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until I give my unrestricted attention
to my great case."
"There is a 'great case,' then?"
said Edna.
"And a royal fee, if I win it," de
clared her husband. "I am figthing
" the smoothest lawyer in the city, that
is Hugh Boydston. He is slick, tricky,
unprincipled. He works in the dark,
.and it is going to take unusual wit
Mf and ability to circumvent him."
Of that case Edna knew all the de
tails from time to time. The "great
case" became the constant theme of
'thought and anxiety for the family.
"So much attached to winning jt in
fact, fame and fortune," the lawyer
asserted.
Mrs. Dangers had further need of
the seamstress, and Mary Walters
came often to the Danvers honle.
- Edna spoke often to her of the great
case. Then it came about, when
John was released and came back
home and started in to earn a really
honest living, that Mary referred to
the case and John listened with in
terest "I'm a grateful man," he said,
thoughtfully, "and I sh'all never for
get this Mr. Danvers."
John continued to ask Mary con
stantly for further details of the case.
.JBit by bit he burrowed out the senti
ent facts.
"So the case-hinges on what kind
of a case that tricky Boydston is go
ing to put up?" he remarked. "The
weakness of Mr. Danvers is in not
knowing what the defense is to be,
eh? I'll wager it's a black plot, for
I know Boydston.7 He's a hard, cruel,'
crooked man."
John Walters said little after that,
but one evening shortly afterwards
9 an incident occurred that shocked
and alarmed Mary. Little Freddie,
toddling about his father, had pushed
from his coat pocket a tooL It fell
, . to the floor. John flushed and Mary
paled.
"Oh, John!'' she gasped in horror,
for in a flash she recognized the tool
as a burglarious implement a Rick-,
lock. She had seen such in his past
career.
"Don't worry, Mary," said John,
with affected lightness. "I'm not "go
ing to get into any trouble."
"But the picklock, John," wavered
Mary. "It can mean no honest pur
pose." - "I give you my word I have not
thought of returning to my old wick
ed way," spoke John solemnly, and
Mary was sure she read honesty in
his eyes, and was compelled to be
content.
"I shall not be home till late," he
wrote Mary three nights later, and
her soul was rent with anguish. Had
John met with his old companions?
Had he again fallen by the wayside?
Midnight, one o'clock, two o'clock,
three and then his step, brisk and
steady, his voice clear and happy,
and then he folded her in his arms..
"Take that," he said, releasing her
and drawing forth the picklock.
"Don't shrink from it, girl! It's paid
a big debt, as youH know later. Tie
a bow of pretty ribbon around it, and
hang it on the wall for an ornament.
Some'time I'jl tell you a story about
it that wUl make you proud of me.
Go to "bed, dear; I have some work
to do."
Then way up to dawn, John Wal
ters sat copying in a clear, legible
hand pages of rough penciled notes.
He had the neat manuscript all com
pleted and folded as Mary announced
breakfast
"I want you to take these papers
to your good friend, Mrs. Danvers,"
he explained.
"Why, John?" spoke Mary in sur
prise; "what are they?"
"The complete outline of the case
that scamp, Boydston, has against
Mr. Danvers. Don't you understand?
I had quite a seance all alone by myr
self in the Boydston, office last night
My old trade, you know, getting past
the door. The strong box was a
mere bread can against my skill ' I
copied all I needed, and old Boyd
ston had a forgery or two among, the
