Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-02-20
,con,inneN From saturday,

CHAPTER ~.
Th" district attorney stood ~ the
window of his private office adjoining
the court ana stared down at the hurry
ing thronrs. while one nervous hand
beat Il dcvirs tattoo against the some
what eriiny pane.
II had been raining, ana tho identity.
even the sex. Of the crowd was sub
merged beneath Il sea- OF bohbinE black
umbrellas bctwe.n which the wet and
shining tops Of the motor cars hartcd
like huge black beetles. Eut the
prosecutor saw neither the crowd nor
the t,afic-he saw only Mary Page,
She had become almost AN obsessipn
with him now. and. though it WAS not
yet time for court and there were other
clients besides the State whose busi-
ness claimed his attention in his other
Office, he had drificd here. as he had
driftcd unwittingly each morning to
mentally test the links in the chain Of
his evidence against her.
II should he strong enough 20 bind
her upon the Inerciiess wheel of the
law. and yet he was conscious that
more than one OF its links was weak
so weak. III fact. that not even his
mastery summing up for the jury mad
been entirely able 10 gloss il over. He
aid not doubt for a ruonen: that Mary
Page vas guilty Of the murder Of David
Pollock, but he had not proved her
so TO his own satisfaction. The intrl-
, cacies Of what had at first seemed SO
simple case had multiplied with al
most incredible rapidity. and each clue
that II had seemed must throw an
illuminating light upon the labyrinth
of mystery had proved in turn 70 be
mere wIil-o'-thc- wisps that led deeper
into the maze.
lie had shown that Pollock was in
her eyes an enemy: he had proved that
the dead man was a woocr whose pur-
suit was unWelcOUc; he had shown
that twice during the recent years Pol
lock had forced Mary TO promise 10 be
his wife, but thai 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, II she were not guilty. he felt
she would not have ned that night after
the murder. But that fight-that COM
plete disappearance within those few
short moments. presupposcd con-
icderate-some one who tad either led
her into another room in the hotel or
. INTO one OF the houses whose backs
looked up across the narrow street 4
confederate, on the other hand, meant
a premeditated crime. and the bellhop
and those at the banquet had testified
that Mary had not expected TO see
David Pollock when she went into the
room.
Time after time as he went back tC
the tcStiInony--to the fact that Mary
had had the revolver in her bag, hat
gone into the room and had been fount
beside PcllockS body-hc strove Il
glimpse some faint clue that woult
give n chance for fresh evidence" II
the meantime. il was LanEdon's turn
and the keen eyed District Attorney
wondered curiously just what defense
he would bring. LanEdon's continue
refusal to ctoss-cXamine the witnesse.
for the state had naturally kept hi.
defense wonderfully we'll hidden. Yc
when so much OF the testimony hat
concerned Langdon himself, cross
examination must, perforce. have beer
farce. and the prosecutor did not he
lieve its absence a part of any deep
laid scheme.
The newspapers were. however. full
Of theories as TO what the defense
would be. Several claimed that II
would be the "unwritten law" the
guarding o. Mary Pages honor; an.
other that II would be proved tina,
Pollock shot himself when he fount
that not even his support OF hcr