``No,'' replied the captain humbly. And Casey and O'Rourke shook their big, hard-looking heads to indicate that they had not questioned him.
``I am curious to know what you HAVE done in this case,'' said the magistrate sternly. ``It is a serious matter to take a young girl like this into custody. You police seem unable to learn that you are not the rulers, but the servants of the people.''
``Your Honor--'' began Hanlon.
``Silence!'' interrupted the magistrate, rapping on the desk with his gavel. ``Proceed, Wielert. What kind of knife was it?''
``The knife in his throat afterward,'' answered Wielert. ``And I hear a sound like steam out a pipe--and I go in and see a lady at the street door. She peep through the crack and her face all yellow and her eye big. And she go away.''
Hilda was looking at him calmly. She was the only person in the room who was not intensely agitated. All eyes were upon her.
There was absolute silence.
``Is that lady here?'' asked the magistrate. His voice seemed loud and strained.
``Yes,'' said Wielert. ``I see her.''
Otto instinctively put his arm about Hilda. Her father was like a leaf in the wind.
Wielert looked at Hilda earnestly, then let his glance wander over the still courtroom. He was most deliberate. At last he said, ``I see her again.''
``Point her out,'' said the magistrate-- it was evidently with an effort that he broke that straining silence.
``That lady there.'' Wielert pointed at a woman sitting just outside the inclosure, with her face half-hid by her hand.
A sigh of relief swelled from the crowd. Paul Brauner sobbed.
``Why, she's our witness!'' exclaimed Hanlon, forgetting himself.
The magistrate rapped sharply, and, looking toward the woman, said, ``Stand up, Madam. Officer, assist her!''
The court officer lifted her to her feet. Her hand dropped and revealed the drawn, twitching face of Sophie Liebers.
``Your Honor,'' said Hanlon hurriedly, ``that is the woman upon whose statement we made our case. She told us she saw Hilda Brauner coming from the family entrance just before the alarm was given.''
``Are you sure she's the woman you saw?'' said the magistrate to Wielert. ``Be careful what you say.''
``That's her,'' answered Wielert. ``I see her often. She live across the street from Meinert's.''
``Officer, bring the woman forward,'' commanded the magistrate.
Sophie, blue with terror, was almost dragged to the platform beside Hilda. Hilda looked stunned, dazed.
``Speak out!'' ordered the magistrate.
``You have heard what this witness testified.''
Sophie was weeping violently. ``It's all a mistake,'' she cried in a low, choked voice. ``I was scared. I didn't mean to tell the police Hilda was there. I was afraid they'd think I did it if I didn't say something.''
``Tell us what you saw.'' The magistrate's voice was severe.
``We want the whole truth.''
