rse, Winter was the
married name of his old nurse, who had been in his father's family for
thirty years. But who was this man?

"Mr. Duncan----"

Gordon turned as he heard the whisper behind him and found himself face
to face with the very woman of whom he had been thinking.

"Why, Margaret, what are you doing here?"

"O, Mr. Duncan--it's him."

"Who?"

"Jack--there--my son." She glanced toward the prisoner.

Gordon motioned toward the door and they passed out together into the
Rotunda.

"O, Mr. Duncan, can you save him?--You will, won't you, dearie? He's my
only boy! Indeed, indeed, he's not guilty for all he's been a wild lad
at times. O, why do they say he's Red Farrell, or some such man? O
please tell them, Mr. Duncan."

And then the story came out with a burst of tears which the Rotunda saw
and heard without any emotion whatsoever. It has witnessed so many
tears--that Rotunda--heard so many, many stories.

Before Court adjourned Gordon found himself committed to aid in the
defence of John Winter--his first criminal case. By evening he was
working enthusiastically, confident in the innocence of his client.

Winter was a stupid fellow and impossible as a witness, but this only
further convinced his new counsel, who believed a bad witness could not
be a good liar. But the defence had been poorly prepared at the hands of
the attorney assigned by the Court. Proper witnesses had not been
subpoenaed--details had been neglected, while the prosecution seemed
unusually keen. This last fact worried and puzzled Gordon more than all
the others, and finally started him out on a tour of personal
investigation.

When he returned he had learned enough to make him admit that with the
time at his command there was small hope of clearing his man from the
closely pressed charge.

One chance, however, remained--to see the Assistant District Attorney
and obtain an adjournment. But to beg a favour from that source was gall
and wormwood to Gordon. Moreover, what he had discovered was not
calculated to cool his hot head or make him more diplomatic. So the
mission did not promise well, and he had about determined not to attempt
it, when the look of despair and mute appeal in Margaret's face made him
reconsider, and drove him late at night to visit a man he would have
gone miles to avoid.

The Assistant District Attorney was the opposite of Gordon in every
way--smooth, politic, even tempered, and ambitious to drop the word