were written on the same legal
forms, printed by the same firm."

"On the same legal forms," the judge conceded. "But law stationers as a
rule don't manufacture their own paper." His face became grim, his voice
rose, and he drove his accusation home as in the old days of his
greater prosperity he had broken other carefully prepared testimony.

"That one detail, Braden, overlooked by you and French, destroys
entirely the plausible story you have invented. I am prepared to prove,
and prove to the hilt, that the deeds delivered by French to my client
are forgeries, prepared by you both to defraud a young woman of land
which, instead of being worthless as you supposed it to be when you sold
it to her father in fraudulent collusion with French, you suddenly
discovered to have a high potential value. I say I am prepared to prove
this, including the writing of the forged instruments on the same
machine. I am prepared to prove, too, how the original deeds passed from
French's possession to yours. You are in danger of standing in the dock
facing a charge which carries a very heavy penalty. You must decide here
and now, whether or not you will face that charge, and the damning
evidence which I am prepared to bring against you."

Mr. Braden quailed before the stern voice and menacing finger of the old
lawyer. He was not of the stuff to fight up hill, to play out a losing
game to the last chip. What was the use? The judge had the goods on him.
He sagged in his chair, all fight gone, his face white, his heart
choking him.

"Don'--don't prosecute me, Riley!" he pleaded in a shaking voice. "I'll
do anything you say. What do you want?"

CHAPTER XL

SIGNS AND OMENS

The reason of the temporary residence of Angus and his wife at her
cottage lay principally in her whim. Angus laughed at it, but yielded,
and found it rather pleasant to be alone with his wife. From force of
habit he found a number of jobs which needed doing, things which should
be put in order before the winter; but Faith insisted that it was to be
a holiday. And so by day they rode leisurely along the base of the
hills, rested at noon beside clear springs, ate with healthy appetites,
and in the evenings returned to the cottage. Then there would be the
cheery open fire against the chill of the fall night, and by its
flickering light the banjo would talk and whimper, and chuckle, until
Faith, laying it aside, would snuggle against her husband, watching the
r