"O, I know, Nurse, but I won't excite him--I'll go a long way toward
curing him. You can trust me for that."
Mr. Hertzog pushed himself into the sick-room and walked toward the bed,
waving a telegram in his hand. Mr. Constable smiled feebly at his
visitor.
"Now, old man, I'm the doctor to-day. Are you up to taking my
prescription in the form of a story?"
The invalid nodded.
"Even if it's about the--the Horton case?"
Mr. Constable nodded positively.
"Well, you remember, just before you were taken sick, I told you I
thought they'd got a pretty good case----"
"Yes, yes." The whisper was eager, expectant.
--"And the more I examined it the more positive I became that there was
no chance for attacking it on the merits----"
The invalid lay back on the pillows and smiled foolishly at the man
beside him.
--"So, of course, I advised the District Attorney to adjourn the matter
for a week, and he did it. In the meantime I began to see daylight, and
I told him to adjourn it again. But Mackenzie either saw the point or
suspected something, for he fought like a devil against further delay,
and we only got three days. Three days! Good lord--I had to have two
weeks. And, to make things worse, yesterday old Judge Masterton was
unexpectedly assigned to hold court, and Geddes is the only man in town
who can approach Masterton on a delicate matter of this kind. But Geddes
wasn't at home, and for nearly a day we couldn't get on his trail. Then
we learned he was in Buffalo, but we couldn't find the District Attorney
to get his consent to retaining Geddes. My God, we sweated blood, but we
couldn't find him--and every hour was precious. Finally Glenning had to
start for Buffalo without the necessary consent. Two hours later I
located the District Attorney, got what I wanted, and then learned
Geddes had left Buffalo for Albany! Well, it was one chance in a
thousand, but I wired Glenning on the express, caught it before it
reached Albany--and Geddes is retained! What do you think of that?"
There was no response from the bed, and Hertzog bent forward to see if
the patient was asleep, but stopped as the laboured speech of the sick
man reached him.
"And Geddes--he will apply for another adjournment?"
"Yes, and win it, too. He's got Judge Masterton in his pocket, I tell
you!"
"I don't--I'm not sure--I understand."
"Can't you see that Horton's sentence will expire before the motion for
new trial can be heard?"
"Yes--but----"
The sick man raised himself on his elbow, and stared at his visitor.
"Well, when a man's served his sentence, the Court won't entertain an
application for a new trial. So there won't be any public discussion of
Horton's interesting yarns. See? Pretty good, isn't it? You'll have to
study law when you get well, Constable. I tell you it pays. Tricks in
all trades, you know, and there's nothing like---- Why, Constable, old
man, what's the matter? Here, Nurse! Nurse! Come and look after your
patient. He's struck me and he's trying to get out of his bed! You've
got him?--Yes, of course I'll go--but I didn't say anything to excite
him. All right, I'm going--but what in the world----"
"Write!" panted the sick man as the door closed, "and for God's sake
write quickly, Nurse. Are you ready? Yes? Now then----
"_Barton Mackenzie,
"99 Wall Street_.
"_Another adjournment fatal. Constable dying. Makes full
confession. See him at once._
"Wire it, Nurse, wire it, and--let no one know! I thought I had done
enough--but I'll do it--I'll beat them yet. Help me to live--till--he
comes!"