hair, they sat down in some cross seats on the
left. Beyond the railing the room was already well filled with the new
panel of jurors, the witnesses, the reporters and many of Lydia's
friends, who were already jostling for places.

The clerk of the court, immediately in front of the judge's bench, but
on a lower level, having finished calling the roll, was busily writing,
writing, his well-brushed red-and-silver head bent so low over his great
sheets that the small bare spot on top was presented to the court room.
For one moment he and a tall attendant had become human and friendly
over the fact that the counsel table was not on all fours, and the day
before had rocked under the thundering fist of the lawyer in the last
case. But as soon as it was stabilized with little wads of paper both
men returned to their accustomed solemnity, the clerk to his lists and
the attendant, standing erect at the railing, to viewing the unusual
crowd and exclaiming at intervals "Find seats--sit down--find seats,"
which was, of course, just what everybody was trying to do.

Foster came in hurriedly with a stack of large manila envelopes in his
hand. He bowed nervously to Miss Bennett and sat down just in front of
her with his eyes fixed on the door.

The court stenographer came in and took his place, laid his neatly
sharpened pencils beside his open book, yawned and threw his arm over
the back of his chair. He seemed indifferent as to what story of human
frailty was by means of his incredible facility about to be transferred
to the records.

Yet he was not wholly without human curiosity, for presently he leaned
over to the clerk and whispered, "What did the jury find in that
abduction case?"

"Acquitted."

"Well, well!"

The two men exchanged a glance that betrayed that in their opinion
jurors and criminals were pretty much on the same level.

A faint stir in the court, an anticipatory cry from the attendant of
"Order, order," and Lydia and Wiley came in and sat down side by side at
the corner of the long table--now perfectly steady. Lydia looked pale
and severe. She had devoted a great deal of thought to her dress, not
through vanity, but because dress was an element in winning her case.
She was dressed as simply as possible, without being theatrically
simple. She wore a dark serge and a black-winged hat. She nodded to
Foster, smiled at Miss Bennett and Eleanor. She began looking coolly
about her. She had never been in court, an