the efficiency expert-第32章

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He　sat　for　a　long　time　looking　at　the　papers　in　his　hand；　but　he　did　not　see　them。　He　was　thinking　of　other　things：　of　prison　walls　that　he　had　eluded　so　far　through　years　of　crime；　of　O'Donnell；　whom　he　knew　to　be　working　on　the　Compton　case　and　whose　boast　it　had　been　that　sooner　or　later　he　would　get　the　Lizard；　of　what　might　naturally　be　expected　were　the　papers　in　his　hands　to　fall　into　the　possession　of　Torrance's　attorney。　It　would　mean　that　Murray　would　be　immediately　placed　in　jeopardy；　and　the　Lizard　knew　Murray　well　enough　to　know　that　he　would　sacrifice　his　best　friend　to　save　himself；　and　the　Lizard　was　by　no　means　Murray's　best　friend。

He　realized　that　he　knew　more　about　the　Compton　murder　case　than　any　one　else。　He　was　of　the　opinion　that　be　could　clear　it　up　if　he　were　almost　any　one　other　than　the　Lizard；　but　with　the　record　of　his　past　life　against　him；　would　any　one　believe　him？　In　order　to　prove　his　assertion　it　would　be　necessary　to　make　admissions　that　might　incriminate　himself；　and　there　would　be　Murray　and　the　Compton　millions　against　him；　and　as　he　pondered　these　things　there　ran　always　through　his　mind　the　words　of　the　girl；　〃You　and　I　are　the　only　friends　he　has。〃

〃Hell；〃　ejaculated　the　Lizard　as　he　rose　from　his　chair　and　prepared　for　bed。




CHAPTER　XXVII。

THE　TRIAL。

Edith　Hudson　spent　a　restless　night；　and　early　in　the　morning；　as　early　as　she　thought　she　could　reach　him；　she　called　the　office　of　Jimmy's　attorney。　She　told　the　lawyer　that　some　new　evidence　was　to　have　been　brought　in　to　him　and　asked　if　he　had　received　it。　Receiving　a　negative　reply　she　asked　that　she　be　called　the　moment　it　was　brought　in。

All　that　day　and　the　next　she　waited；　scarcely　leaving　her　room　for　fear　that　the　call　might　come　while　she　was　away。　The　days　ran　into　weeks　and　still　there　was　no　word　from　the　Lizard。

Jimmy　was　brought　to　trial；　and　she　saw　him　daily　in　the　courtroom　and　as　often　as　they　would　let　her　she　would　visit　him　in　jail。　On　several　occasions　she　met　Harriet　Holden；　also　visiting　him；　and　she　saw　that　the　other　young　woman　was　as　constant　an　attendant　at　court　as　she。

The　State　had　established　as　unassailable　a　case　as　might　he　built　on　circumstantial　evidence。　Krovac　had　testified　that　Torrance　had　made　threats　against　Compton　in　his　presence；　and　there　was　no　way　in　which　Jimmy's　attorneys　could　refute　the　perjured　statement。　Jimmy　himself　had　come　to　realize　that　his　attorney　was　fighting　now　for　his　life；　that　the　verdict　of　the　jury　was　already　a　foregone　conclusion　and　that　the　only　thing　left　to　fight　for　now　was　the　question　of　the　penalty。

Daily　he　saw　in　the　court…room　the　faces　of　the　three　girls　who　had　entered　so　strangely　into　his　life。　He　noticed；　with　not　a　little　sorrow　and　regret；　that　Elizabeth　Compton　and　Harriet　Holden　always　sat　apart　and　that　they　no　longer　spoke。　He　saw　the　effect　of　the　strain　of　the　long　trial　on　Edith　Hudson。　She　looked　wan　and　worried；　and　then　finally　she　was　not　in　court　one　day；　and　later；　through　Harriet　Holden；　he　learned　that　she　was　confined　to　her　room　with　a　bad　cold。

Jimmy's　sentiments　toward　the　three　women　whose　interests　brought　them　daily　to　the　court…room　had　undergone　considerable　change。　The　girl　that　he　had　put　upon　a　pedestal　to　worship　from　afar；　the　girl　to　whom　he　had　given　an　idealistic　love；　he　saw　now　in　another　light。　His　reverence　for　her　had　died　hard；　but　in　the　face　of　her　arrogance；　her　vindictiveness　and　her　petty　snobbery　it　had　finally　succumbed；　so　that　when　he　compared　her　with　the　girl　who　had　been　of　the　street　the　latter　suffered　in　no　way　by　the　comparison。

Harriet　Holden's　friendship　and　loyalty　were　a　never…ending　source　of　wonderment　to　him；　but　he　accepted　her　own　explanation；　which；　indeed；　was　fair　enough；　that　her　innate　sense　of　justice　had　compelled　her　to　give　him　her　sympathy　and　assistance。

Just　how　far　that　assistance　had　gone　Jimmy　did　not　know；　though　of　late　he　had　come　to　suspect　that　his　attorney　was　being　retained　by　Harriet　Holden's　father。

Bince　appeared　in　the　court…room　only　when　necessity　compelled　his　presence　on　the　witness　stand。　The　nature　of　the　man's　testimony　was　such　that；　like　Krovac's；　it　was　difficult　of　impeachment；　although　Jimmy　was　positive　that　Bince　perjured　himself；　especially　in　a　statement　that　he　made　of　a　conversation　he　had　with　Mr。　Compton　the　morning　of　the　murder；　in　which　he　swore　that　Compton　stated　that　he　intended　to　discharge　Torrance　that　day。

The　effect　of　the　trial　seemed　to　have　made　greater　inroads　upon　Bince　than　upon　Jimmy。　The　latter　gave　no　indication　of　nervous　depression　or　of　worry；　while　Bince；　on　the　other　hand；　was　thin；　pale　and　haggard。　His　hands　and　face　continually　moved　and　twitched　as　he　sat　in　the　courtroom　or　on　the　witness　chair。　Never　for　an　instant　was　he　at　rest。

Elizabeth　Compton　had　noticed　this　fact；　too；　and　commented　upon　it　one　evening　when　Bince　was　at　her　home。

〃What's　the　matter　with　you；　Harold？〃　she　asked。　　〃You　look　as　though　you　are　on　the　verge　of　nervous　prostration。〃

〃I've　had　enough　to　make　any　man　nervous；〃　retorted　Bince　irritably。　　〃I　can't　get　over　this　terrible　affair；　and　in　addition　I　have　had　all　the　weight　and　responsibility　of　the　business　on　my　shoulders　since；　and　the　straightening　out　of　your　father's　estate；　which；　by　the　way；　was　in　pretty　bad　shape。

〃I　wish；　Elizabeth；〃　he　went　on；　〃that　we　might　be　married　immediately。　　I　have　asked　you　so　many　times　before；　however；　and　you　have　always　refused；　that　I　suppose　it　is　useless　now。　I　believe　that　I　would　get　over　this　nervous　condition　if　you　and　I　were　settled　down　here　together。　I　have　no　real　home；　as　you　knowthe　club　is　just　a　stopping　place。　I　might　as　well　be　living　at　a　hotel。　If　after　the　day's　work　I　could　come　home　to　a　regular　home　it　would　do　me　a　world　of　good；　I　know。　We　could　be　married　quietly。　There　is　every　reason　why　we　should；　especially　now　that　you　are　left　all　alone。〃

〃Just　what　do　you　mean　by　immediately？〃　she　asked。

〃To…morrow；〃　he　replied。

For　a　long　time　she　demurred；　but　finally　she　acceded　to　his　wishes；　for　an　early　marriage；　though　she　would　not　listen　to　the　ceremony　being　performed　the　following　day。　They　reached　a　compromise　on　Friday　morning；　a　delay　of　only　a　few　days；　and　Harold　Bince　breathed　more　freely　thereafter　than　he　had　for　a　long　time　before。

Mr。　and　Mrs。　Harold　Bince　entered　the　court…room　late　on　Friday　morning　following　the　brief　ceremony　that　had　made　them　man　and　wife。　It　had　been　generally　supposed　that　to…day　the　case　would　go　to　the　jury　as　the　evidence　was　all　in；　and　the　final　arguments　of　the　attorneys；　which　had　started　the　preceding　day；　would　be　concluded　during　the　morning　session。　It　had　been　conceded　that　the　judge's　charge　would　be　brief　and　perfunctory；　and　there　was　even　hope　that　the　jury　might　return　a　verdict　before　the　close　of　the　afternoon　session；　but　when　Bince　and　his　bride　entered　the　court…room　they　found　Torrance's　attorney　making　a　motion　for　the　admission　of　new　evidence　on　the　strength　of　the　recent　discovery　of　witnesses；　the　evidence　of　whom　he　claimed　would　materially　alter　the　aspect　of　the　case。

An　hour　was　consumed　in　argument　before　the　judge　finally　granted　the　motion。　The　first　of　the　new　witnesses　called　was　an　employee　of　the　International　Machine　Company。　After　the　usual　preliminary　questions　the　attorney　for　the　defense　asked　him　if　he　was　employed　in　the　plant　on　the　afternoon　of　March　24。　The　reply　was　in　the　affirmative。

〃Will　you　tell　the　jury；　please；　of　any　occurrence　that　you　witnessed　there　that　afternoon　out　of　the　ordinary？〃

〃I　was　working　at　my　machine；〃　said　the　witness；　〃when　Pete　Krovac　comes　to　me　and　asks　me　to　hide　behind　a　big　drill…press　and　watch　what　the　assistant　general　manager　done　when　he　comes　through　the　shop　again。　So　I　hides　there　and　I　saw　this　man　Bince　come　along　and　drop　an　envelope　beside　Krovac's　machine；　and　after　he　left　I　comes　out　as　Krovac　picks　it　up；　and　I　seen　him　take　some　money　out　of　it。〃

〃How　much　money？〃　asked　the　attorney。

〃There　was　fifty　dollars　there。　　He　counted　it　in　front　of　me。〃

〃Did　he　say　what　it　was　for？〃　〃Yes；　be　said　Bince　g