Part 60 (2/2)

”Miss Ballard, you are called upon to identify the prisoner in the box. Can you do so?” asked the lawyer again, patiently.

Again she turned her clear eyes on the judge's face, ”Yes, I can.”

Then, looking into the Elder's eyes, she said: ”He is your son, Elder Craigmile. He is Peter. You know him. Look at him. He is Peter Junior.” Her voice rang clear and strong, and she pointed to the prisoner with steady hand. ”Look at him, Elder Craigmile; he is your son.”

”You will address the jury and the court, Miss Ballard, and give your reasons for this a.s.sertion. How do you know he is Peter Craigmile, Jr.?”

Then she turned toward the jury, and holding out both hands in sudden pleading action cried out earnestly: ”I know him. He is Peter Junior.

Can't you see he is Peter, the Elder's son?”

”But how do you know him?”

”Because it is he. I know him the way we always know people--by just--knowing them. He is Peter Junior.”

”Have you seen the prisoner before since his return to Leauvite?”

”Yes, I went to the jail and I saw him, and I knew him.”

”But give a reason for your knowledge. How did you know him?”

”By--by the look in his eyes--by his hands--Oh! I just knew him in a moment. I knew him.”

”Miss Ballard, we have positive proof that Peter Junior was murdered and from the lips of his murderer. The witness just dismissed says he heard Richard Kildene tell you he pushed his cousin Peter Junior over the bluff into the river. Can you deny this statement? On your sacred oath can you deny it?”

”No, but I don't have to deny it, for you can see for yourselves that Peter Junior is alive. He is not dead. He is here.”

”Did Richard Kildene ever tell you he had pushed his cousin over the bluff into the river? A simple answer is required, yes, or no!”

She stood for a moment, her lips white and trembling. ”Yes!”

”When did he tell you this?”

”When he came to me, just after he thought he had done it--but he was mistaken--he did not--he only thought he had done it.”

”Did he tell you why he thought he had done it? Tell the court all about it.”

Then Betty lifted her head and spoke rapidly--eagerly. ”Because he was very angry with Peter Junior, and he wanted to kill him, and he did try to push him over, but Peter struck him, and Richard didn't truly know whether he really pushed him over or not,--for he lay there a long time before he even knew where he was, and when he came to himself again, he could not find Peter there and only his hat and things--he thought he must have done it, because that was what he was trying to do, just as everyone else has thought it--because when Peter saw him lying there, he thought he had killed Richard, and so he pushed a great stone over to make every one think he had gone over the bluff and was dead, too, and he left his hat there and the other things, and now he has come back to give himself up, just as he has said, because he could not stand it to live any longer with the thought on his conscience that he had killed Richard when he struck him. But you would not let him give himself up. You have kept on insisting he is Richard. And it is all your fault, Elder Craigmile, because you won't look to see that he is your son.” She paused, panting, flushed and indignant.

”Miss Ballard, you are here as a witness,” said the judge. ”You must restrain yourself and answer the questions that are asked you and make no comments.”

Here the Elder leaned forward and touched his attorney, and pointed a shaking hand at the prisoner and said a few words, whereat the lawyer turned sharply upon the witness.

”Miss Ballard, you have visited the prisoner since he has been in the jail?”

”Yes, _I_ said so.”

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