Mrs. Balfame: A Novel

  CHAPTER XXXI

  The following day was also taken by the examination of witnesses for thedefence. Dr. Lequer, who had been called in occasionally by the Balfameswhen Dr. Anna was unavailable, and who was also an old friend of thefamily, asserted that so far as he knew there never had been a quarrelbetween husband and wife. Mrs. Balfame, in fact, was unique in hisexperience, inasmuch as she never looked depressed nor shed tears.

  He was followed by a woman who had been general housemaid in the Balfamehome for three years. She had left it to reward the devotion of aplumber, and between her and Frieda there had been a long line of theusual incompetents. Mrs. Figg testified with an enthusiasm whichtriumphed over nerves and grammar that although she guessed Mr. Balfamewas about like other husbands, especially at breakfast, Mrs. Balfame wastoo easy-going to mind. She'd never seen her mad. Yes, she was anexacting mistress, all right, terrible particular, and she never satwith the hired girl in the kitchen and gossiped, and you couldn't take aliberty with her like you could with some; but that was just her way,naturally proud and silent-like. She was terrible economical but a kindmistress, as she didn't scold and follow up, once she was sure the girlwould suit, and not a bit mean about evenings and afternoons off. Shedid up her own room and dusted the downstairs rooms, except for theweekly cleaning. No, she never'd seen no pistol. It wasn't her way tolook in bureau drawers. No, she'd never seen or heard any jealousy,tempers, and so forth, and had always taken it for granted that Mrs.Balfame wasn't on to Mr. Balfame's doings--or if she was, she didn'tcare. There was lots like that.

  The district attorney snarled and trumpeted throughout this placidrecital, but Mrs. Figg took no notice of him whatever. She had beenthoroughly drilled, and looked straight into the sparkling blue eyes ofMr. Rush as if hypnotised.

  Other minor witnesses consumed the afternoon, and once more Mrs. Balfamereturned to the jail with glowing eyes. The women reporters were elated.The men made no comment as they filed out of the courtroom, but theirwhole bearing expressed a lofty and quiet scorn.

  "It's fine! fine!" exclaimed Cummack, sitting down beside Rush at thetable below the empty jury-box. "But I do wish Dr. Anna was available.She stands head and shoulders above every one else in the estimation ofthese jurymen; she doctored the children and confined the wives ofpretty near all of them. There's no stone she wouldn't leave unturned."

  "She's pretty bad, isn't she?" asked Rush. "Would there be any chance atall of getting a deposition--in case things went wrong?"

  "Things ain't goin' wrong; but as for Anna, she's out of it, andeverything else, I guess. I was out to the hospital yesterday, for I'vehad her in mind; but although she was better for a time, she's worseagain. But say--what do you think I discovered? Those damned newspapermen have been hangin' round out there. That young devil Broderick--"

  Rush was sitting up very straight, his eyes glittering. "But he surelyhasn't been able to see her? I don't believe any sort of graft would getby Mrs. Dissosway--"

  "You bet he hasn't been able to see Anna, and just now they're notleaving her for a moment alone, like they did at first. But Broderickseems to have the idea wedged in his brain that Mrs. Balfame confessedto Anna and that poor old Doc lost the pistol somewhere out in themarsh--"

  Rush made an exclamation of disgust. "I can't understand Broderick. He'sgot his trial all right, and it isn't like him to hound a woman--"

  "I said as much to him, and though he wouldn't talk much, I justgathered from something he let fall that he was afraid if the crimewasn't well fixed onto Enid some innocent person he thought a lot moreof might come under suspicion. Can you guess who he had in mind?"

  Rush pushed back his chair and sprang to his feet. "Good Lord, no. Onecase at a time is all my brain is equal to." He was almost out of theempty courtroom when Cummack caught him firmly by the shoulder.

  "Say, Dwight," he said with evident embarrassment, "hold on a minute.I've just got to tell you that somehow or other I sensed _you_ whenBroderick was trying to put me off. There are a good many things;they've been comin' back--"

  Rush turned the hard glittering blue of his eyes full upon Mr. Cummack,whose shrewd but kindly gaze faltered for a moment. "Do you believe Idid it?" demanded Rush.

  "Well, no, not exactly--that is, I'd know that if you had done it, itwould have been because you'd got the idea into your head that Enid washaving an awful row to hoe, or because he'd attacked her that night. Itwouldn't have been for no mean personal reason, and no one knows betterthan I that the blood goes to the head terrible easy at your age andwhen a beautiful woman is in question. If I'd guessed it before, I'mfree to say I'd have rushed your arrest in order to spare Enid, if forno other reason. But as it's gone so far and she's sure to get off,--andyou wouldn't stand much show,--the matter had best stay where it is;particularly--well, I may as well tell you Enid sort of confided toPolly that you had offered to cover her name with yours as soon as shegot out; and if you've been in love with her all this time, as I guessyou have been--well, Dave can't be brought back. And--well, I've livedout West and it isn't so uncommon there for a man to shoot on sight whenhe's mad about a woman and a few other things at the same time. Dave wasmy friend, but I guess I understand."

  Rush had withdrawn stiffly from the friendly hand laid on his shoulder."I have asked Mrs. Balfame to marry me," he said. "But she has by nomeans consented."

  "But she means to. Don't let it worry you. Women are queer cattle. Nailher the next time she's in the melting mood. She gets 'em oftener thanshe ever did before, and I guess you see her alone often enough."

  "Oh, yes, I've seen her alone nearly every day for ten weeks."

  Cummack narrowed his eyes, and his face, generally relaxed and amiable,grew stern and menacing. "You don't love her!" he exclaimed. "You don't!Like many another damned fool, you've compromised your very life for awoman, only to be disenchanted by seeing too much of her. But by Godyou've got to marry her--"

  They were standing at the head of the winding stair in the rotunda, andseveral of the reporters were still in front of the telephone boothbelow.

  "Hush!" said the lawyer peremptorily. "I mean to marry Mrs. Balfame ifshe accepts the proposal I made to her the day she was arrested. I havesaid nothing to warrant your jumping to the conclusion that I no longerwish to marry her. But by God! if you ever dare to threaten me again--"And he raised his fist so menacingly, his set face was so tense andwhite, his eyes bore such a painful resemblance to hot coals, thatCummack retreated hastily.

  "All right! All right!" he called up from the first turning. "Don'tfancy I think I could. And what's passed between us is sacred. S'long."