A Chance Acquaintance

ne Janet guilty of crime, or assistance or connivance thereat, there was much about the girl that I could not understand. Her sudden fainting spells and her spasms of convulsive weepi

-was incapable of anything but the gentlest and most filial thoughts of her dead uncle. Then my legal mind awoke again, and I said to myself: "I know absolutely nothing of this girl,

door, which was, of course, the unassailable point against Janet. Since, therefore, I was directly responsible for this bit of evidence, which might or m

ust inevitably be, I formed my resolve at once. I s

is may-though I trust it won't-cause you some annoyance, and in a merely nominal and formal way you may be held in detention

nresponsive manner; "I know of no lawyer whom I would wish t

h to employ Mr. Le

te Mr. Pembroke was the proper one to look after the affairs of his niece. And I had a secret s

tances could I think of consulting Mr.

unt my words sounded. Indeed, I was so delighted at Janet's posit

" was the answer, given in a haughty tone and with a distinct

impress upon you the advisability of your seeing some one who has legal

ere sitting a little apart from the rest; Laura had risen and crossed the room to talk with G

nstinct. And so Mr. Lawrence and myself are sufficient to each other, I think. There will be no question of financial settlements, as I know my uncle's will is definite. And as it is in the possession of Mr. Leroy, of cours

e. I was not sure that I ought to enlighten her, and yet it seemed to me that it would be better for her to be warned. I know that she would have to have a lawyer's assistance, whether she wanted it or not; and moreover, I wanted to

re effort to persuade her to retain Leroy, for I knew that such

to follow my advice in regard to a lawyer. Will you not, at least,

e depth of her feeling. Also, her face turned white, her red lips pressed closely together, and her dark eyes flashed as she replied: "Will you never understand, Mr. Landon

re, Miss Pembroke, your personal prejudice makes yo

ulse of justice and generosity toward my rival, but even as I uttered them, I feared t

for him who undertook to understand Janet Pembroke. Instead of resenting my

rilliant mind, of remarkable talent; but he is crafty and even unscrupulous in his legal man?uvers. It may be that this was partly because of his deference to my uncle's wishes. Though Uncle Robert was himself honorable, so

that I had once said to sister Laura that I would like to see this girl in a towering rage. Well, I

acquaintance of mine, and a brother lawyer, but I have no personal friendship with him.

own in my affairs, and I am sure you will excuse me if

she was about to conclude the interview, and that if I wished to carry my point, I mus

to have the counsel of an experienced lawyer; and, since you have no one else at hand, I want to offer you my service

as if unable to comp

apartment was locked and chained so that no one could

to a jury of disinterested outsider

she had previously shown; then with a sudden and complete change of demeanor she

essive self-assurance and a nervous collapse left me mor

rtainty only whetted my desire to take up the case

but please agree, Miss Pembroke, to consi

king deeper in my heart that this was the one woman in the world I could ever love. So alone was she, and so pathetic in her loneliness,

lance earnest but so inscrutable that I

made no sign of it. I had gained my point, and, satisfied,

n, between the hours of eleven and one on Wednesday night. They suggested the detaining of Miss Pembroke a

pected, it was no surprise to me; but it

e inveighed angrily against those who could be capable of such an

" he cried; "w

but we may call it merely a form, which is advisable in

side who killed my uncle. A robber, a burglar, a professional criminal of some sort! You have enough evidence of th

ved that a burglar, such as you speak of, could not get int

implicate any burglar. If necessary, get detectives-the best possible. Use any means, stop at no expense; but discover the

suspicion of his cousin, I was surprised that he should expres

tional nature, and that since Robert Pembroke had been given to frequent

ore, but his firmly set mouth and glaring ey

ud and protesting lamentations. She became hyster

happened! Oh, Miss Janet, honey, did yo' really kill Marse Robert? An'

wrence, but the excited wom

Janet he'd cut her out of his will, ef she didn' marry that Leroy

George Lawrence had grasped the colored woman by the arm, and was shaking her into a submissive silence, threatening dire punishment, unless she ceased her random talk. I had gathered the