Evening journal., 1916-03-04
CHAPTER ".
Her Mother's Story.

the window OF his private office
adjoining the court and stared
down at the hurrying throngs
while one nervous hand beat a devils
tattoo against the somewhat grimy
pane.
II had been raining. and the identity,
even the sex OF the crowd was sub
merged beneath a sea OF bobbing black
umbrellas between which the wet and
shining tops OF the motor cars darted
like huge black beetles. But the prose-
cutor saw neither the crowd nor the
tradic-he saw only Mary Pagel She
had become almost an obsession with
him now, and though IL was not yet
time for court and there we're other
clients besides the state whose busi-
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.
IL SHOULD be strong enough 70 bind
her upon the merciless wheel OF the
law. and yet he was conscious that
more than one Of its links was weak
30 weak. in fact, that not even his
mastery summing up Tor the jury had
been entirely able to gloss it over lie
did not doubt for moment that Mary
Page was guilty Of the murder OF Da-
vid Pollock. but he had not PROVED
her so TO his own satisfaction. The in
tricacies OF what had at first seemed so
simple a case had multiplied with al
most incredible rapidity, and each clue
that Il had seemed must throw an H.
Eliminating light upon the labyrinth Of
mystery had proved in turn 20 be mere
wiil-o'- -the-wisps that led deeper into
the maze.
He had shown that Pollock was in
her eyes an enemy; he had proved that
the dead man was a wooer whose pur-
suit was unwelcome; 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 20 gain by his death. which
was surely motive enough; added 70
which. II she were not guilty he felt
she would not have fled that night after
the murder. But that night-that COM
plete disappearance within those few
short moments. presupposed "A confed-
erate-someone who had either let her
into another room In the hotel or into
pne OF the houses whose backs looked
up across the narrow street A confed-
crate. on the other hand meant a pre-
meditated 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 to
the testimony-to the fact that Mary
had had the revolver i'm her bag, HAD
zone into the room and HAD been found
beside Pollock's body, he strove to
glimpse some faint clue that would
give chance for fresh evidence" In
the meantime, II was Langdon's turn,
and the keen-eyed District Attorney
wondered curiously just what defense
he would bring Langdon's continual
refusal TO cross examine tho witnesses
for the State had naturally kept his
defence wonderfully we'll hidden. Yet
when so much OF the testimony had
concerned Langdon himself cross ex.
animation must perforce have been
farce, and the prosecutor did not be-
lieve its absence a part of any deep.
laid scheme.
The newspapers were. however fun o
theories as TO what the defence woul,
be. Several claimed that it would b,
the "unvritten law" the guarding o.
Mary Pages honor; another that &
would be proved that Pollock shot him
self when he found that not even hi,
support OF her stardom could MAX,
Mary marry him; while still a thirt
said that the real criminal would con
fess" when put upon the stand. Alb
surd. all OF them. and yet the third the
ory brought a frown TO the lawyers
face. Suppose Langdon himself con-
fessed to the murderl lie didn't be-
lieve Langdon had committed It. but he
loved Mary and he might perjure him
self 20 save her.
Hello. Chief" A voice from the door
Interrupted his revery and he turned
quickly.
Hello. sheenan. Have you got any
thing?"
The detective came in and shut the
door.
No" he said. mot thing along the
lines you spoke Of. Slade doesn't know
anything except what he told. and rye
traced Langdon's movements for three
days before the murder. down 10 each
minute. and there's nothing TO hang !
dogs hair to"
Did you hnd out about the automo.
biies parked Oh that night?~
Yep. but Casey was on the iob n
hat corner. and thore wasn't as mucl
as ghost Of a motor went into th
street back Of the hotel. The bacl
yates OF the houses were locked-hal
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