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Stener；　sending　Albert　to　demand　the　return　of　the　check；　was　refused；　though　the　next　day　at　five　o'clock　in　the　afternoon　Cowperwood　made　an　assignment。　　And　the　certificates　for　which　the　check　had　been　purloined　were　not　in　the　sinking…fund　as　they　should　have　been。　　This　was　dark　testimony　for　Cowperwood。

If　any　one　imagines　that　all　this　was　done　without　many　vehement　objections　and　exceptions　made　and　taken　by　Steger；　and　subsequently　when　he　was　cross…examining　Stener；　by　Shannon；　he　errs　greatly。　At　times　the　chamber　was　coruscating　with　these　two　gentlemen's　bitter　wrangles；　and　his　honor　was　compelled　to　hammer　his　desk　with　his　gavel；　and　to　threaten　both　with　contempt　of　court；　in　order　to　bring　them　to　a　sense　of　order。　　Indeed　while　Payderson　was　highly　incensed；　the　jury　was　amused　and　interested。

〃You　gentlemen　will　have　to　stop　this；　or　I　tell　you　now　that　you　will　both　be　heavily　fined。　　This　is　a　court　of　law；　not　a　bar…room。　Mr。　Steger；　I　expect　you　to　apologize　to　me　and　your　colleague　at　once。　　Mr。　Shannon；　I　must　ask　that　you　use　less　aggressive　methods。　Your　manner　is　offensive　to　me。　　It　is　not　becoming　to　a　court　of　law。　　I　will　not　caution　either　of　you　again。〃

Both　lawyers　apologized　as　lawyers　do　on　such　occasions；　but　it　really　made　but　little　difference。　　Their　individual　attitudes　and　moods　continued　about　as　before。

〃What　did　he　say　to　you；〃　asked　Shannon　of　Stener；　after　one　of　these　troublesome　interruptions；　〃on　that　occasion；　October　9th　last；　when　he　came　to　you　and　demanded　the　loan　of　an　additional　three　hundred　thousand　dollars？　Give　his　words　as　near　as　you　can　rememberexactly；　if　possible。〃

〃Object！〃　interposed　Steger；　vigorously。　　〃His　exact　words　are　not　recorded　anywhere　except　in　Mr。　Stener's　memory；　and　his　memory　of　them　cannot　be　admitted　in　this　case。　　The　witness　has　testified　to　the　general　facts。〃

Judge　Payderson　smiled　grimly。　　〃Objection　overruled；〃　he　returned。

〃Exception！〃　shouted　Steger。

〃He　said；　as　near　as　I　can　remember；〃　replied　Stener；　drumming　on　the　arms　of　the　witness…chair　in　a　nervous　way；　〃that　if　I　didn't　give　him　three　hundred　thousand　dollars　he　was　going　to　fail；　and　I　would　be　poor　and　go　to　the　penitentiary。〃

〃Object！〃　shouted　Stager；　leaping　to　his　feet。　　〃Your　honor；　I　object　to　the　whole　manner　in　which　this　examination　is　being　conducted　by　the　prosecution。　　The　evidence　which　the　district　attorney　is　here　trying　to　extract　from　the　uncertain　memory　of　the　witness　is　in　defiance　of　all　law　and　precedent；　and　has　no　definite　bearing　on　the　facts　of　the　case；　and　could　not　disprove　or　substantiate　whether　Mr。　Cowperwood　thought　or　did　not　think　that　he　was　going　to　fail。　　Mr。　Stener　might　give　one　version　of　this　conversation　or　any　conversation　that　took　place　at　this　time；　and　Mr。　Cowperwood　another。　　As　a　matter　of　fact；　their　versions　are　different。　　I　see　no　point　in　Mr。　Shannon's　line　of　inquiry；　unless　it　is　to　prejudice　the　jury's　minds　towards　accepting　certain　allegations　which　the　prosecution　is　pleased　to　make　and　which　it　cannot　possibly　substantiate。　　I　think　you　ought　to　caution　the　witness　to　testify　only　in　regard　to　things　that　he　recalls　exactly；　not　to　what　he　thinks　he　remembers；　and　for　my　part　I　think　that　all　that　has　been　testified　to　in　the　last　five　minutes　might　be　well　stricken　out。〃

〃Objection　overruled；〃　replied　Judge　Payderson；　rather　indifferently；　and　Steger　who　had　been　talking　merely　to　overcome　the　weight　of　Stener's　testimony　in　the　minds　of　the　jury；　sat　down。

Shannon　once　more　approached　Stener。

〃Now；　as　near　as　you　can　remember；　Mr。　Stener；　I　wish　you　would　tell　the　jury　what　else　it　was　that　Mr。　Cowperwood　said　on　that　occasion。　　He　certainly　didn't　stop　with　the　remark　that　you　would　be　ruined　and　go　to　the　penitentiary。　　Wasn't　there　other　language　that　was　employed　on　that　occasion？〃

〃He　said；　as　far　as　I　can　remember；〃　replied　Stener；　〃that　there　were　a　lot　of　political　schemers　who　were　trying　to　frighten　me；　that　if　I　didn't　give　him　three　hundred　thousand　dollars　we　would　both　be　ruined；　and　that　I　might　as　well　be　tried　for　stealing　a　sheep　as　a　lamb。〃

〃Ha！〃　yelled　Shannon。　　〃He　said　that；　did　he？〃

〃Yes；　sir；　he　did；〃　said　Stener。

〃How　did　he　say　it；　exactly？　What　were　his　exact　words？〃　Shannon　demanded；　emphatically；　pointing　a　forceful　forefinger　at　Stener　in　order　to　key　him　up　to　a　clear　memory　of　what　had　transpired。

〃Well；　as　near　as　I　can　remember；　he　said　just　that；〃　replied　Stener；　vaguely。　　〃You　might　as　well　be　tried　for　stealing　a　sheep　as　a　lamb。〃

〃Exactly！〃　exclaimed　Shannon；　whirling　around　past　the　jury　to　look　at　Cowperwood。　　〃I　thought　so。〃

〃Pure　pyrotechnics；　your　honor；〃　said　Steger；　rising　to　his　feet　on　the　instant。　　〃All　intended　to　prejudice　the　minds　of　the　jury。　Acting。　　I　wish　you　would　caution　the　counsel　for　the　prosecution　to　confine　himself　to　the　evidence　in　hand；　and　not　act　for　the　benefit　of　his　case。〃

The　spectators　smiled；　and　Judge　Payderson；　noting　it；　frowned　severely。　　〃Do　you　make　that　as　an　objection；　Mr。　Steger？〃　he　asked。

〃I　certainly　do；　your　honor；〃　insisted　Steger；　resourcefully。

〃Objection　overruled。　　Neither　counsel　for　the　prosecution　nor　for　the　defense　is　limited　to　a　peculiar　routine　of　expression。〃

Steger　himself　was　ready　to　smile；　but　he　did　not　dare　to。

Cowperwood　fearing　the　force　of　such　testimony　and　regretting　it；　still　looked　at　Stener；　pityingly。　　The　feebleness　of　the　man；　the　weakness　of　the　man；　the　pass　to　which　his　cowardice　had　brought　them　both！

When　Shannon　was　through　bringing　out　this　unsatisfactory　data；　Steger　took　Stener　in　hand；　but　he　could　not　make　as　much　out　of　him　as　he　hoped。　　In　so　far　as　this　particular　situation　was　concerned；　Stener　was　telling　the　exact　truth；　and　it　is　hard　to　weaken　the　effect　of　the　exact　truth　by　any　subtlety　of　interpretation；　though　it　can；　sometimes；　be　done。　　With　painstaking　care　Steger　went　over　all　the　ground　of　Stener's　long　relationship　with　Cowperwood；　and　tried　to　make　it　appear　that　Cowperwood　was　invariably　the　disinterested　agentnot　the　ringleader　in　a　subtle；　really　criminal　adventure。　　It　was　hard　to　do；　but　he　made　a　fine　impression。　　Still　the　jury　listened　with　skeptical　minds。　　It　might　not　be　fair　to　punish　Cowperwood　for　seizing　with　avidity　upon　a　splendid　chance　to　get　rich　quick；　they　thought；　but　it　certainly　was　not　worth　while　to　throw　a　veil　of　innocence　over　such　palpable　human　cupidity。　　Finally；　both　lawyers　were　through　with　Stener　for　the　time　being；　anyhow；　and　then　Albert　Stires　was　called　to　the　stand。

He　was　the　same　thin；　pleasant；　alert；　rather　agreeable　soul　that　he　had　been　in　the　heyday　of　his　clerkly　prosperitya　little　paler　now；　but　not　otherwise　changed。　　His　small　property　had　been　saved　for　him　by　Cowperwood；　who　had　advised　Steger　to　inform　the　Municipal　Reform　Association　that　Stires'　bondsmen　were　attempting　to　sequestrate　it　for　their　own　benefit；　when　actually　it　should　go　to　the　city　if　there　were　any　real　claim　against　himwhich　there　was　not。　　That　watchful　organization　had　issued　one　of　its　numerous　reports　covering　this　point；　and　Albert　had　had　the　pleasure　of　seeing　Strobik　and　the　others　withdraw　in　haste。　　Naturally　he　was　grateful　to　Cowperwood；　even　though　once　he　had　been　compelled　to　cry　in　vain　in　his　presence。　　He　was　anxious　now　to　do　anything　he　could　to　help　the　banker；　but　his　naturally　truthful　disposition　prevented　him　from　telling　anything　except　the　plain　facts；　which　were　partly　beneficial　and　partly　not。

Stires　testified　that　he　recalled　Cowperwood's　saying　that　he　had　purchased　the　certificates；　that　he　was　entitled　to　the　money；　that　Stener　was　unduly　frightened；　and　that　no　harm　would　come　to　him；　Albert。　　He　identified　certain　memoranda　in　the　city　treasurer's　books；　which　were　produced；　as　being　accurate；　and　others　in　Cowperwood's　books；　which　were　also　produced；　as　being　corroborative。　His　testimony　as　to　Stener's　astonishment　on　discovering　that　his　chief　clerk　had　given　Cowperwood　a　check　was　against　the　latter；　but　Cowperwood　hoped　to　overcome　the　effect　of　this　by　his　own　testimony　later。

Up　to　now　both　Steger　and　Cowperwood　felt　that　they　were　doing　fairly　well；　and　that　they　need　not　be　surprised　if　they　won　their　case。





Chapter　XLII




The　trial　moved　on。　　　One　witness　for　the　prosecution　after　another　followed　until　the　State　had　built　up　an　arraignment　that　satisfied　Shannon　that　he　had　established　Cowperwood's　guilt；　whereupon　he　announced　that　he　rested。　　Steger　at　once　arose　and　began　a　long　argument　for　the　dismissal　of　the　case　on　the　ground　that　there　was　no　evidence　to　show　this；　that　and　the　other；　but　Judge　Payderson　would　have　none　of　it。　　He　knew　how　important　the　matter　was　in　the　local　political　world。

〃I　don't　think　you　had　better　go　into　all　that　now；　Mr。　Steger；〃　he　said；　wearily；　after　allowing　him　to　proceed　a　reasonable　distance。　　〃I　am　familiar　with　the　custom　of　the　city；　and　the　indictment　as　here　made　does　not　concern　the　custom　of　the　city。　Your　argument　is　with　the　jury；　not　with　me。　　I　couldn't　enter　into　that　now。　　You　may　renew　your　motion　at　the　close　of　the　defendants'　case。　　Motion