The big attorney went on. “You did know that something had happened to Mr. Collander?” “I heard the shots—yes, I knew something had happened to him.” “Just a moment, on this feature,” continued the attorney. “You do not agree with the chief of police about the number of shots fired; you thought there were three shots; one, and then two together, or almost together?” The prosecuting attorney interrupted. “If you are going to lead the witness, Colonel,” he said, “why don’t you lead her to some purpose? Why don’t you lead her to say there was only _one_ shot?” The huge counsel for the prisoner put out his hand toward the speaker, in the gesture of one who brushes aside a disturbing fly, but he did not otherwise move in his chair. His whole body was in repose. He spoke without moving a muscle. “Now, Ellen,” he said, “the prosecuting attorney makes it a point against you that you were expecting something to happen. What do you say about that? You don’t deny it, do you?” “Well, Colonel,” replied the witness, “I thought something might happen to Mr. Collander. I thought it all along.” “Then you did expect it?” “Yes,” replied the witness, “I suppose you could say I did expect it.” The attorney rose. “That brings us to another point made against you.” He took up a weapon lying on the table before him. It was a thirty-two-caliber cylinder revolver of the usual type. “You can identify this weapon?” the attorney asked. “It is the revolver that Mr. Collander kept in his bedroom.” “Now, Ellen,” said the attorney, “the State has introduced testimony to show that you took this pistol to the gunsmith, Mr. Parks, and had him clean it and load it for you. That was on Tuesday, a week before Mr. Collander’s death. The prosecuting attorney calls on me to explain that incident on some theory, if I can, which will be inconsistent with his theory that you thereby provided yourself with a weapon in order to kill Mr. Collander.” He paused. “We are not concerned with anybody’s theory, Ellen, but what is the truth about it?” “I was afraid, Colonel, just as I have said. I thought there ought to be a pistol in the house that would shoot.” The attorney paused a moment as in reflection; then he went on. “That’s the second point the State makes against you. There is still another; let us get them all together so we can tell the jury precisely what they mean. The prosecuting attorney has shown, here, by a number of witnesses, that you sometimes threatened the lawyer, Mr. Collander; that you have been known to quarrel with him, and that you have more than once said you would kill him. Now, isn’t that true?” The witness hesitated a moment. She looked vaguely about the court room; presently her eyes rested on the floor. “Yes,” she said, “it’s all true; but I was not the only person who wanted to kill him.” She hesitated. “What I said was talk—just talk; the other people who wanted to kill him meant it.” The big attorney lifted his body with a little gesture.