om with triumph in his eyes and satisfaction at the corners of
his mouth.

He came now to the uncertainty of Sol's memory on the matter of being
bidden to enter the kitchen when he knocked. Sol had now passed from
doubt to certainty. Come to think it over, said he, nobody had said a
word when he knocked at that door. He remembered now that it was as
still inside the house as if everybody was away.

Mrs. Greening was standing against the wall, having that moment returned
to the room from ministering to her daughter's baby. She held the infant
in her arms, waiting Sol's descent from the witness-chair so she might
settle down in her place without disturbing the proceedings. When she
heard her husband make this positive declaration, her mouth fell open
and her eyes widened in surprise.

"Why Sol," she spoke up reprovingly, "you told me Joe----"

It had taken the prosecuting attorney that long to glance around and
spring to his feet. There his voice, in a loud appeal to the court for
the protection of his sacred rights, drowned that of mild Mrs. Greening.
The judge rapped, the sheriff rapped; Captain Taylor, from his post at
the door, echoed the authoritative sound.

Hammer abruptly ceased his questioning of Sol, after the judge had
spoken a few crisp words of admonishment, not directed in particular at
Mrs. Greening, but more to the public at large, regarding the decorum of
the court. Sam Lucas thereupon took Sol in hand again, and drew him on
to replace his former doubtful statement by his later conclusion. As Sol
left the witness-chair Hammer smiled. He handed Mrs. Greening's name to
the clerk, and requested a subpoena for her as a witness for the
defense.

Sol's son Dan was the next witness, and Hammer put him through a similar
course of sprouts. Judge Maxwell allowed Hammer to disport uncurbed
until it became evident that, if given his way, the barber-lawyer would
drag the trial out until Joe was well along in middle life. He then
admonished Hammer that there were bounds fixed for human existence, and
that the case must get on.

Hammer was a bit uppish and resentful. He stood on his rights; he
invoked the sacred constitution; he referred to the revised statutes; he
put his hand into his coat and spread his legs to make a memorable
protest.

Judge Maxwell took him in hand very kindly and led safely past the point
of explosion with a smile of indulgence. With that done, the state came
to Constable Bill Frost and