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he might remove a damaging piece of evidence against Murray。
〃You will get it； won't you？〃 asked the girl。
〃Where are these papers？〃 he asked。
〃They are in the outer office which adjoins Mr。 Compton's。 My desk stands at the right of the door as you enter from the main office。 Remove the right…hand lower drawer and you will find the papers lying on the little wooden partition directly underneath the drawer。〃
〃All right；〃 said the Lizard； 〃I'll get them。〃
〃Bless you； Lizard；〃 cried the girl。 〃I knew you would help。 You and I are the only friends he has。 If we went back on him he'd be sent up； for there's lots of money being used against him。 He might even be hanged。 I know from what I have heard that the prosecuting attorney intends to ask for the death penalty。〃
The Lizard made no reply as he started to leave the taxi。
〃Take them to his attorney；〃 said the girl； and she gave him the name and address。
The Lizard grunted and entered his own cab。 As he did so a man on a motorcycle drew up on the opposite side and peered through the window。 The driver had started his motor as the newcomer approached。 From her cab the girl saw the Lizard and the man on the motorcycle look into each other's face for a moment； then she heard the Lizard's quick admonition to his driver； 〃Beat it； bo！〃
A sharp 〃Halt！〃 came from the man on the motorcycle； but the taxicab leaped forward； and； accelerating rapidly； turned to the left into the road toward the city。 The girl had guessed at the first glance that the man on the motorcycle was a police officer。 As the Lizard's taxi raced away the officer circled quickly and started in pursuit。 〃No chance；〃 thought the girl。 〃He'll get caught sure。〃 She could hear the staccato reports from the open exhaust of the motorcycle diminishing rapidly in the distance； indicating the speed of the pursued and the pursuer。
And then from the distance came a shot and then another and another。 She leaned forward and spoke to her own driver。 〃Go on to Elmhurst；〃 she said； 〃and then come back to the city on the St。 Charles Road。〃
It was after two o'clock in the morning when the Lizard entered an apartment on Ashland Avenue which he had for several years used as a hiding…place when the police were hot upon his trail。 The people from whom he rented the room were eminently respectable Jews who thought their occasional roomer what he represented himself to be； a special agent for one of the federal departments； a vocation which naturally explained the Lizard's long absences and unusual hours。
Once within his room the Lizard sank into a chair and wiped the perspiration from his forehead； although it was by no means a warm night。 He drew a folded paper from his inside pocket； which； when opened； revealed a small piece of wrapping paper within。 They were Murray's letter to Bince and the enclosure。
〃Believe me；〃 muttered the Lizard； 〃that was the toughest job I ever pulled off and all I gets is two pieces of paper； but I don't know but what they're worth it。〃
He sat for a long time looking at the papers in his hand； but he did not see them。 He was thinking of other things： of prison walls that he had eluded so far through years of crime； of O'Donnell； whom he knew to be working on the Compton case and whose boast it had been that sooner or later he would get the Lizard； of what might naturally be expected were the papers in his hands to fall into the possession of Torrance's attorney。 It would mean that Murray would be immediately placed in jeopardy； and the Lizard knew Murray well enough to know that he would sacrifice his best friend to save himself； and the Lizard was by no means Murray's best friend。
He realized that he knew more about the Compton murder case than any one else。 He was of the opinion that be could clear it up if he were almost any one other than the Lizard； but with the record of his past life against him； would any one believe him？ In order to prove his assertion it would be necessary to make admissions that might incriminate himself； and there would be Murray and the Compton millions against him； and as he pondered these things there ran always through his mind the words of the girl； 〃You and I are the only friends he has。〃
〃Hell；〃 ejaculated the Lizard as he rose from his chair and prepared for bed。
CHAPTER XXVII。
THE TRIAL。
Edith Hudson spent a restless night； and early in the morning； as early as she thought she could reach him； she called the office of Jimmy's attorney。 She told the lawyer that some new evidence was to have been brought in to him and asked if he had received it。 Receiving a negative reply she asked that she be called the moment it was brought in。
All that day and the next she waited； scarcely leaving her room for fear that the call might come while she was away。 The days ran into weeks and still there was no word from the Lizard。
Jimmy was brought to trial； and she saw him daily in the courtroom and as often as they would let her she would visit him in jail。 On several occasions she met Harriet Holden； also visiting him； and she saw that the other young woman was as constant an attendant at court as she。
The State had established as unassailable a case as might he built on circumstantial evidence。 Krovac had testified that Torrance had made threats against Compton in his presence； and there was no way in which Jimmy's attorneys could refute the perjured statement。 Jimmy himself had come to realize that his attorney was fighting now for his life； that the verdict of the jury was already a foregone conclusion and that the only thing left to fight for now was the question of the penalty。
Daily he saw in the court…room the faces of the three girls who had entered so strangely into his life。 He noticed； with not a little sorrow and regret； that Elizabeth Compton and Harriet Holden always sat apart and that they no longer spoke。 He saw the effect of the strain of the long trial on Edith Hudson。 She looked wan and worried； and then finally she was not in court one day； and later； through Harriet Holden； he learned that she was confined to her room with a bad cold。
Jimmy's sentiments toward the three women whose interests brought them daily to the court…room had undergone considerable change。 The girl that he had put upon a pedestal to worship from afar； the girl to whom he had given an idealistic love； he saw now in another light。 His reverence for her had died hard； but in the face of her arrogance； her vindictiveness and her petty snobbery it had finally succumbed； so that when he compared her with the girl who had been of the street the latter suffered in no way by the comparison。
Harriet Holden's friendship and loyalty were a never…ending source of wonderment to him； but he accepted her own explanation； which； indeed； was fair enough； that her innate sense of justice had compelled her to give him her sympathy and assistance。
Just how far that assistance had gone Jimmy did not know； though of late he had come to suspect that his attorney was being retained by Harriet Holden's father。
Bince appeared in the court…room only when necessity compelled his presence on the witness stand。 The nature of the man's testimon