“Oh, my dear! My dear!” she cried heart-rendingly, “it can’t be true! We’ve lost our best friend!”
Howard was tender as he stroked her head. But the stricken expression went from his eyes. He straightened himself, then leaned over his mother and lifted her head to look directly at her.
“No, mother,” he said gently. “We’ve lost a friend—a wonderful friend—but not our best friend while you or I live!”
The papers were all loud in their praise of the prominent man. They spoke of him in terms of profound respect and admiration. He had won a great name and enviable reputation for himself, by his many acts of benevolence and absolute integrity in all his dealings. There were many he had befriended who mourned him sincerely.
But there were none who felt his loss as keenly as Marjorie and Howard Benton. They knew they had lost a friend who could not be replaced.
With the tragedy occurring so near the beginning of Howard’s trial, the days were busy ones that followed. New counsel had to be procured, and when, through friends, Monroe Garden, a celebrated trial lawyer, had been called into the case, they found that the work of weeks had to be gone over. With a sinking heart, too, Marjorie Benton found that it would strain her resources if the matter should be long delayed.
And delayed it was. Mr. Garden’s ideas were different from Hammond’s. The latter had been all for rushing the matter through. He fought for delay upon delay, explaining to his impatient clients that it was the best thing to do.
Perhaps he was right. For after several months of anxiety and nerve-racking suspense, Howard was acquitted!
The strain upon Marjorie had been frightful—both upon her mentality and her bank account. There had been one expense after the other, and as she already knew, the lawyer’s fee was exorbitant. She was so overjoyed at the verdict, though, that she paid him gladly, and it was not until it was all over, that she realized to the full extent how terribly her funds had been depleted.
But it was with a heart full of thankfulness, a deep sigh of relief that she had her son—that he stood free and cleared of intent of crime before the world—that Marjorie Benton turned to take up the slackened thread of her life. There was so much to hope for. And surely all that could possibly happen had happened, and there must now be some peace and happiness awaiting her.