New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1926-01-06

notes now and then. avoiding
Brucc's eyes. At three O'clock the
states attorney vas still hammer
ing away at his prey on cross-eX-
animation.
you mean TO say that as 4 mem
Der OF the firm you did not know
Manners plans"
Bruce set his chin. mo" he said,
II didn't"
you did not know that the COM
pany bank deposits were in Man
.ners name" reiterated tho attor-
ncy, shaking a finger in BruccE
race.
Again the crowd saw Bruces chin
tighten. NO"
The attorney plunged into ridiculc,
Don't you know it will be the juryS
duty to decide whether member
OF a firm consisting OF three part
ners could work for half year with
the other two and not know how
the receipts OF the firm were kept
or whether titles to lots sold were
clear"
Barbara moved restlessly. This
would go on forever. She sat with
her eyes 10 the outer door
Gee, this trial may drag out
for days" sighed the man beside
her. Looks as If he's going to have
a bad time OF it. Hard to make a
jury believe he was as close 10 Man
ncrs as he was and knew nothing
of his plots. One OF those blamed
impractical gcniuses, I'll BET. Doesn't
know a dollar from dou5fnut."
Bruce was at last dismissed from
the stand. He fumbled at the anil
ing surrounding the dock as he de-
scended. A shaft o! late sunlight
struck the Old undiscipincd lock OF
hair on the cro%n Of His head.
barbara turned her head away
Her cy.s had filled with tears. She
reached for her notebook. The after
moons hearing was apparently about
10 close.
A moment of quiet had gripped
the room. Bruc"'s lawyers were
comforting, their heads close to-
gether over the table. The prose-
cutting attorney was discussing some
notes with his assistant. Bruce sat
with his back to the crowd, his eyes
fixed vacantly on the wall ahead.
Come on. Miss Hawley, We'll
make a quick grt-aWay,' whispered
the friendly reporter, and stopped.
A stir had run over the room.
From The door at the back wo-
man had entered. She swept down
| the central aisle and her ivory dress
and small coral hat made vivid
splotch against the drab gray Of the
courtroom. Women gasped almost
audibly as she came.
Barbara's gaze followed her, The
woman went straight to Bruce Rey-
nolds' attorneys, Ignoring Bruce
himself. 81 am Mrs. Lydia Stacy"
she said TO the lawyers. Il wish
to testify for the defendant"
No one stirred in the room. Bruce
looked at Lydia. Barbara wal chcd
Bruce. Lydia stood beside the at.
torney's table, qu"enIy. A bailifi
who had been trying to open d
window stopped abruptly, pole in
! hand.
! The silence was broken by voice
, from Niolcttas corner. My Lord,
, We swallowed my gum"
No one could figure out why .ydia
lad done it. McDcrmott called Bar
! bara into his office as soon as she
{ returned from the courthouse.
Whats the answer, Barbara ?"
he asked. What made her do it "
Barbara evaded his eyes. How
should l know" she parried.
McDermott bit the end off a cigar.
Damn dramatic. In that respect
she ran true to form. But ] got the
idea the young chap had turned her
down and that was why she got
out Of the business and also sug-
gested the scandal on his company
TO me-"
Perhaps she thought she had
done a malicious thing and her con-
science hurt her." offered Barbara.
Conscience! Shucks! Women
don't have any. The longer I live
in the world the better I know that
women never repent anything ex-
cept the sins they get caught at
They have no more honest to- good
ness moral consciousness than a
kitten. They are relentless oppor-
tunists.
Lydia Stacy never came into
court because Of conscience. Ia be
mora willing TO believe she came
Just to star in a spectacle. But
even so, where her spite was aroused
as it was against this gang, ] don't
think she'd come without pressure
from somewhere"
Barbara moved uncomfortable and
rose to 60. 1T ought to be a GOOD
story tomorrow" she said. McDer.
motifs eyes followed her intently AZ
she went out.
Reynolds Acquitted" The high
black letters in the afternoon paper.
screamed the message across the
streets Of New Britain.
Barbara, coming out Of the Tele,
graph building, read the Telegram
extra as she walked. Mrs. STAG,
testifies for young architect. JurI
out only half an hour. Ovation ir
courthouse"
Down the column a passage read
Mrs. Lydia Stacy testified thi.
afternoon that Reynolds had asked
her not to invest in Vale Acres IN.
til he had time to investigate some
circumstances that puzzled him.
She also presented a letter from
Reynolds written shortly befor,
Manners disappearance, in which h,
told her that he was working OF
some Of the Vale Acres titles which
seemed doubtful, and that he in
tended to go to Chicago TO invest
e9fA Mannare' 1ifA hnSs..