"
"What did he want?"
"He wanted to know if I'd got a letter he'd writ me day before. And I
tol' him I hadn't. Then he 'lowed he'd a-brought it to me himself if
he'd knowed Bud was goin' to turn thief and hold up the mail-man. I
hadn't heard nothin' 'bout it and nobody else had till he began to talk.
I opened the door then and tol' him to walk out; that I wouldn't hear
nobody speak that way 'bout Bud Tilden. That was 'fore they'd
'rested Bud."
"Have you got that letter now?"
"No, sir."
"Did you ever get it?"
"No, sir."
"Did you ever see it?"
"No, and I don't think it was ever writ."
"But he _has_ written you letters before?"
"He used to; he don't now."
"That will do."
The girl took her place again behind the old man.
Cartwright rose to his feet with great dignity, walked to the chair on
which rested his hat, took from it the package of papers to serve as an
orator's roll--he did not open it, and they evidently had no bearing on
the case--and addressed the Judge, the package held aloft in his hand:
"Your Honor, there's not been a particle of evidence so far produced in
this court to convict this man of this crime.
Pages:
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70