Cotterill chuckled. “Matter of fact, it’s right funny to see them watch the papers when you’re sitting in one of these big cases up here. Bragging to strangers that you’re from there.” “Yeah,” Hosmer remarked encouragingly. He watched the fat little lawyer, an ironic question in his eyes. “They’re all getting ready to get behind you and push, when you run again,” Cotterill assured him. “Dave Evans said here, just the other day, that you could get pretty near anything you wanted to, if you watched your step. It means a lot to have the home town folks back of you, you know. There’s a neat bunch of votes down there, Bob.” “Sure,” the Judge agreed. Cotterill opened his hands with a frank gesture. “Of course, they’re all watching this case, right now. It’s pretty important to the Furnace, you know. Not much in this one case, but it’s a precedent. Reckon it would cut into the business they do down there quite a bit if things went wrong. Tom says to me when we first talked about it: ‘You got to win this case, Jim. If you don’t, it’s going to cost us money.’ And what hurts the Furnace hurts the town.” He hesitated; and the Judge said slowly and pleasantly: “You’re dodging around corners, Jim. What’s on your mind?” Cotterill swung toward the other, leaning a little forward in his chair. “Well--” he began, then hesitated. “Bob, you know my reputation, I guess?” “I know you’re reputed to be--successful,” said the Judge. If there was in his word anything of criticism or of reproach, Cotterill paid no heed. “I mean, you know, that I’ve the reputation of going right after what I want. No wabbling around.” “Have you, Jim?” “And I’m coming right to the point now.” “Come ahead.” The fat little man hitched his chair a little nearer the other’s. His voice was lowered. He gesticulated with a pudgy finger. “First thing,” he explained, “I want to be sure you understand just how important this is. To us, and to you, too. It’s business with us; but it’s a policy with you. That’s what I want you to understand. They haven’t asked you for anything because they helped you get started; and they don’t aim to. Not for what was done for you then. But we can’t afford to lose this case now.” Hosmer said slowly: “Case is finished, Jim. Decision is all written. It’s in that envelop there.” He pointed toward the top of his desk. Cotterill shot a glance in that direction; and beads of sweat started upon his forehead. “That’s all right,” he said. “No need of going into that. I know I’m not much as a trial lawyer. I know I fell down on this case. Facts and law were with us; but I didn’t get the stuff into the record the way I’d ought to, and some of our witnesses didn’t stand up when Marston got after them. Marston’s a good lawyer; but there’s more to trying a case than the court end of it. I’m trying my case right now, Bob.”