"My wife always had everything she wanted." "Ah, well, there was no--you'll excuse me, I am sure--no former lover in the case, was there ?" Again Brenton winced, and he thought of Roland sitting beside his wife with her hand in his.
"I see," said Speed; "you needn't answer.

Now what were the circumstances, again ?" "They were these: At a dinner which I gave, where some twenty or twenty-five of my friends were assembled, poison, it appears, was put into my cup of coffee.

That is all I know of it." "Who poured out that cup of coffee ?" "My wife did." "Ah! Now, I don't for a moment say she is guilty, remember; but you must admit that, to a stupid jury, the case _might_ look rather bad against her." "Well, granted that it does, there is all the more need that I should come to her assistance if possible." "Certainly, certainly!" said Speed.

"Now, I'll tell you what we have to do.

We must get, if possible, one of the very brightest Chicago reporters on the track of this thing, and we have to get him on the track of it early.