Richard Forrester, a lawyer of note and a brother of Mrs. Dalton, in whose employ the young man had been for the past three years, immediately gave bonds for him to the amount of ten thousand dollars, and for the next three months devoted himself assiduously to working up the complicated case. The day for Earle Wayne’s trial came, and only the following facts came to light: His character, up to the night in question, as far as any one knew, was unimpeachable. He had been in Mr. Forrester’s employ for three years, and during that time had gained that gentleman’s entire confidence and kind regard, and he had even contemplated making him a partner in his business as soon as he had completed his course of study and been admitted to the bar. He spoke at some length, and in glowing terms, of his honesty and industry, and said he had deemed him, if anything, _too_ rigid and morbidly conscientious upon what seemed to him points of minor importance. All this spoke well for the prisoner, but it did not touch upon the matter under consideration, and could not therefore be accepted as evidence. It seems that on the afternoon before the robbery Earle had asked permission to go out of town on business for himself. He had not stated what that business was, neither had Mr. Forrester inquired. Now, however, the question came up, but Earle refused to state it, and this of itself turned the tide strong against him. He had obtained leave to leave the city on a train that left at two in the afternoon, and had gone to the village of ——, only eighteen miles out. He transacted his business, which concerned only his private interests, he said, and this much he could also say, “was connected with the events of his early life,” and returned to the city by the late train, which arrived about midnight. On his way from the station to his lodgings he was obliged to pass Mr. Dalton’s house, where he saw, as already described, the light within one of the lower rooms. He stated that his first impulse was to go for a police officer, but fearing the man—he had not thought there would be more than one—would be off with his booty before he could return, he resolved to remain, encounter the villain single-handed, and bring him to justice. He then went on to describe his tussle with the two ruffians. But he had only his own word with which to battle all the evidence against him. His story did not sound reasonable, the jury thought, particularly as he so persistently refused to state the nature of his business to the village of ——; and besides, the fact of the bracelet having been found in his possession, or what amounted to the same thing, was almost sufficient of itself to convict him. “Earle, if you could only tell this business of yours, perhaps we might be able to do something for you; otherwise I see no chance,” Mr. Forrester had urged, when the opposing counsel had made such a point of his refusal to do so.