Mrs. Balfame: A Novel

  CHAPTER XXX

  Mrs. Balfame walked back through the now familiar tunnel more hopefuland elated than any one in the courtroom would have inferred from herchiselled manner.

  "I almost feel that I have the courage to look at the sketches of myselfin the papers," she said lightly to Rush, who escorted her. "I haven'tdared open a paper since Monday morning."

  "Better not." Rush also was in high spirits. "Keep your mental mercuryas high as possible. It doesn't matter, anyhow. You'll be clear in lessthan a week. The impression all those splendid friends of yours createdknocked the prosecution silly."

  "I have not once glanced at the jury," said Mrs. Balfame proudly, "and Inever shall. All I was conscious of was that they were chewing gum, andthat the man above me snorts constantly."

  "That's Houston. He's likely to be predisposed in your favour on accountof your intimacy with Dr. Anna. And he's a just man, of someintelligence. I fancy none of them is in the mood to be too hard on anyone, for they are having a fine vacation in the Paradise City Hotel.Each has a big room with a soft bed and rich and delicate food threetimes a day. If they don't get indigestion they will be inclined tomercy on general principles. I engineered the housing of them. Gore wasall for putting them up at the Dobton Inn, where they would have grownas vicious as starved dogs. I won my point by reminding him that certainmen of that sort try to get on a jury for the sake of having a rest anda soft time, and if they aren't coddled, they are equal to falling illand forcing the court to begin the trial over again. You're all right."

  They were in the jail sitting-room, and she stood with her head thrownback and her eyes shining. The moment they had entered she had removedher heavy hat and veil and run her hands through her crushed hair. Rush,who was very nervous and excited, made a swift motion forward as if toseize her hands. But it was only later, when alone, that she realisedthat possibly she had brushed aside an opportunity to rekindle a flamewhich she alternately feared and doubted was burning low; she was notthinking of him and exclaimed happily:

  "It is quite a wonderful sensation to feel that you have made friendslike that. My! how they did lie! And so convincingly! For a moment I wasquite the outsider and deeply impressed with the weakness of the caseagainst the accused. Here they come. I feel as if I never really lovedthem before." And she ran to the door to admit the elated trio who thatday had made their noblest sacrifice to the cause of friendship. Mrs.Balfame kissed them and embraced them, and dried their excited tears,while Rush, his contemptible part in the day's drama forgotten, slunkdown the stairs and out of the jail.

  He met Alys Crumley as she was about to board the trolley for Elsinore,and she stepped back and congratulated him warmly.

  "Your brain worked like blades of chain lightning," she said with realenthusiasm. "I know you have only begun, but I can well imagine--wasn'tMrs. Balfame delighted?"

  "With her friends' testimony," he replied gloomily. "I don't seem tocome in."

  There are some impulses, born of sudden opportunity, too strong formortal powers of resistance. "Come home to supper," said Miss Crumley,with the same spontaneous warmth. "You look so tired, and Motherpromised me Maryland chicken and waffles. Besides, I want to show you mydrawings. I am so proud of being a staff artist."

  "I'll come," said Rush promptly.