comprised the jury. Couldn't see
how Improbable it was that Mary
would have ruined her career in such
q fashinR- however much she hated
Pollock 1t YVES uncomfortable that q
girl who at the falling OF the curtain
MT III O'Clock had touched the goal for |
Tnfh she had striven and been hailed |
hrs tine greatest star OF the century
could have killed a man OF her own |
AnoOm at midnight and watched the !
DAWN come from cell in the Tombs.
He KNEW how much her career had !
meant 10 Mary. How close to her heart |
was the triumph and the fame, and to |
lose It this way
He sighed heavily, then, realizing
That they were approaching the Tombs
and that TO the world at least he must
be fhe confident attorney, he straigbt-
aned his shoulders and forced a smile
to his lips
Close to the curb two women were
while a third read aloud from
+he early edition Of an afternoon pa-
Den sttpplinE the monotony of her
5oneS by calculations and Questions.
From IFS ear LangdDn could plainly
Zee the hnge headlines two women
we're reading:
LOVERS LAST FIGHT FOR LIFE
5f1fvS Case Against Famous Actress
A'nnn"t CornPScee-Y Young Lawyer
Fights Final Hopeless Battle.
with shndder OF aversion Lan9don
Tagged his eyes away. The notoriety
u 1t waS almost as bitter to him as
he awful OVezshadow1ng fear. He
lated TO think that Mary's name should
'e dragged I'm the mud OF common COS |
ID an an AcfreGB who had shot a mil
tonAtDe An the antercom OF n huge
lofe1. while inst outside the door. amid
aMShter and music and lights. the |
reat world INDUCED Ia supper dane |
ne. he hated the thought that his !
owe Tor Mary had become a spicy NOR
el TO he rolled on the tongues OF the
General public. but. after all, what he
lad to bear was pit1fuily small com
'ared to the burden ON Mary;s own
linn shoulders.
The ear dnew up at the curb. and as ,
IangdS@ aeaped out somebody shouted
arsh1y: ]
"HereEs Lansdon:'' And the whole !
hrong OF men and women came surg
ng toward him. sweeping him into the I
urrent of wave OF humanity. JOS !
ing and staring. they flung a thou-
and Questions at him, pulled at bis
rms and pressed against him until at \
ast che fnnpregnable doOrs Changed be- I
ma HIM Feaving hfrn breattless with I
Ieehng OF being bruised and battered t
0entally as we11 as physically. II
Inc qn1St OF the prison was almost {
TX" neaNe for the moment, buk he 4