Next morning he arose late. He looked over the report of the trial in the morning paper, and then, turning to the leader page, read with rising indignation the following editorial:--
"THE BRENTON CASE.
"The decision of yesterday shows the glorious uncertainty that attends the finding of the average American jury. If such verdicts are to be rendered, we may as well blot out from the statute-book all punishment for all crimes in which the evidence is largely circ.u.mstantial. If ever a strong case was made out against a human being it was the case of the prosecution in the recent trial. If ever there was a case in which the defence was deplorably weak, although ably conducted, it was the case that was concluded yesterday. Should we, then, be prepared to say that circ.u.mstantial evidence will not be taken by an American jury as ground for the conviction of a murderer? The chances are that, if we draw this conclusion, we shall be entirely wrong. If a man stood in the dock, in the place of the handsome young woman who occupied it yesterday, he would to-day have been undoubtedly convicted of murder. The conclusion, then, to be arrived at seems to be that, unless there is the direct proof of murder against a pretty woman, it is absolutely impossible to get the average jury of men to convict her. It would seem that the sooner we get women on juries, especially where a woman is on trial, the better it will be for the cause of justice."
Then in other parts of the paper there were little items similar to this--
"If Mrs. Brenton did not poison her husband, then who did?"
That afternoon George Stratton paid a visit to Mrs. Brenton. He had hoped she had not seen the paper in question, but he hoped in vain. He found Mrs. Brenton far from elated with her acquittal.
"I would give everything I possess," she said, "to bring the culprit to justice."
After a talk on that momentous question, and when George Stratton held her hand and said good-bye, she asked him--
"When do you go to Chicago?"
"Madam," he said, "I leave for Chicago the moment I find out who poisoned William Brenton."
She answered sadly--
"You may remain a long time in Cincinnati."
"In some respects," said Stratton, "I like Cincinnati better than Chicago."
"You are the first Chicago man I ever heard say that," she replied.
"Ah, that was because they did not know Cincinnati as I do."
"I suppose you must have seen a great deal of the town, but I must confess that from now on I should be very glad if I never saw Cincinnati again. I would like to consult with you," she continued, "about the best way of solving this mystery. I have been thinking of engaging some of the best detectives I can get. I suppose New York would be the place."
"No; Chicago," answered the young man.
"Well, then, that is what I wanted to see you about. I would like to get the very best detectives that can be had. Don"t you think that, if they were promised ample reward, and paid well during the time they were working on the case, we might discover the key to this mystery?"
"I do not think much of our detective system," answered Stratton, "although I suppose there is something in it, and sometimes they manage in spite of themselves to stumble on the solution of a crime. Still, I shall be very glad indeed to give you what advice I can on the subject.
I may say I have const.i.tuted myself a special detective in this case, and that I hope to have the honour of solving the problem."
"You are very good, indeed," she answered, "and I must ask you to let me bear the expense."
"Oh, the paper will do that. I won"t be out of pocket at all," said Stratton.
"Well, I hardly know how to put it; but, whether you are successful or not, I feel very grateful to you, and I hope you will not be offended at what I am going to say. Now, promise me that you won"t!"
"I shall not be offended," he answered. "It is a little difficult to offend a Chicago newspaper man, you know."
"Now, you mustn"t say anything against the newspaper men, for, in spite of the hard things that some of them have said about me, I like them."
"Individually or collectively?"
[Ill.u.s.tration: "I feel very grateful to you."]
"I am afraid I must say individually. You said you wouldn"t be offended, so after your search is over you must let me----. The labourer is worthy of his hire, or I should say, his reward--you know what I mean. I presume that a young man who earns his living on the daily press is not necessarily wealthy."
"Why, Mrs. Brenton, what strange ideas you have of the world! We newspaper men work at the business merely because we like it. It isn"t at all for the money that"s in it."
"Then you are not offended at what I have said?"
"Oh, not in the least. I may say, however, that I look for a higher reward than money if I am successful in this search."
"Yes, I am sure you do," answered the lady, innocently. "If you succeed in this, you will be very famous."
"Exactly; it"s fame I"m after," said Stratton, shaking her hand once more, and taking his leave.
When he reached his hotel, he found the Chicago detective waiting for him.
"Well, old man," he said, "anything new?"
"Yes, sir. Something very new."
"What have you found out?"
"Everything."
"Very well, let me have it."
"I found out that this man bought, on December 10th, thirty grains of morphia. He had this morphia put up in five-grain capsules. He bought this at the drug store on the corner of Blank Street and Nemo Avenue."
"Good gracious!" answered Stratton. "Then to get morphia he must have had a physician"s certificate. Did you find who the physician was that signed the certificate?"
"My dear sir," said the Chicago man, "this person is himself a physician, unless I am very much mistaken. I was told that this was the portrait of Stephen Roland. Am I right?"
"That is the name."
"Well, then, he is a doctor himself. Not doing a very large practice, it is true, but he is a physician. Did you not know that?"
[Ill.u.s.tration: "Here"s the detailed report."]
"No," said Stratton; "how stupid I am! I never thought of asking the man"s occupation."
"Very well, if that is what you wanted to know, here"s the detailed report of my investigation."
When the man left, Stratton rubbed his hands.
"Now, Mr. Stephen Roland, I have you," he said.