“In many respects this is the most remarkable case that it has ever been my lot to handle,” began Kennedy.  “Never before have I felt so keenly my sense of responsibility.  Therefore, though this is a somewhat irregular proceeding, let me begin by setting forth the facts as I see them.

“First, let us consider the dead woman.  The question that arises here is, Was she murdered or did she commit suicide?  I think you will discover the answer as I proceed.  Miss Lytton, as you know, was, two years ago, Mrs. Burgess Thurston.  The Thurstons had temperament, and temperament is quite often the highway to the divorce court.  It was so in this case.  Mrs. Thurston discovered that her husband was paying much attention to other women.  She sued for divorce in New York, and he accepted service in the South, where he happened to be.  At least it was so testified by Mrs. Thurston’s lawyer.

“Now here comes the remarkable feature of the case.  The law firm of Kerr & Kimmel, I find, not long ago began to investigate the legality of this divorce.  Before a notary Thurston made an affidavit that he had never been served by the lawyer for Miss Lytton, as she was now known.  Her lawyer is dead, but his representative in the South who served the papers is alive.  He was brought to New York and asserted squarely that he had served the papers properly.

“Here is where the shrewdness of Mose Kimmel, the shyster lawyer, came in.  He arranged to have the Southern attorney identify the man he had served the paper on.  For this purpose he was engaged in conversation with one of his own clerks when the lawyer was due to appear.  Kimmel appeared to act confused, as if he had been caught napping.  The Southern lawyer, who had seen Thurston only once, fell squarely into the trap and identified the clerk as Thurston.  There were plenty of witnesses to it, and it was point number two for the great Mose Kimmel.  Papers were drawn up to set aside the divorce decree.

“In the meantime, Miss Lytton, or Mrs. Thurston, had become acquainted with a young doctor in a New York hospital, and had become engaged to him.  It matters not that the engagement was later broken.  The fact remains that if the divorce were set aside an action would lie against Dr. Dixon for alienating Mrs. Thurston’s affections, and a grave scandal would result.  I need not add that in this quiet little town of Danbridge the most could be made of such a suit.”

Kennedy was unfolding a piece of paper.  As he laid it down, Leland, who was sitting next to me, exclaimed under his breath: 

“My God, he’s going to let the prosecutor know about that letter.  Can’t you stop him?”

It was too late.  Kennedy had already begun to read Vera’s letter.  It was damning to Dixon, added to the other note found in the ammonia-jar.

When he had finished reading, you could almost hear the throbbing in the room.  A scowl overspread Senator Willard’s features.  Alma Willard was pale and staring wildly at Kennedy.  Halsey Post, even solicitous for her, handed her a glass of water from the table.  Dr. Waterworth had forgotten his pain in his intense attention, and Mrs. Boncour seemed stunned with astonishment.  The prosecuting attorney was eagerly taking notes.