the notes from me . . . for what else than to destroy the evidence? If you need any more than that to convict Treadway of the murder, you're not the lawyer I take you to be .. But it is James Norton who made me come to you. Now I hope he'll leave me in peace.” The hush that fell on the little group in the Stewart library evidenced the dramatic value of the old man's words. He was so shaken it was necessary to assist him into his carriage, and Stewart sent his butler to see him safely home. When he returned to the library Stewart was the first to speak.

"I cannot believe it possible and a murderer . . ."

Treadway a forger

"Twice a murderer," Lola cried hotly, . . "placing the responsibility of his crime upon the shoulders of an innocent man!"

"This has been an eventful afternoon," the lawyer remarked with obvious satisfaction. "With the information we now have it ought to be fairly simple to reconstruct the case. Treadway is now held by the Grand Jury as witness. Perhaps before the trial is over we may arrange for the witness and the prisoner to exchange places! . . Come, let us follow the scent over at Norton's."

CHAPTER XXVII

T

I

HOSE residents of Norcross who selected the

town as an abiding-place because of the quiet

calm of country life found themselves obliged to reconstruct their hypothesis. The strike proved the first disturbing influence; later, the murder of James Norton and the arrest of his son forced the temperature to fever-heat, and centered the thoughts of every one upon the trial. Then came the unexpected climax, which left even those citizens with a reputation for intelligence and self-control gaping at each other, wondering where the drama was going to end.

The court-house, during the hectic days of the Norton trial, proved hopelessly inadequate to accomodate the surging mass of would-be spectators who clamored for admission. Every resident of Norcross considered himself personally interested, and those excluded by lack of space looked upon the fact as personal discrimination. To most of them, the trial was a holiday spectacle rather than an exhibition of Justice exercising her function, . . a display of blood-lust handed down perhaps from their Puritan ancestors who abolished the sport of bear-baiting not because it gave pain to

the bear but because of the pleasure derived by the spectators. Richard Norton, already a picturesque character in the town life from the importance of his family, his war-service, and his leadership of the Norton workmen, loomed large as a drawing-card.

Except among his immediate friends, the fact of Richard's guilt was generally accepted, so the interest in the case centered in the nature of the defence and the verdict. Treadway was the chief witness for the State, and after his testimony it seemed merely a perfunctory action for Richard's lawyer to attempt any cross-examination. The spectators were amazed, when Treadway was turned over to him, to have the lawyer force, by a series of cumulative questions, a flat declaration that Treadway saw the shot fired; for this final statement seemed absolutely fatal to young Norton. If it was hoped that by proving him a perjurer his testimony against Richard would be invalidated, the purpose failed, for a majority of those in the courtroom looked upon Treadway's reluctance to disclose his full knowledge of the facts as an act of sublime loyalty to his friend rather than an effort to subvert the action of the law.

With the closing of the case for the State the great lawyer brought into action those characteristics which had given him his reputation. First he placed old Hannah on the stand and established the fact that the revolver had been in the Norton house after Richard left home, and that Treadway had handled it. Through Henry Cross he brought the forged notes into the case, and the discovery of Treadway's criminality by James

Norton. Alec Sterling testified that both the prisoner's hands were extended in supplication at the moment the shot was fired, and Tony Lemholtz swore reluctantly that although standing as close to him as Treadway did, he saw nothing of the gun until the officer lifted the weapon from the floor and showed it to the prisoner. Finally, the handwriting expert was placed on the stand to pronounce the signatures to the notes obvious forgeries.

"I am offering no defence for the prisoner," the lawyer summed up, "as innocence needs no defence. The law seeks to protect the community by employing its strength to detect and punish the wrong-doer, but in the exercise of its powerful function it wraps its majesty with special care about those falsely accused to prevent the miscarriage of its justice. By taking advantage of a strategic moment, staged as if in his single interest, this man here". . . the lawyer pointed his finger dramatically at Treadway . . . "this man here was enabled, by an act so quickly conceived and skilfully executed as to do credit to his cleverness, to remove his accuser and place the responsibility upon the head of an innocent man. Not content with the assassination of his friend and benefactor, he nonchalantly assumes possession of the vast property which he knows to belong rightfully to his benefactor's son, since which time, while waiting for the law, misled by perjured testimony, to aid him unwittingly in his nefarious scheme, he has taken his place among his fellowcitizens as an honored member of the community, enjoying their confidence, contributing to their charities,

sympathizing with the unfortunate prisoner, and even having the audacity to suggest the line of his defence .. Why were you so insistent that a plea of temporary insanity be entered?" the lawyer demanded, pointing suddenly at Treadway . . . "Why, except through fear that sooner or later your own guilt would be detected!.. Gentlemen of the jury, in all the long experience I have had in the practice of my profession, in all the history of Massachusetts criminal cases I do not recall the equal of this for sheer effrontery or daring, and its conception places this man among the most dangerous criminals with whom the State has to deal In view of the facts as disclosed and established, in the name of Justice itself I ask a verdict of 'Not Guilty' for the prisoner."

To this day those who were present in the courtroom at that moment like nothing better than to recount the scene to those less fortunate. The prompt verdict of acquittal by the jury; the shouts as Richard was released; the ugly threats against Treadway as he was taken into custody; the nonchalance of his bearing and his single comment, "I have played it badly." They would tell you of the dramatic moment when a workinggirl from the plant pushed her way through the crowd to the place where Richard was standing, threw her arms about his neck and kissed him brazenly upon the lips. They would tell you much more in detail of what happened, and perhaps some things which had been unintentionally added to make a good story better; but these form an aftermath in the case of Common