"The stolen goods were found in her locker," Gilder declared in a
tone of finality. "Some of them, I have been given to
understand, were actually in the pocket of her coat."

"Well," the attorney said with a smile, "that sort of thing makes
good-enough circumstantial evidence, and without circumstantial
evidence there would be few convictions for crime. Yet, as a
lawyer, I'm free to admit that circumstantial evidence alone is
never quite safe as proof of guilt. Naturally, she says some one
else must have put the stolen goods there. As a matter of exact
reasoning, that is quite within the measure of possibility. That
sort of thing has been done countless times."

Gilder sniffed indignantly.

"And for what reason?" he demanded. "It's too absurd to think
about."

"In similar cases," the lawyer answered, "those actually guilty
of the thefts have thus sought to throw suspicion on the innocent
in order to avoid it on themselves when the pursuit got too hot
on their trail. Sometimes, too, such evidence has been
manufactured merely to satisfy a spite against the one unjustly
accused."

"It's too absurd to think about," Gilder repeated, impatiently.
"The judge and the jury found no fault with the evidence."

Demarest realized that this advocacy in behalf of the girl was