Part 29 (2/2)
”You don't have to change it,” she said quietly, ”You don't believe Howard guilty.”
”I don't?” exclaimed the lawyer.
”No, at the bottom of your heart. You knew Howard when he was a boy, and you know he is as incapable of that crime as you are.”
Judge Brewster lapsed into silence, and there followed a perfect quiet, broken only by the suppressed chatter of the clerks and clicking of the typewriters in the outer office. Annie watched him closely, wondering what was pa.s.sing in his mind, fearing in her heart that she might have prejudiced him against her husband only the more. Suddenly he turned on her.
”Mrs. Jeffries, how do you know that your husband did not kill Robert Underwood?”
”I know it,” she said confidently.
”Yes,” persisted the judge, ”but how do you know it?”
Annie looked steadily at him, and then she said solemnly:
”I know there's a G.o.d, but I can't tell you how I know it. I just know it, that's all! Howard didn't do it. I know he didn't.”
The lawyer smiled.
”That's a very fair sample of feminine logic.”
”Well, it's all I have,” she retorted, with a toss of her head. ”And it's a mighty comfort, too, because when you know a thing you know it and it makes you happy.”
Judge Brewster laughed outright.
”Feminine deduction!” he cried. ”Think a thing, believe it, and then you know it!” Looking up at her, he asked:
”Haven't you any relatives to whom you can go?”
She shook her head.
”No,” she said sadly. ”My father died in--Sing Sing--and the rest are not worth----”
”Yes, yes, I know,” replied the judge hastily. ”I got your family history from Mr. Jeffries after your marriage. It is filed away among the family archives.”
She smiled sadly.
”It's a wonder you don't burn 'em up--my folks were not a very brilliant lot.” Earnestly she went on: ”But my father was all right, judge. Blood was thicker than water with him. He'd never have gone back on me in the way Howard's father has on him.”
The lawyer looked at her fixedly without speaking. Their eyes met, and the silence continued until it became embarra.s.sing. Judge Brewster shook his head.
”It's too bad. I'm sorry for you, really, I----”
Annie laughed, and he asked:
”Why do you laugh?”
”What's the use of crying?” she said. ”Ha! Ha! It's almost a joke.
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