"He and I were once engaged. I broke it off when I found him out. After I married Mr. Jeffries I met Underwood again. Foolishly, I allowed the old intimacy to be renewed. He took advantage and preyed on my friends.
I forbade him my house. He wrote me a letter in which he threatened to kill himself. I was afraid he meant it--I wanted to prevent him. I went to his rooms that night. I--didn"t tell Mr. Jeffries. When the truth is known and I acknowledge that I visited this man--can you see what it means?--what a fuss there"ll be? Everybody will put the worst construction on it----"
"Trust them for that!" said Annie grimly. She was sorry for the woman"s distress, yet, being only human, she felt a certain sense of satisfaction in seeing her suffer a little of what she had been made to suffer.
"They"ll say that I--G.o.d knows what they"ll say!" went on Alicia distractedly. "My husband will be dragged through the mire of another public scandal--his social prestige will--oh, I dare not think of it--I know--I know--my duty is to that unfortunate boy. I mustn"t think of myself."
"Have you the letter that Mr. Underwood wrote you?" demanded her companion.
"Yes--I"ve never been able to destroy it. I don"t know why I kept it, but thank G.o.d I have it!" Moaning, she went on:
"The disgrace!--the disgrace!--it"s ruin!--degradation! It"s the end of everything!--the end of everything!"
Annie regarded with contempt this poor, weak, wailing creature who lacked the moral courage to do what was merely right. Yet her voice was not unkind as she said:
"I don"t want to disgrace you--or ruin you. But what am I to do--tell me, what am I to do?"
"I don"t know," moaned her companion helplessly.
"Howard must be saved."
"Yes."
"Will you tell Judge Brewster or shall I?"
"Judge Brewster! Why should he know?" cried Alicia, startled. More composedly and as if resigned to the inevitable, she went on: "Yes, I suppose he must know sooner or later, but, I----"
She broke down again and burst into tears. Annie watched her in silence.
"It"s tough--isn"t it?" she said sympathetically.
"Yes," sobbed Alicia through her tears, "it"s--it"s tough!" Rising, she dried her eyes and said hastily: "Don"t say anything now. Give me a few hours. Then I can think what is best to be done."
Annie was about to reply when the office door suddenly opened and Judge Brewster entered. Addressing Alicia, he said:
"Pardon me, Mrs. Jeffries, I hope I haven"t kept you waiting." Noticing her agitation and traces of tears, he looked surprised. He made no comment but turned to Annie:
"I have been talking to Dr. Bernstein over the "phone."
Annie approached him softly and said in a whisper:
"I"ve told Mrs. Jeffries that you have undertaken Howard"s defense."
Judge Brewster smiled at his wealthy client, almost apologetically, Annie thought. Then addressing her, he said:
"Yes, I"ve been quite busy since I saw you. I have put three of the best detectives we have on the trail of the woman who visited Underwood that night. I don"t think the police have been trying very hard to find her.
They"re satisfied with Howard"s confession. But we want her and we"ll get her----"
"Oh!" gasped Alicia.
The judge was proceeding to tell of other steps he had taken when the door opened and the head clerk entered, followed by Mr. Jeffries.
"I told Mr. Jeffries that Mrs. Jeffries was here," said the clerk.
"You might have told him that there were two Mrs. Jeffries here,"
laughed the judge.
The clerk retired and the banker, completely ignoring the presence of his daughter-in-law, turned to his wife and said:
"I regret, my dear, that you should be subjected to these family annoyances."
Judge Brewster came forward and cleared his throat as if preliminary to something important he had to say. Addressing the banker, he said boldly:
"Mr. Jeffries, I have decided to undertake Howard"s defense."
His aristocratic client was taken completely by surprise. For a moment he could say nothing, but simply stared at the lawyer as if unable to believe his ears. With an effort, he at last exclaimed:
"Indeed!--then you will please consider our business relations to have ceased from this moment."
The lawyer bowed.
"As you please," he said suavely.
The banker turned to his wife.
"Alicia--come."
He offered his arm and turned toward the door. Alicia, in distress, looked back at Annie, who nodded rea.s.suringly to her. Judge Brewster rose and, going to the door, opened it. The banker bowed stiffly and said:
"Pray don"t trouble. Good morning, sir."
"Good morning, Mr. Jeffries," replied the judge.
As Alicia followed her husband out, she turned and whispered to Annie:
"Come and see me at my home."
When she had disappeared the judge came back into the room and sat down at his desk.
"Well, that"s done!" he exclaimed with a sigh of relief. Rummaging for a moment among his papers, he looked up and said with an encouraging smile:
"Now, if you please, we will go over that evidence--bit by bit."
CHAPTER XVII.
The news that Judge Brewster would appear for the defendant at the approaching trial of Howard Jeffries went through the town like wildfire, and caused an immediate revival in the public interest, which was beginning to slacken for want of hourly stimulation. Rumor said that there had been a complete reconciliation in the Jeffries family, that the banker was now convinced of his son"s innocence and was determined to spend a fortune, if necessary, to save him. This and other reports of similar nature were all untrue, but the judge let them pa.s.s without contradiction. They were harmless, he chuckled, and if anything, helped Howard"s cause.