he Beaubien, and all who
had been associated with the Simiti company, including Cass himself,
to be participators in gross, intentional fraud.

The remaining witness, the girl herself, had been purposely neglected
by the prosecution, for the great Ames had planned that she must be
called by the defense. Then would he bring up the prostitute, Jude,
and from her wring testimony which must blast forever the girl's
already soiled name. Following her, he would himself take the stand,
and tell of the girl's visits to his office; of her protestations of
love for him; of her embracing him; and of a thousand indiscretions
which he had carefully garnered and stored for this triumphant
occasion.

But the judge, visibly perturbed by the dramatic turn which the case
seemed to be taking, studied his watch for a moment, then Ames's face,
and then abruptly adjourned court until the following day. Yet not
until Cass had been recognized, and the hounded girl summoned from her
cell in the Tombs, to take the stand in the morning for--her life!

CHAPTER 17

In the days to come, when the divine leaven which is in the world
to-day shall have brought more of the carnal mind's iniquity to the
surface, that the Sun of Truth may destroy the foul germs, there shall
be old men and women, and they which, looking up from their work, peep
and mutter of strange things long gone, who shall fall wonderingly
silent when they have told again of the fair young girl who walked
alone into the crowded court room that cold winter's morning. And
their stories will vary with the telling, for no two might agree what
manner of being it was that came into their midst that day.

Even the bailiffs, as if moved by some strange prescience, had fallen
back and allowed her to enter alone. The buzz of subdued chatter
ceased, and a great silence came over all as they looked. Some swore,
in awed whispers, when the dramatic day had ended, and judge and jury
and wrangling lawyer had silently, and with bowed heads, gone quiet
and thoughtful each to his home, that a nimbus encircled her beautiful
head when she came through the door and faced the gaping multitude.
Some said that her eyes were raised; that she saw not earthly things;
and that a heavenly presence moved beside her. Nor may we lightly set
aside these tales; for, after the curtain had fallen upon the
wonderful scene about to be enacted, there was not one present who
would deny that, as the girl came into