who remember that he had been a participator in the lengthy
discussion which had just taken place on the court-house steps as to how
a man might commit a crime without laying himself open to the risk of
detection, might--yes, sir."

Mr. Ferris and the coroner, who, whatever their doubts or fears, had
never for an instant seriously believed the dying words of Mr. Orcutt to
be those of confession, gazed in consternation at the detective, and
finally inquired:

"Do you realize what you are saying?"

Mr. Gryce drew a deep breath, and shifted his gaze to the next stud in
Mr. Ferris' shirt-front.

"I have never been accused of speaking lightly," he remarked. Then, with
quiet insistence, asked: "Where was Mrs. Clemmens believed to get the
money she lived on?"

"It is not known," rejoined the District Attorney.

"Yet she left a nice little sum behind her?"

"Five thousand dollars," declared the coroner.

"Strange that, in a town like this, no one should know where it came
from?" suggested the detective.

The two gentlemen were silent.

"It was a good deal to come from Mr. Orcutt in payment of a single meal
a day!" continued Mr. Gryce.

"No one has ever supposed it did come from Mr. Orcutt," remarked Mr.
Ferris, with some severity.

"But does any one know it did not?" ventured the detective.

Dr. Tredwell and the District Attorney looked at each other, but did not
reply.

"Gentlemen," pursued Mr. Gryce, after a moment of quiet waiting, "this
is without exception the most serious moment of my life. Never in the
course of my experience--and that includes much--have I been placed in a
more trying position than now. To allow one's self to doubt, much less
to question, the integrity of so eminent a man, seems to me only less
dreadful than it does to you; yet, for all that, were I his friend, as I
certainly am his admirer, I would say: 'Sift this matter to the bottom;
let us know if this great lawyer has any more in favor of his innocence
than the other gentlemen who have been publicly accused of this crime.'"

"But," protested Dr. Tredwell, seeing that the District Attorney was too
much moved to speak, "you forget the evidences which underlay the
accusation of these _other_ gentlemen; also that of all the persons who,
from the day the widow was struck till now, have been in any way
associated with suspicion, Mr. Orcutt is the only one who could have had
no earthly motive for injuring this humble woman, even if he w