"
"But, my dear young lady," said the district attorney, "the young man
whom you speak of has already been proved guilty by a fair-minded
jury. There seems to be no question of his being innocent, and, after
the jury have returned their verdict it is rather late to still try
to prove him not guilty."
"What I have to tell you I think is important. Can't you spare me a
little time?"
"I have a luncheon engagement in half an hour, and can give you
twenty minutes, but it will do no good, I am sure. Won't you sit
down?" and Mr. Harlow placed a chair for her near his desk.
"Thank you," said Mary, as she seated herself, "I will be as brief as
possible. I have read of many murder cases, but I believe I never
knew of one in which there was more conclusive evidence against the
person accused than in this instance. When I first took up the case,
my father did not think there was a possible loophole of escape for
him; but the truth does not always appear on the surface. Then,
jurors get wrong impressions. Witnesses are often prejudiced.
Sometimes the judge is not impartial. Then there are coincidences
which are fatal so far as appearances go, but which can be
satisfactorily explained."
The district attorney nodded, somewhat impatiently, and fingered his
watch-chain.
"The day after the murder I called on Mabel Ellicott, primarily to
ask her some questions about Robert Wood, but I also had a chance to
see the body of her father, and to examine the wound upon the
murdered man's head.
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