First, the officer who arrested her told his story, and then the elder of the two women who searched her was summoned as the first witness. The judge looked grave, and he glanced uneasily at the prisoner from time to time; but the same clear, steadfast eyes met his gaze, unsullied by a trace of guilt. Then the second woman corroborated the story of her associate, and the judge asked, "How came you to suspect the prisoner so strongly as to search her?" and at this point the floor-walker was summoned. The vigilant magistrate did not fail to note the momentary glance of aversion and horror which Mildred bestowed upon this man, and then her eyes returned with so deep and pathetic an appeal to his face that his heart responded, and his judgment led him also to believe that there was error and perhaps wrong in the prosecution. Still he was compelled to admit to himself that the case looked very dark for the girl, who was gaining so strong a hold on his sympathy. "I must inform your Honor," began the witness plausibly, after having been sworn, "that laces had been missed from the department in which this girl was employed, and I was keenly on the alert, as it was my duty to be. Some suspicious circumstances led me to think that the prisoner was the guilty party, and the search proved my suspicions to be correct." "What were the suspicious circumstances?" The man seemed at a loss for a moment. "Well, your Honor, she went to the cloak-room yesterday afternoon," he said. "Do not all the girls go to the cloak-room occasionally?" "Yes, but there was something in her face and manner that fastened my suspicions upon her." "What evidences of guilt did you detect?" "I can scarcely explain--nothing very tangible. The evidences of guilt were found on her person, your Honor." "Yes, so much has been clearly shown." "And she was very reluctant to be searched, which would not have been the case had she been conscious of innocence." The woman who searched her was now asked, "Did she shrink from search, in such a manner as to betoken guilt?" "I can't say that she did show any fear of being searched by us," was the reply. "She refused to be searched in the private office of the firm." "That is, in the presence of men? Quite naturally she did." Then to the floor-walker, "Have your relations with this girl been entirely friendly?" "I am glad to say I have no relations with her whatever. My relations are the same that I hold to the other girls--merely to see that they do their duty." "You are perfectly sure that you have never cherished any ill-will toward her?" "So far from it, I was at first inclined to be friendly." "What do you mean by the term friendly?" "Well, your Honor" (a little confusedly), "the term seems plain enough." "And she did not reciprocate your friendship?" was the keen query.