The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-03-12
CHAPTER Nv.
Hsr Mothers Story.

the window OF his private Office
adjoining tho court and stared
down at the hurryInE throngH
while one nervous hand beat devils
EAttoo against the somewhat Erimy
pane.
It had been raining, and the identity,
even the sex of tho crowd was sub
merged beneath \ sea OF bobbinE black
umbrellas between which the wet and
shining tops OF the motor cars daFted
like huge black beetles. But the prose-
cutor saw neither tho crowd nor tile
trafic-hs saw only Mary Page! She
had become almost an obgessiOn with
him now, and though 1t was not yet
time for court and there were other
clients besides the State whose buBI-
ness claimed his attention In his other
ONCE, he had drIfted here. a. he had
drlfted unw1ttlnEIy each morning to
mentally test the links In the chain Of
his evidence against her.
lt SHOULD be strong enough to bind
her upon the lnerctlesE wheel of the
law. and yet hN wHA conscious thai
more than one OF It's iitlAa WAS weak
80 weak. in fact, that mol even his
mastery summing ZIP for THE jury hasl
been entirely able to gloss it over. He
did not doubt for a moment that Mary
Page was guilty or the murder of Da-
vld Pollock. but lie had not PROVED
her SO to his own satisfaction. The IN
trlcacies OF what tad at first seemed so
simple a case had multiplied with al
most incredible rapidity, and each clue
that It had seemed must throw an H.
Irt4 -
mystery had proved in turn to lie mere
will o'-the-wisps that led deeper into
the maze.
He had shown that Pollock vas In
her eyes an enemy. lie had proved that
the dead man was a wuuer whose pUr-
suit was ufwr!rpme he lad shown
that twice during che recent years Poi
lock had forced Mary to promise to be
his wife. but thar once the necessity
for that step WAS removed she had
claimed her freedom agaln She had
everything to satin Ivy his death. which
was sureiy motive enough: added TO
which, IL she wers not guilty he felt
Ehe would not hayc fled that night after
the murder. But that flIEht-thnt cpm-
plete disappearance within those few
short moments. p:esupnoSed a confed-
eTate-snmecne NhD had either let her
into another room In the hotel or into
one OK the houses WIrsc backs looked
UP across the marrow street. A confcd-
crate, OIL the other land. meant n pre-
meditnfeA crluic. aHi the bellhop and
those at the banquet had testified that
Mary had nnt expo led VI. sec David
Pollock when slla went into the room
Time nfter time as lie went back ~
the testinony.-lD the fact that Mar
had had tho revolver in her lag. HAD
gone into the room ard HAD been found
beside Pollock'E hady. he stroYe to
glimpse aome faint clue that would
give a chance for fresh evidence Ir
the meantime. II was I.angdon'B turn,
and tho kcen>eyed District Attorney
wondered cuElousiy tust what defense
he would bring. Lsngdon's continue,
refusal TO cross nxlnine the witnesses
for the State had naturally kept his
defence wonderfully we'll hidden. Yet
when SO much OF the testimony hRt
concerned Langton himself. cross ex.
animation must perforcs have been .
farce. and the prosecutor did not bo
lleve its absence a part o. any deep
laid scheme.
The newspapers were, however. fun q
theories as To what the defence wou!,
he. Several ulained that It would b.
the ''unwrdten law" tina guarding o
]. Mary Pages honor: another that i
would he proved that Pollock shot him
self when he found that not even hi
support ~ Ter stardom could max
Mary marry him: while still n thir,
said that the real criminal would con
fess" when put upon the stand. Alb
Eurd. all OF them. and set tho third the
DRY brought a frnwn TO the lawyer
face. Suppose Lansdon himself con
fessed TO tic murder! He didn't be
lieve Largdon had committed 1t. but h
loved Mary and he might perjurs him
SELF to save her.
'1Tello. Chief" A voice from the doc
interrupted his revery and he turne,
QUICKLY.
Hello. sheenan. Have you 60. any
thlns?"
The detective came in and shut tn
door.
"So." he raid, mot thing along tn
lines sou spoke OF. Slads doesn't know
anything except what ho told. and Nv
traced Langdon's movements for thre
days before the murder. down TO eacl
minute. and there's nothing to hang
dogs hair to-
"D!d sou md out about the automo
bilcs parked OF that nlght?"
''Yap: bur Casey was or the lob n
that corner. and there wasn't az muc
rs ghost OF a motor went into til
street back of the hotel. The bac
gates OF the houses were locEed-l;a