."

"Did you notice anything unusual about the accused when you met her in
the hall?"

"She looked excited and frightened, and very pale."

The judge advocate smiled with satisfaction; he was piling up damaging
facts against Nancy. He signed to Warren to cross-examine the witness;
but his smile changed to a frown when he read Warren's first question.

"Will you kindly explain to this court how you could see in a dark hall
that Miss Newton 'looked excited and frightened, and very pale,' when
you have just testified that you are too near-sighted to have seen so
large an object as a bottle or a pocket-book in Miss Newton's hands?"

"I do-don't understand?" quavered Mrs. Lewis. The judge advocate
repeated the question with more emphasis.

"I guess I just thought she looked excited and frightened," admitted
the confused old lady reluctantly.

"That is all," exclaimed Warren, and Mrs. Lewis left the chair
dissolved in tears.

CHAPTER XXIII

SENSATIONAL EVIDENCE

Turning quickly, the judge advocate gave an order in an undertone to an
attendant, who saluted and then followed Mrs. Lewis out into the hall.
Warren leaned forward and spoke an encouraging word to Nancy; then
settled back in his chair and fidgeted uneasily with his papers. He
glanced covertly at her. Surely her frank, fearless eyes, her unruffled
demeanor, hid no criminal act; and yet.... Angry with himself for
permitting a doubt, he pulled out his watch and glanced at its face. A
quarter of two....

At that moment the attendant reentered the room, and delivered a
message to the judge advocate, who rose and announced that the next
witness called to the stand was Major Robert Goddard. All eyes were
turned to the entrance as the folding doors opened and Goddard stepped
into the room, leaning on his attendant's arm.

Wasted by his illness, Goddard's uniform hung loosely on him. He looked
so changed, so pallid and worn, that Nancy dug her nails into her flesh
to keep from crying. The attendant quickly guided him to the witness
chair, then retired to the back of the room as the judge advocate
stepped forward to administer the oath.

When the ceremony was over, Goddard sat down, and, leaning on his sword
hilt, turned his head slowly, as if, not seeing, he were trying to
locate by ear some familiar presence. Warren read his meaning, and in
pity leaned forward and addressed Nancy by name. As her clear voice
answered, Goddard turned instantly in her d