Counsel for the Defense

by Leroy Scott

  CHAPTER XXI

  BRUCE TO THE FRONT

  Katherine came down from Blake's office with many thoughts surgingthrough her brain: Of her father's release--of Blake's obduracy--ofhis mother's illness; but at the forefront of them all, becausedemanding immediate action, was the need of finding Doctor Sherman.

  As she stepped forth from the stairway, she saw Arnold Bruce stridingalong the Square in her direction. There was a sudden leaping of herheart, a choking at her throat. But they passed each other with theshort cold nod which had been their manner of greeting during the lastfew days when they had chanced to meet.

  The next instant a sudden impulse seized her, and she turned about.

  "Mr. Bruce," she called after him.

  He came back to her. His face was rather pale, but was doggedlyresolute. Her look was not very different from his.

  "Yes, Miss West?" said he.

  For a moment it was hard for her to speak. No word, only that frigidnod, had passed between them since their quarrel.

  "I want to ask you something--and tell you something," she saidcoldly.

  "I am at your service," said he.

  "We cannot talk here. Suppose we cross into the Court House yard?"

  In silence he fell into step beside her. They did not speak until theywere in the yard where passers-by could not overhear them.

  "You know of Mrs. Sherman's illness?" she began in a distant, formaltone.

  "Yes."

  "It promises to be serious. We must get her husband home if possible.But no one has his address. An idea for reaching him has been vaguelyin my head. It may not be good, but it now seems the only way."

  "Do you mind telling me what it is?"

  "Doctor Sherman is somewhere in the pine woods of the North. What Ithought about doing was to order some Chicago advertising agency toinsert notices in scores of small dailies and weeklies up North,announcing to Doctor Sherman his wife's illness and urging him to comehome. My hope is that one of the papers may penetrate whatever remotespot he may be in and the notice reach his eyes. What I want to askyou is the name of an agency."

  "Black & Graves are your people," said he.

  "Also I want to know how to go about it to get prompt action on theirpart."

  "Write out the notice and send it to them with your instructions. Andsince they won't know you, better enclose a draft or money order onaccount. No, don't bother about the money; you won't know how much tosend. I know Phil Black, and I'll write him to-day guaranteeing theaccount."

  "Thank you," she said.

  "You're perfectly welcome," said he with his cold politeness. "Isthere anything else I can do?"

  "That's all about that. But I have something to tell you--a suggestionto make for your campaign, if you will not consider it impertinent."

  "Quite otherwise. I shall be very glad to get it."

  "You have been saying in your speeches that the bad water has been dueto intentional mismanagement of the present administration, which isruled by Mr. Blake, for the purpose of rendering unpopular themunicipal ownership principle."

  "I have, and it's been very effective."

  "I suggest that you go farther."

  "How?"

  "Make the fever an issue of the campaign. The people, in fact all ofus, have been too excited, too frightened, to understand the relationbetween the bad management of the water-works, the bad water, and thefever. Tell them that relation. Only tell it carefully, by insinuationif necessary, so that you will avoid the libel law--for you have noproof as yet. Make them understand that the fever is due to bad water,which in turn is due to bad management of the water-works, which inturn is due to the influence of Mr. Blake."

  "Great! Great!" exclaimed Bruce.

  "Oh, the idea is not really mine," she said coldly. "It came to mefrom some things my father told me."

  Her tone recalled to him their chilly relationship.

  "It's a regular knock-out idea," he said stiffly. "And I'm muchobliged to you."

  They had turned back and were nearing the gate of the yard.

  "I hope it will really help you--but be careful to avoid giving theman opening to bring a libel charge. Permit me to say that you havebeen making a splendid campaign."

  "Things do seem to be coming my direction. The way I threw BlindCharlie's threat back into his teeth, that has made a great hit. Ithink I have him on the run."

  He hesitated, gave her a sharp look, then added rather defiantly:

  "I might as well tell you that in a few days I expect to have Blakealso on the run--in fact, in a regular gallop. That Indianapolislawyer friend of mine, Wilson's his name, is coming here to help me."

  "Oh!" she exclaimed.

  "You'll remember," he continued in his defiant tone, "that I once toldyou that your father's case was not your case. It's the city's. I'mgoing to put Wilson on it, and I expect him to clear it all up inshort order."

  She could not hold back a sudden uprush of resentment.

  "So then it's to be a battle between us, is it?" she demanded, lookinghim straight in the face.

  "A battle? How?"

  "To see which one gets the evidence."

  "We've got to get it--that's all," he answered grimly.

  In an instant she had resumed control of herself.

  "I hope you succeed," she said calmly. "Good afternoon." And with acrisp nod she turned away.

  Bruce's action in calmly taking the case out of her hands, which wasin effect an iteration of his statement that he had no confidence inher ability, stung her bitterly and for a space her wrath flamedhigh. But there were too many things to be done to give much time tomere resentment. She wrote the letter to the Chicago advertisingagency, mailed it, then set out to find her father. At the jail shewas told that he had been released and had left for Blake's. There shefound him. He came out into the hall, kissed her warmly, then hurriedback into the bedroom. Katherine, glancing through the open door, sawhim move swiftly about the old gray-haired woman, while Blake stood instrained silence looking on.

  When her father had done all for Mrs. Blake he could do at that time,Katherine hurried him away to Elsie Sherman. He replaced the verywilling Doctor Woods, who knew little about typhoid, and assumedcharge of Elsie with all his unerring mastery of what to do. He gaveher his very best skill, and he hovered about her with all the concernthat the illness of his own child might have evoked, for she had beena warm favourite with him and the charges of her husband had in nodegree lessened his regard. Whatever science and care and love coulddo for her, it all was certain to be done.

  Within two hours after Blake had received Doctor Brenholtz's telegramits contents had flashed about the town. Doctor West was besieged. Thenext day found him treating not only as many individual cases as hisstrength and the hours of the day allowed, but found him in command ofthe Board of Health's fight against the plague, with all the rest ofthe city's doctors accepting orders from him. All his long life ofincessant study and experiment, all those long years when he had beenlaughed at for a fool and jeered at for a failure--all that time hadbeen but an unconscious preparation for this great fight to save astricken city. And the town, for all its hatred, for all the stainupon his name, as it watched this slight, white-haired man go soswiftly and gently and efficiently about his work, began to feel forhim something akin to awe--began dimly to feel that this old figurewhom it had been their habit to scorn for near a generation wasperhaps their greatest man.

  While Katherine watched this fight against the fever with her fatheras its central figure, while she awaited in suspense some results ofher advertising campaign, and while she tried to press forward theother details of her search for evidence, she could but keep her eyesupon the mayoralty campaign--for it was mounting to an ever higherclimax of excitement. Bruce was fighting like a fury. The sensationcreated by his announcement of Blind Charlie's threatened treacherywas a mere nothing compared to the uproar created when he informed thepeople, not directly, but by careful insinuation, that Blake wasresponsibl
e for the epidemic.

  Blake denied the charge with desperate energy and with all his powerof eloquence; he declared that the epidemic was but anotherconsequence of that supremest folly of mankind, public ownership. Hewas angrily supported by his party, his friends and his followers--butthose followers were not so many as a few short weeks before. Passionwas at its highest--so high that trustworthy forecasts of the electionwere impossible. But ten days before election it was freely talkedabout the streets, and even privately admitted by some of Blake's bestfriends, that nothing but a miracle could save him from defeat.

  In these days of promise Bruce seemed to pour forth an even greaterenergy; and in his efforts he was now aided by Mr. Wilson, theIndianapolis lawyer, who was spending his entire time in Westville.Katherine caught in Bruce's face, when they passed upon the street, agleam of triumph which he could not wholly suppress. She wondered,with a pang of jealousy, if he and Mr. Wilson were succeeding whereshe had failed--if all her efforts were to come to nothing--if herambition to demonstrate to Bruce that she could do things was to provea mere dream?

  Toward noon one day, as she was walking along the Square homewardbound from Elsie Sherman's, she passed Bruce and Mr. Wilson headed forthe stairway of the _Express_ Building. Both bowed to her, thenKatherine overheard Bruce say, "I'll be with you in a minute, Wilson,"and the next instant he was at her side.

  "Excuse me, Miss West," he said. "But we have just unearthed somethingwhich I think you should be the first person to learn."

  "I shall be glad to hear it," she said in the cold, polite tone theyreserved for one another.

  "Let's go over into the Court House yard."

  They silently crossed the street and entered the comparative seclusionof the yard.

  "I suppose it is something very significant?" she asked.

  "So significant," he burst out, "that the minute the _Express_ appearsthis afternoon Harrison Blake is a has-been!"

  She looked at him quickly. The triumph she had of late seen gleamingin his face was now openly blazing there.

  "You mean----"

  "I mean that I've got the goods on him!"

  "You--you have evidence?"

  "The best sort of evidence!"

  "That will clear my father?"

  "Perhaps not directly. Indirectly, yes. But it will smash Blake tosmithereens!"

  She was happy on Bruce's account, on her father's, on the city's, butfor the moment she was sick upon her own.

  "Is the nature of the evidence a secret?"

  "The whole town will know it this afternoon. I asked you over here totell you first. I have just secured a full confession from two ofBlake's accomplices."

  "Then you've discovered Doctor Sherman?" she exclaimed.

  "Doctor Sherman?" He stared at her. "I don't know what you mean. Thetwo men are the assistant superintendent of the water-works and theengineer at the pumping-plant."

  "How did you get at them?"

  "Wilson and I started out to cross-examine everybody who might be inthe remotest way connected with the case. My suspicion against the twomen was first aroused by their strained behaviour. I went----"

  "Then it was you who made this discovery, not that--that otherlawyer?"

  "Yes, I was the first to tackle the pair, though Wilson has helped me.He's a great lawyer, Wilson. We've gone at them relentlessly--withaccusation, cross-examination, appeal; with the result that thismorning both of them broke down and confessed that Blake had secretlypaid them to do all that lay within their power to make thewater-works a failure."

  They followed the path in silence for several moments, Katherine'seyes upon the ground. At length she looked up. In Bruce's face sheplainly read what she had guessed to be an extra motive with him allalong, a glowering determination to crush her, humiliate her, adetermination to cut the ground from beneath her ambition byoverturning Blake and clearing her father without her aid.

  "And so," she breathed, "you have made good all your predictions. Youhave succeeded and I have failed."

  For an instant his square face glowed upon her, exultant with triumph.Then he partially subdued the look.

  "We won't discuss that matter," he said. "It's enough to repeat what Ionce said, that Wilson is a crackerjack lawyer."

  "All the same, I congratulate you--and wish you every success," shesaid; and as quickly thereafter as she could she made her escape, herheart full of the bitterness of personal defeat.

  That afternoon the _Express_, in its largest type, in its editor'shighest-powered English, made its exposure of Harrison Blake. And thatafternoon there was pandemonium in Westville. Violence might have beenattempted upon Blake, but, fortunately for him, he had gone the nightbefore to Indianapolis--on a matter of state politics, it was said.

  Blake, however, was a man to fight to the last ditch. On the morningafter the publication of the _Express's_ charges, the _Clarion_printed an indignant denial from him. That same morning Bruce wasarrested on a charge of criminal libel, and that same day--the grandjury being in session--he was indicted. Blake's attorney demandedthat, since these charges had a very direct bearing upon theapproaching election, the trial should take precedence over othercases and be heard immediately. To this Bruce eagerly agreed, for hedesired nothing better than to demolish Blake in court, and the trialwas fixed for five days before election.

  Katherine, going about, heard the people jeer at Blake's denial; heardthem say that his demand for a trial was mere bravado to save his facefor a time--that when the trial came he would never show up. She sawthe former favourite of Westville become in an hour an object ofuniversal abomination. And, on the other hand, she saw Bruce leap upto the very apex of popularity.

  For Bruce's sake, for every one's sake but her own, she was rejoiced.But as for herself, she walked in the valley of humiliation, she ateof the ashes of bitterness. Swept aside by the onrush of events,feeling herself and her plans suddenly become futile, she decided tocease all efforts and countermand all orders. But she could not vetoher plan concerning Doctor Sherman, for her money was spent and heradvertisements were broadcast through the North. As for Mr. Manning,he stated that he had become so interested in the situation that hewas going to stay on in Westville for a time to see how affairs cameout.

  On the day of the trial Katherine and the city had one surprise at thevery start. Contrary to all predictions, Harrison Blake was in thecourt-room and at the prosecution's table. Despite all the judge, theclerk, and the sheriff could do to maintain order, there were criesand mutterings against him. Not once did he flinch, but sat lookingstraight ahead of him, or whispering to his private attorney or to thepublic prosecutor, Kennedy. He was a brave man. Katherine had knownthat.

  Bruce, all confidence, recited on the witness stand how he had come byhis evidence. Then the assistant superintendent told with mostconvincing detail how he had succumbed to Blake's temptation and donehis bidding. Next, the engineer testified to the same effect.

  The crowd lowered at Blake. Certainly matters looked blacker than everfor the one-time idol of the city.

  But Blake sat unmoved. His calmness begat a sort of uneasiness inKatherine. When the engineer had completed his direct testimony,Kennedy arose, and following whispered suggestions from Blake,cross-questioned the witness searchingly, ever more searchingly,pursued him in and out, in and out, till at length, snap!--Katherine'sheart stood still, and the crowd leaned forward breathless--snap, andhe had caught the engineer in a contradiction!

  Kennedy went after the engineer with rapid-fire questions thatinvolved the witness in contradiction on contradiction--that got himconfused, then hopelessly tangled up--that then broke him downcompletely and drew from him a shamefaced confession. The fact was, hesaid, that Mr. Bruce, wanting campaign material, had privately come tohim and paid him to make his statements. He had had no dealings withMr. Blake whatever. He was a poor man--his wife was sick with thefever--he had needed the money--he hoped the court would be lenientwith him--etc., etc. The other witness, recalled, confessed to thesa
me story.

  Amid a stunned court room, Bruce sprang to his feet.

  "Lies! Lies!" he cried in a choking fury. "They've been bought off byBlake!"

  "Silence!" shouted Judge Kellog, pounding his desk with his gavel.

  "I tell you it's trickery! They've been bought off by Blake!"

  "Silence!" thundered the judge, and followed with a dire threat ofcontempt of court.

  But already Mr. Wilson and Sheriff Nichols were dragging thestruggling Bruce back into his chair. More shouts and hammering ofgavels by the judge and clerk had partially restored to order thechaos begotten by this scene, when a bit of paper was slipped frombehind into Bruce's hand. He unfolded it with trembling fingers, andread in a disguised, back-hand scrawl:

  "There's still enough left of me to know what's happened."

  That was all. But Bruce understood. Here was the handiwork andvengeance of Blind Charlie Peck. He sprang up again and turned hisireful face to where, in the crowd, sat the old politician.

  "You--you----" he began.

  But before he got further he was again dragged down into his seat. Andalmost before the crowd had had time fairly to regain its breath, thejury had filed out, had filed back in again, had returned its verdictof guilty, and Judge Kellog had imposed a sentence of five hundreddollars fine and sixty days in the county jail.

  In all the crowd that looked bewildered on, Katherine was perhaps theonly one who believed in Bruce's cry of trickery. She saw that Blake,with Blind Charlie's cunning back of him, had risked his all on onebold move that for a brief period had made him an object of universalhatred. She saw that Bruce had fallen into a trap cleverly baited forhim, saw that he was the victim of an astute scheme to discredit himutterly and remove him from the way.

  As Blake left the Court House Katherine heard a great cheer go up forhim; and within an hour the evidence of eye and ear proved to her thathe was more popular than ever. She saw the town crowd about him tomake amends for the injustice it considered it had done him. And asfor Bruce, as he was led by Sheriff Nichols from the Court Housetoward the jail, she heard him pursued by jeers and hisses.

  Katherine walked homeward from the trial, completely dazed by thissudden capsizing of all of Bruce's hopes--and of her own hopes aswell, for during the last few days she had come to depend on Bruce forthe clearing of her father. That evening, and most of the night, shespent in casting up accounts. As matters then stood, they lookeddesperate indeed. On the one hand, everything pointed to Blake'selection and the certain success of his plans. On the other hand, shehad gained no clue whatever to the whereabouts of Doctor Sherman;nothing had as yet developed in the scheme she had built about Mr.Manning; as for Mr. Stone, she had expected nothing from him, and allhe had turned in to her was that he suspected secret relations betweenBlake and Peck. Furthermore, the man she loved--for yes, she loved himstill--was in jail, his candidacy collapsed, the cause for which hestood a ruin. And last of all, the city, to the music of its ownapplause, was about to be colossally swindled.

  A dark prospect indeed. But as she sat alone in the night, the cheersfor Blake floating in to her, she desperately determined to renew herfight. Five days still remained before election, and in five days onemight do much; during those five days her ships might still come homefrom sea. She summoned her courage, and gripped it fiercely. "I'll domy best! I'll do my best!" she kept breathing throughout the night.And her determination grew in its intensity as she realized the sum ofall the things for which she fought, and fought alone.

  She was fighting to save her father, she was fighting to save thecity, she was fighting to save the man she loved.