Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-16
nued from Yesterdays starr
CHAPTER XIV.

VAMES cox sat in the district
attorneys Office. He had sat
\ there, more or less, all day.
~ Every now and then he paid a
visit to the ice water cooler in
the hall. but he did not so out for
food. He could not remember when
he had eaten, and he did not care.
The ignominy of his arrest for
drunkenness, and his reprimand that
morning before magistrate. had
hardly affected him. He had brushed
it aside. already forgotten 1t. Since
the morning of his arrest in the
store, his singletracked mind had
been concentrated on one problem: the
world that moved about him was one
of shadowy figures.
Thus it happened that he had
brushed aside the minor incident of
the night before. An event which
would normally have stupetied him
hardly entered the realm of his con.
vaguely any of the incidents leading
up to it. He knew he must have
walked most of the day. for his feet
felt blistered; and he had fairly
clear recollection of making a deCi-
sion to go back TO Margaret. to seek
comfort with her, even if she had
lied to him.
But when he had gone back at 6
o'clock the apartment was dark.
There was no Margaret, no table laid
with God honest linen. no odor of
broiling chops and coffee, no any
thing
He had not even switched on the
lights. lie had simply turned and
gone on out again.
Sometime later-he had lost ali
count OF time-~he had been standing
on one of the bridges. He didn't re-
member which bridge. He was stand.
ing there thinking and looking over,
and a policeman, after watching i'm
awhile. told him TO move on. Yes, he
remembered that. for it must have
been then that that fellow from the
china department came along and
took him by the arm.
You come with me, Cox" he said.
You're too much a man for that
sort of thing. Come on, and We'll
have a drink"
They had gone somewhere. 1t was
bright and warm, and he hadn't
eaten anything for long time. He
guessed he'd taken lot of whisky,
but he felt all right when he left. 1t
hadn't really hit him hard until he
was almost home. Then it had got
him in the legs.
Well, maybe that could happen to
ANYBODY; he didn't know, and he
didn't ich re. He was going to
see the district attorney, if he had to
sit in that chair for month.
At 4 O'Clock he was admitted to the
inner, office. Phelps had spent most
of the day in court, and now he. too,
was tired. He wanted to go home,
and battle and shave, and maybe,
after dinner, listen to the radio and
doze III his chair. His tone was i'm.
patient when he looked up and saw
James.
"All right. Cox" he said. Get to
it quickly. I've had a hard day.
James remained standing. Now
that his moment had come, he found
difficulty in rising to it.
I'm a Salaried man, SIR" he said,
thinking out his words. "Or 1 was
i suppose if were What you'd call a
gentleman. maybe wouldn't be doing
what l am about to do, sir. It goes
against the grain, even with me-"
The district attorney smiled.
I'm salaried man myself" he
said. Let's let that go just now.
What is it you are about to do?"
I'm about to accuse a woman"
said James. That's a thing I've
never done before in my life, and
hope III never have to again. l &C.