Aunt Jane's Nieces Out West
"
"What is your proof?" inquired the judge, stifling a yawn.
"I beg to submit the minutes of the meeting, attested by its secretary."
The judge glanced at the minutes.
"We object to this evidence," said the opposing attorney. "There is no
proof that the A. Jones referred to is the prisoner."
"The minutes," said Colby, "state that a motion picture was taken of the
meeting. I have the film here, in this room, and beg permission to
exhibit it before your honor as evidence."
The judge was a bit startled at so novel a suggestion but assented with
a nod. In a twinkling the operator had suspended a roller-screen from the
chandelier dependent from the ceiling, pulled down the window shades and
attached his projecting machine to an electric-light socket.
Then the picture flashed upon the screen. It was not entirely distinct,
because the room could not be fully darkened and the current was not
strong, yet every face in the gathering of stockholders could be plainly
recognized. Jones, especially, as the central figure, could not be
mistaken and no one who looked upon the picture could doubt his identity.
When the exhibition was concluded and the room again lightened, Le
Drieux's face was visibly perturbed and anxious, while his attorneys sat
glum and disconcerted.
Colby now put Goldstein on the stand, who testified that he recognized
Jones as president of his company and the owner of the majority of
stock. The young man had come to him with unimpeachable credentials to
that effect.
The girls were now smiling and cheerful. To them the defense was
absolutely convincing. But Le Drieux's attorneys were skillful fighters
and did not relish defeat. They advanced the theory that the motion
picture, just shown, had been made at a later dale and substituted for
the one mentioned in the minutes of the meeting. They questioned
Goldstein, who admitted that he had never seen Jones until a few days
previous. The manager denied, however, any substitution of the picture.
He was not a very satisfactory witness for the defense and Colby was
sorry he had summoned him.
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There was once an honest journeyman tailor, by name Labakan, who learned his trade with an excellent master in Alexandria. It could not be said that Labakan was unhandy with the needle; on the contrary, he could make excellent work: moreover, one would have done him injustice to have called him lazy. Nevertheless, his companions knew not what to make of him, for he would often sew for hours together so rapidly that the needle would glow in his hand, and the thread smoke, and that none could equal him.
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