"I earnestly hope so; and the law holds every person innocent until her guilt be fully proved and established."
"Of the significance of law terms I know nothing; and of the usages of courts I am equally ignorant. If, as you suggest, I should waive an examination, should I escape imprisonment?"
"No."
"Then I must be tried at once; because I want to hurry back to my mother who is ill, and needs me."
"But you have no counsel as yet, and delay is your best policy."
"Delay might cost my mother's life. I have no money to pay a lawyer to stand up and mystify matters, and my best policy is to defend myself, by telling the simple truth."
Again Judge Dent sighed. Could guilt be masked by this fair semblance of childlike guilelessness?
"Can you summon any witnesses to prove that you were not at Elm Bluff on the night of the storm?"
"Yes, the ticket agent knows I was in the waiting-room during that storm."
He shook his gray head.