"I held Murgatroyd down to the woman in the case, all right. He had to stick to that one motive. This verdict will let everybody out——"
"But Challoner," added Broderick.
"Everybody but Challoner," agreed Thorne; "and the incident will be closed."
Broderick, with a certain self-satisfied air, went on:—
"When you were talking, I put up ten dollars with a chap back there in the court-room that Challoner'd go free."
"Not in a thousand years!" declared Thorne, flatly.
"I'm afraid you're right," said Broderick, and added with a twinkle in his eye: "I hate to lose that ten. Still if I do lose it, it'll be tougher for Challoner and her—" he jerked his head toward Mrs. Challoner at the other end of the table—"than it will be for me. Oh, well, such is life! The world is full of the wives of criminals, and they all marry again and have children and live happily ever after."
Once more, he glanced in the direction of Miriam Challoner, and presently commented in a low voice:—
"There's a plucky little woman, Thorne; nothin' can feaze her. I've been watchin' her; and she's just as sure of that jury as I am of my own assembly district after it has gone through my trousers pockets the night before election." And clapping Thorne on the shoulder familiarly, he took his departure, saying:—
"I'll be back to hear the verdict."