was at the library meeting with my mother."

"When did you leave there?"

"It must have been midnight or later--oh, yes, I remember seeing the
town clock as we passed through the square. That was just before one
o'clock--perhaps ten or fifteen minutes. We were out late--every one
was."

"Who was with you when you were going home?"

"My mother, and for a time Mr. Rawlins here--one of you gentlemen of the
jury. He will know. Just as we left the library we were joined by Mr.
Horace Brooks."

"Where did you go?"

"We three walked on together. It was at the second corner of the square,
where Mulberry Street turns off, that Mr. Brooks left me."

Nels Jorgens, one of the jury, now spoke up. "That's true," said he. "I
saw the three of them walking along the front of the square, and saw
them turn in at Mulberry Street. Across from where I live I saw two
people at the gate. It was a man--a tall man--and her--Aurora Lane."

"You yourself were not at the gate then?"

"No," said Don, "I had left just at the corner of the square."

"Why did you leave them?"

"Well, I wanted to have a little run before I went to bed. I'm used to
taking exercise every night--I always did at college, to keep up my
training."

"Where did you go when you were running?"

"I may be mistaken in the directions, but it was across the square,
opposite from Mulberry Street. I turned to the right. I must have run
perhaps four or five blocks, I don't know just how far it was. It was
quite warm."

"Did you come into this street?"

"I don't really know."

"You didn't see anybody?"

"Not a soul. I didn't hear a sound."

"What time was that?"

"I heard the clock strike one before I turned back."

"Gentlemen of the jury," said the coroner, "it was just about that time
that Joel Tarbush was killed, right here."

"That's true," said Don Lane. "It's terrible to think of--but why----"

"You heard Judge Henderson's testimony, gentlemen," went on the coroner.
"He told of seeing these three people pass by on the square in front of
his office stair. Just before that he had said good night to Tarbush
himself. He saw Tarbush start right over this way for his home. Now,
just in time to catch him before he got into his home--if a man was
running fast--a man _did_ run from the square over in this direction!"

The members of the jury remained silent. Their faces were extremely
grave.

"And, gentlemen, you have heard the testimony of other witnesses he