thrust of McGaw's which
seemed to have broken her indomitable spirit.

Babcock, although he did not betray his misgivings, was greatly worried
over the outcome of McGaw's latest scheme. He wished in his secret
heart that Tom had signed her own name to the contract. He was afraid
so punctilious a man as the judge might decide against her. He had never
seen him; he only knew that no other judge in his district had so great
a reputation for technical rulings.

When the judge entered--a small, gray-haired, keen-eyed man in a
black suit, with gold spectacles, spotless linen, and clean-shaven
face--Babcock's fears were confirmed. This man, he felt, would be
legally exact, no matter who suffered by his decision.

Rowan opened the case, the judge listening attentively, looking over his
glasses. Rowan recounted the details of the advertisement, the opening
of the bids, the award of the contract, the signing of "Thomas Grogan"
in the presence of the full board, and the discovery by his "honored
client that no such man existed, had not existed for years, and did not
now exist."

"Dead, your Honor"--throwing out his chest impressively, his voice
swelling--"dead in his grave these siven years, this Mr. Thomas Grogan;
and yet this woman has the bald and impudent effrontery to"--

"That will do, Mr. Rowan."

Police justices--justices like Rowan--did not count much with Judge
Bowker, and then he never permitted any one to abuse a woman in his
presence.

"The point you make is that Mrs. Grogan had no right to sign her name to
a contract made out in the name of her dead husband."

"I do, your Honor," said Rowan, resuming his seat.

"Why did you sign it?" asked Judge Bowker, turning to Tom.

She looked at Babcock. He nodded assent, and then she answered:--

"I allus signed it so since he left me."

There was a pleading, tender pathos in her words that startled Babcock.
He could hardly believe the voice to be Tom's.

The judge looked at her with a quick, penetrating glance, which
broadened into an expression of kindly interest when he read her entire
honesty in her face. Then he turned to the president of the board.

"When you awarded this contract, whom did you expect to do the work,
Mrs. Grogan or her husband.'"

"Mrs. Grogan, of course. She has done her own work for years," answered
the president.

The judge tapped the arm of his chair with his pencil. The taps could be
heard all over the room. Most men kept quiet i