The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-05-29

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but Nan could have detected the
strain and artifcialty Of their man
ner. but the pain and hunger in
Iris blue green eyes when they de-
voured the blond handsomeness of
her erstwhile lover convinced Nan
that Crawford was keeping his
promise.
In spite of her contempt for Iris,
Nan was sometimes moved to pity
for the woman who was obviously
50 much in love with man she
could not have.
We're sisters under the, skin. in
that respect at least" Nan admitted
with bitter humor.
When at last, on Monday, Dec.
10, the case was formally opened
in Judge HasweIs court, Iris
Morgan sat in a reserved seat in
the first row. Immediately behind
those chairs that we're additionally
sacred to reporters and feature
writer's.
She had wanted to sit at the
counsel table, beside the defend
ant. but Crawford himself had
cautioned her that it would not be
wise. and Morgan had gratefully
seconded him.
Nan knew that Iris stayed at the
courthouse the whole dreary first
day, sitting through the slow pro-
cess of impaneling a jury, for she
accompanied her husband to his Of
fee after court had adjourned.
Il believe I'll attend the trial
every day. Nan" she said, moving
restlessly about the outer office
while her husband was engaged in
a confidential telephone call in his
private office. L really think l
should know more about Jacks
work. and this is such a good time
to begin-on a case in which I have
a friendly personal interest, you
know-not some horrid, bloody
murder trial. 1t was really quite
interesting. The judge is an old
dear. He had the press photogra-
pliers snap us together-said he
wanted to be sure his picture would
get in the papers! Of course he
was joking. And, oh, by the way,
an artist for the Morning Sun
sketched me. I begged him not to,
but ne insisted"
Isn't attending the trial going
to interfere with your Christmas
shopping?" Nan suggested, going on
with her tipping.
"Oh, I finished that ages ago"
Iris assured her. My packages are
all wrapped and addressed. I do
hope you'll like your gift. Jack
left the selecting of it to me this
year, because of the trial. I do
think they ought to have put the
case over until after New Years,
so poor Bert could have had nice
Christmas. But the jury will give
him the best Christmas present of
all, if that awful Brainerd doesn't
take up so much time that the
case will have to go over until next
week. Jack says the defense prob
ably won't take more than two days.
Oh, I hope it will all be over by
Saturday! Berts promised to play
Santa Claus for Curt, but only if
the trial is finished"
Nan made no attempt to answer
or to comment, for the lump in her
throat was too large to permit words
to pass. Iris, not John Curtis
Morgan, had selected her gift. AL
ways before, at Christmas time,
Morgan had bought and presented
her gift personally, and now that
she knew she loved him, her hungry
heart had fed upon the certainty
of receiving another proof that he
held her dear as a friend, studied
her tastes and wishes to give her
pleasure. And now-probably Iris
had bought her a bottle of toilet
water or perfume, and she never
used the stuff
DURING the next few days, how
~ ever, she had little time to
think of Christmas, for the CraW-
ford trial was hurting on toward
a climax.
Thanks to the revelations of Al
ice Bolton and his own thorough
investigation, Morgan, as defense
counsel, had suffered few shocks of
surprise as District Attorney Brain
erd presented his case to the judge
and jury.
It was unquestionably a weak
case, depending largely upon the
unsupported testimony of Gladys
Payne. who claimed that Crawford
hao instigated and financed Roy
BANDS sudden departure for South
America. and that Bland had told
her that he had drawn the large
checks against the bank account of
the Midwest Packing Company at
Crawford's order and had turned
the cash over to Crawford.
On s-examination Morgan had
so nullifed Cashier Wolfe's testi-
mony concerning his alleged tele-
phone conversation with Crawford,
in which Crawford was supposed to
have given his o. K. to the last
check for 100000, that reporters
and feature writer's were freely pre-
dieting quick vindication of the
| defendant.
Even Nan was shaken in her in
tuitive belief that Crawford was
guilty. A man might be a scoun-
drel and wife-stealer and yet draw
the line at embezzling quarter OF
a million dollars from the company
he had organized.
And then, at the eleventh hour
Fate, using so strange and ironic an
instrument that even that hardened
old harridan must have chuckled
put into the hands of the secretary
1 Of the man who was defending him
the man who had staked his profess
sional honor on the innocence of his
/ "F,-iarI ITO 20 COufirupd1