rrupted her impatiently.

"Circumstances are against Howard. Your father judges him guilty from
his own confession. It's the conclusion I'm compelled to come to myself.
Now, how do you propose to change that conclusion?"

"You don't have to change it," she said quietly, "You don't believe
Howard guilty."

"I don't?" exclaimed the lawyer.

"No, at the bottom of your heart. You knew Howard when he was a boy, and
you know he is as incapable of that crime as you are."

Judge Brewster lapsed into silence, and there followed a perfect quiet,
broken only by the suppressed chatter of the clerks and clicking of the
typewriters in the outer office. Annie watched him closely, wondering
what was passing in his mind, fearing in her heart that she might have
prejudiced him against her husband only the more. Suddenly he turned on
her.

"Mrs. Jeffries, how do you know that your husband did not kill Robert
Underwood?"

"I know it," she said confidently.

"Yes," persisted the judge, "but how do you know it?"

Annie looked steadily at him, and then she said solemnly:

"I know there's a God, but I can't tell you how I know it. I just know
it, that's all! Howard didn't do it. I know he didn't."

The lawyer smiled.

"That's a very fair sample of feminine logic."

"Well, it's all I have," she retorted, with a toss of her head. "And
it's a mighty comfort, too, because when you know a thing you know it
and it makes you happy."

Judge Brewster laughed outright.

"Feminine deduction!" he cried. "Think a thing, believe it, and then you
know it!" Looking up at her, he asked:

"Haven't you any relatives to whom you can go?"

She shook her head.

"No," she said sadly. "My father died in--Sing Sing--and the rest are
not worth----"

"Yes, yes, I know," replied the judge hastily. "I got your family
history from Mr. Jeffries after your marriage. It is filed away among
the family archives."

She smiled sadly.

"It's a wonder you don't burn 'em up--my folks were not a very brilliant
lot." Earnestly she went on: "But my father was all right, judge. Blood
was thicker than water with him. He'd never have gone back on me in the
way Howard's father has on him."

The lawyer looked at her fixedly without speaking. Their eyes met, and
the silence continued until it became embarrassing. Judge Brewster shook
his head.

"It's too bad. I'm sorry for you, really, I----"

Annie laughed, and he asked:

"Why do you laugh?"

"What's the