Page:The achievements of Luther Trant - Balmer and MacHarg - 1910.djvu/115

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THE RED DRESS
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chologist answered—"that I believe her innocent. And after seeing what relief it brought her, I can not be sorry!"

"You can't?" Eldredge rebuked. "I can! When I called you in you had the right to tell me whatever you thought, however wild and without ground it was. It could not hurt me much. But now you have encouraged my wife still to hold out against us—still to defy us and to deny that she knows anything when—when, since we saw you, the case has become only more conclusive against her. We have just discovered a most startling confirmation of Miss Hendrick's evidence. Raymond, show him!" he gestured in sorry triumph.

Young Murray opened the library desk and pulled out a piece of newspaper, which he put in Trant's hand. He pointed to the heading. "You see, Trant, it is the account of the kidnaping in St. Louis which occurred just before Edward was stolen."

All witnesses describe the kidnaper as a short, dark woman, marked with smallpox. She wore a gray coat and black skirt, a hat with white feathers, and appeared to be an Italian.

"I knew that. It exactly corresponds with the woman described by Miss Hendricks," Trant rejoined. "I was aware of it this morning. But I can only repeat that the case has turned more and more conclusively in favor of Mrs. Eldredge."

"Why, even before we recognized the woman described by Miss Hendricks the evidence was conclusive against Isabel!" Murray shot back. "Listen!