The Daily Alaska empire., 1934-05-03
Chapter A SURPRISE

chewed on a twirled end reflective ly. Ole of the others tapped at his pocket where the bulge of a tobacco can showed.
 The very saneness of her explana- i lion seemed to reach the jury and Lampere realized it. He waited a moment, then said thoughtfully- And of course a man with millions couldn't hire Q cook to prepare slumgullion?
 "No," retorted Judith quickly. tits like corned beef and cabbage, you have to like it to cook it." On the Rice roof. where she went with her party for lunch. Judith saw Mathile and Mrs. Bevins with Lampere. Again she was struck with the new beauty of the girl. She had doffed her grieving manner and WIS talking with animation.
 Judith was not recalled to the stand after the luncheon hour. h. stead, Mathile. again dropping with grief. took her place. was sworn. and eyes lowered, handkerchief gripped in apparently tense fingers. awaited Lampere's questions.
 When they cano they were voicel in low. tender tones. Miss Bevins, the previous witness told us that your father used to visit her penthouse to find food your ser wants were unable to prepare satis- factorily. know this is going to be extremely painful to you. but can you throw a little light on this? Why was he forced to go there?"
 "rd rather not tell. please" said Mathile.
 For your mothers sake. Miss Bevins?"
 She looked up. eyes limpid with tears. Doctor Ainswright. whom we met on a cruise, made an exami. nation of father. physically and mentally. He said if we wanted to keep him with us he must have no stimulants of any kind. For tha. req son we refused to give him tea, cof- fee and :"
 "Yes. Miss Bevins. go on."
 "Alcohol in any form" And did he go to Miss Lanes penthouse for tea and coffee?"
 A low sob was the answer. Come now and brace up. those times when he returned at three and four in the morning. was he completely under the influence of liquor?''
 Sobs. unrestrained. muffled with lace-frothed handkerchief were the answer. heard below Judge Nor gan's furious objection-"M Mislead- ing. calling for the witness's deduc. tion."
 JUDITH stared at Mathile Bevins o in horror. How dare she intimate thing like that of Big Tom Bev- ins? Of her own part she thought nothing.
 How dare she talk like that of him?" she asked Mrs. Cunard bite ously. "He rarely ever took a drink of anything. unless 1t were part of dinner"
 She'll be- paid for it." Mrs. Gun ard said. with certainty.
 The rest of the afternoon was spent in placing engineers on the stan4, engineer 10 spoke in tech nical terms of the impractical bility of the Rio Diablo Dam as 1t was be- ing constructed.
 The last witness was a man whom Judith dimly remembered having seen somewhere. He told how. in her eagerness to gain more money. Mrs. Dale had spent ten thousand dollars sinking a we'll in dry spot where any geologist with an ounce of honesty in his heart would have sworn there was no oil.
 He told of threatened strikes of the sober dam workers who resent. ed the millionaire stenographer' s high-handed methods.
 Gentlemen" said Lampere to the jury. "l regret 1 have not one more witness to present to you. Norman Dale. the husband of the | yo woman si..-Lg there. the man who. if thingc were as worthy counsel would have us believe. would be at her side at time like 1 this.
 "The plaintiff rests"
 The thrust was a cruel one. Judith stiffened. If she had not al ready been numbed with pain. it might have hurt more cruelty. but now it seemed there wasn't much else could matter. She had lost, lost irrevocably.
 Morgan and Cunard rode home with Mrs. Cunard and Judith. laugh. ing and chatting. Judith thought them heartless. and once with a lit. tie hurt. How can you" she broug their attention back to her
 "Well. you poor youngster." said the Judge kindly. "I'd plumb forcnr