can, but, remember, lam not to be questioned about it. Go home
and hold your peace but come and see me the day before the trial.”
“But really”
“Shut up, I’m busy,” retorted the question mark, as he turned
the pages of an old newspaper. Further remonstrance was use
less. Why this fellow was worse than crazy; in fact, he was a
fool, and the only thing to do was to enter a plea of insanity.
Once outside the cell the lawyer proceeded to look up and trace
the case. The facts as he gathered them from the papers were as
follows: July 14th, Mr. John Mills is shot in the streets of .M
at high noon by an unknown equestrian. At the time of the
shooting or immediately afterward the horse of the assassin
reared so badly that he lost the grip on his revolver, and it fell in
the dust. Without stopping to pick it up he left the town fol
lowed by a band of citizens whom he soon evaded successfully.
One man had seen the deed committed, and had picked up the
revolver where it had fallen. It bore the initials J. C. on the
pearl handle.
July 16th, the jury, at the coroner’s inquest, renders a verdict
that Mr. John Mills received his death from the hands of an un
known assassin, July 14th.
July 21st, James Carter, a tramp, is arrested on the charge of
shooting Mr. John Mills; pleads not guilty, and is placed in the
county jail to await trial in the October court. Carter does not
deny his presence in the town on the day of the murder, and ad
mits of having had a grudge against the dead man. He also says
the revolver belongs to him, but still he pleads not guilty of the
crime.
Such were the facts of the case as the world knew them; but
what about the other side, his side, the side on which' his reputa
tion as a lawyer was staked. Surely the man was innocent be
cause he represented him, but yet, how could he be? ' He would
go and see him again. For the tenth time he went, and for the
tenth time he was told to “shut up.” Entirely disgusted he would
return to his office fully determined to see the man strung up be-