Evening star., 1928-11-22
CHAPTER XXXVIII.

Peters impressions Of the succeeding
davs of the Orme trial were like a
series of island mountain tops emerging
mt of the sea There we're waste
stretches which he did not remember
at all although at the close of each
court session he hammered out in the
Herald local room that series OF court
room stories which laid the foundation
for his reputation as one OF the most
brilliant special writers in the country.
If Orme was not guilty Barbara must
be. If Orme was found guilty Barbara
would walk with firm, light steps into
the arena and let her body and soul be
torn while the neWsboys shouted 'EXtra"
and the crowd licked its lips outside
rather than allow him to suffer un-
Justly. Peter, slumped in seat So, his
eyes fixed on the small black hat just
visible above the chairback where Bar
bara sat beside DR.. Cavanaugh, felt his
brain clamped in a tight, inescapable
circle of thought And yet some other
portion of his mind functioned in
dependently, automatically recording
names, addresses. incidents, pictures.
He seemed TO have spent an endless
lifetime alternating between the court
house and the Herald Office. He could
scarcely recall a time before the trial
began; he could not look forward to
the time when it should be ended. He
sat through the droning hours with
half-shut eyes, which yet saw with
minute detail every aspect of the court
room. And out of. the welter certain
scenes were stamped, bright and clear,
in his memory,
The first of these was Don Ellsworth
on the witness stand-Don Ellsworth
facing with dilated, desperate eyes row
upon row of press correspondents, each
scribbling intently on pads of copy
paper. He no longer had the look of
a sullen, violent boy. The thing that
he had fought and hated more than
anything else in the world had hap
pened. and he faced it with tense COM
posure. He stared before him like a
man in front of a firing squad stand
ing rigidly erect until he had twice
been told to be seated in the witness
chair.
will you just relate in your own
way. Mr.. Ellsworth, the circumstances
of your wife's disappearance from your
home?"
Il was first aware that she had gone
on the morning of March 49," Ellis
worth spoke in a hard mechanical
voice, as if he were reciting a lesson
by rote. MY wife's maid came and
told me that"
Never mind what any one told you.
Just relate what you did"
EllSworth's eyes flashed briefly from
the rows of reporters to the lawyers
table. Peter was suddenly reminded
of a bull being pricked by the lance
tip Of the toreador.. Don opened his
lips to retort, but thought better of it,
Il went up to my wife's boudoir.
found that the lights had been left
burning. So far as 1 could tell, none
of her clothes were missing except
an evening cloak and the dress which
she had worn at dinner the night
before"
And what did you do then?"
Nothing. 1 waited, thinking that
some natural explanation of her dis
appearance would be forthcoming.
When she had not returned after sew
eral days, the police were notified.
That is all I can say of my direct
knowledge"
Have you ever seen the defendant,
David Orme. before?"
Il think not"
Il will ask you to read this letter,
introduced in evidence as peoples ex-
hibit A. What is your Interpretation
of this letter."
L object, your honor. What the