“I do not,” she answered, while a thrill of excitement ran through the room, and Paul started from his seat.
Thinking something was amiss, Sherry got up, licked Paul’s hands, shook his sides and lay down again, while the proceedings continued.
It was useless to question Elithe as to her meaning.
“You will know later,” she said, and was dismissed without cross-questioning.
Tom had said to the leading lawyer for the defense, “Don’t ask any questions of anybody. I know something which will knock all they can say into a cocked hat. The man has been found, and when I am on the stand I shall tell who he was. Get me there as quick as you can.”
This communication had circulated rapidly among the lawyers for the defense, who were as anxious for Tom to be sworn as he was himself. Matters had been hurried so fast and with so short a recess that there would be just time for Tom before the day’s session closed, and, when the prosecution was ended, he was called at once. There was a last look at the ocean, with a wonder how deep it was near the shore where the waves were tumbling in. Then he walked forward and stood before the people, a fine specimen of young manhood and as popular in a way as Paul himself. Everybody liked him, even those he had sworn at for maligning Paul, and they were wondering what he had to say. Sherry gave a little bark of welcome, and, getting upon his feet, stood watching Tom, who was very white around his mouth as he went through the preliminaries. Then, clenching his hands tightly together and drawing a long breath, he began:
“You needn’t question me. I am going to tell it right along as it is. I shot Jack Percy! though, God knows, I did not mean to do it. I did not know he was within a mile of me. I thought I was firing at a rabbit, which I saw running through the bushes. You remember Miss Elithe heard the same noise and said I fired low. I was wearing this coat I have on. It’s the one Mr. Paul wore that morning at the hotel when he was knocked down. He got a stain of tobacco juice on it,—here it is; you can see it, if you like,—and he gave it to me when he got home and put on another the same make and almost the same color. He has it on now. I wore the hat he had given me the week before. Here it is,” and he held up his hat, which he had kept in his hand.
No one stirred as he took from his pocket another hat, which he straightened into shape and held by the side of his own.
“This is the one he wore,” he said. “They are alike, and we are alike in height and figure. It is not strange that, having seen him not long before, Miss Elithe should make a mistake. I wonder none of you smart fellers ever thought of that. Look at him.”
He was pointing towards Paul, who had risen to his feet, as had every one in the house. For a few moments there was the greatest confusion and the judge tried in vain to be heard. Everybody talked at once. Tom crossed over to Paul, put the crushed hat on his head, the other on his own, and stood beside him to emphasize the resemblance. Miss Hansford gesticulated frantically, while Sherry barked to show his appreciation of what was going on. Only Elithe sat still, too happy to speak or move.