"I should like to recall Miss Holladay's maid, if you please," he said; and the girl was summoned, while Rogers stumbled dazedly off to the witness room. "You're quite sure your mistress wore a dark red gown yesterday afternoon?" he asked, when the girl was on the stand again. "Oh, yes, sir; quite sure." "It was not dark green? Think carefully, now!" "I don't have to think!" she retorted sharply, with a toss of her head. "Miss Holladay hasn't any dark green gown--nor light one, either. She never wears green--she doesn't like it--it doesn't suit her." "That will do," said Mr. Royce, and the girl went back to the witness room without understanding in the least the meaning of the questions. "Now, let us have the office-boy again," he said, and that young worthy was called out. "You say you didn't see the face of that woman who left your office yesterday afternoon?" "No, sir." "But you saw her gown?" "Oh, yes, sir." "And what color was it?" "Dark green, sir." "That will do," said our junior, and sank back in his chair with a sigh of relief. The solution had been under our hands in the morning, and we had missed it! Well, we had found it now. "Gentlemen," he added, his voice a-ring, his face alight, as he sprang to his feet and faced the jury, "I'm ready for your verdict. I wish only to point out that with this one point, the whole case against my client falls to the ground! It was preposterous from the very first!" He sat down again, and glanced at the coroner. "Gentlemen of the jury," began Goldberg, "I have merely to remind you that your verdict, whatever it may be, will not finally affect this case. The police authorities will continue their investigations in order that the guilty person may not escape. I conceive that it is not within our province to probe this case further--that may be left to abler and more experienced hands; nor do I think we should inculpate anyone so long as there is a reasonable doubt of his guilt. We await your verdict." The jury filed slowly out, and I watched them anxiously. In face of the coroner's instructions, they could bring in but one verdict; yet I knew from experience that a jury is ever an unknown quantity, often producing the most unexpected results. The district attorney came down from his seat and shook hands with both of us. "That was a great stroke!" he said, with frank admiration. "Whatever made you suspect?" Mr. Royce handed him the note for answer. He read it through, and stared back at us in astonishment. "Why," he began, "who wrote this?" "That's the note that was delivered to us a while ago," answered Mr. Royce. "You know as much about it as we do. But it seems to me a pretty important piece of evidence. I turn it over to you." "Important!" cried Singleton. "I should say so! Why, gentlemen," and his eyes were gleaming, "this was written either by an accomplice or by the woman herself!" My chief nodded. "Precisely," he said. "I'd get on the track of the writer without delay."