The lawyer’s face grew very grave. “I am in hopes that young Sheridan’s personality will impress the jury as favorably as it has impressed us; and, of course, I am going to do all I can to combat the sinister influences which I have reason to believe are back of his arrest; but, to be frank with you, Miss Worthington, I must admit that they have built up a startlingly strong case against him.” The girl winced. “A strong case!” she repeated, in a tone of dismay. “Yes. You see, they found the pawn ticket for the watch in his possession. The post-office inspectors who went to search his room are ready to swear that when they opened his trunk, which was locked, they found the pawn ticket inside.” “But Owen didn’t pawn the watch,” declared the girl confidently. “Surely the pawnbroker----” “The pawnbroker’s clerk has identified Sheridan as the letter carrier who came into the pawnshop in full uniform at three-thirty yesterday and pledged a gold watch for forty dollars,” said the lawyer, with a wry smile. “The watch has been identified by its owner as the one which was in the registered package.” A cry of startled surprise escaped from Dallas. “The pawnbroker’s clerk must be mistaken,” she gasped. “I agree with you,” said Judge Lawrence, “but at the same time he picked Sheridan out of a group of twenty other letter carriers without a second’s hesitation. That is bound to have great weight with a jury.” The girl nodded in mournful assent, “Yes, I can see that. And what does Owen say, Mr. Lawrence? What explanation does he offer?” “He denied that he was in a pawnshop at all yesterday.” Dallas looked relieved. “Then I believe him. I am sure that pawnbroker’s clerk is lying, and so are those post-office inspectors. They are not telling the truth when they say they found the pawn ticket in Owen’s trunk. They must have put it there themselves in order to make a case against him.” The lawyer shook his head. “I am sorry to say that I cannot entirely agree with you there, Miss Worthington. I think it quite likely that the pawnshop clerk is lying, as you say. I have already discovered that he is a friend of Jake Hines, a young man identified with Samuel J. Coggswell, who, I have reason to suspect, is behind this prosecution, or rather persecution, of your young friend. “But as for the post-office inspectors,” he went on, “I believe they are telling the truth. I have known both of them personally for several years. They are square, honest, fearless men. Not even a politician as influential as Boss Coggswell could persuade them to do anything crooked. I am thoroughly convinced as to that. If they say they found the pawn ticket in Sheridan’s trunk, I am quite sure that such was the case.” “Then how did it get there?” demanded Dallas. “You say you believe in Owen’s innocence.”