The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-01-11

nave Deen cast III the same mOluS. |
earned subsequently, that he was a
holding spiritual office In his
church, and sat at vestry boards. His |
hard head was like paving stone, and |
his eyes had no color in them. AS to I
bis business. he was in the condition of |
wanting to rent villa in the country,
TO go to of Sunday; and if he could |
make any lucky stroke of trade, such as
being advertised in all the papers in
with some startling occur
renee, his desires might be attainable.
He invited me into his parlor, and after
hearing me state my errand, answered
aloud, so that the other tradesmen
might hear and be induced to come and
listen to the moral dialogue, that he
had made up his mind to prosecute on
"public grounds He pronounce
" public as if there were at least three
p's to it. A policeman had come to tell
him the thief arrested was Mrs. Halsey,
a lady; but this was reason the more.
There should be no difference between
rich and poor in the appOrtiOnment OF
Justice. (Here quotation from Scrip
ture). Besides there had been many
Jewel Tobberies OF late; and jewelers.
were bound to stand by each other.
This was MOwlesOn's opinion.
The other tradesmen, assented,, glad
for once to have a gentlemans honor
under the heels of their commercial
boots, and so press it out of shape with
stampings of soriptural jargon and counoa
board aphOrisms. Possibly none OF
these men would have been wholly cal
lOus if argued with separate ly; but they
held together. The muchrespected
MOWleson declined to SCENE in private !;
= hos
touch one of the number, it was tri-
umphantly rebutted by the rest, who
were only vulnerable ON some other
point. I made myself humble with
these men. I tlattered them. I sound
ed, one by one, all the chords by which
men can be moved-interest, vanity,
cOmmiseration but it served nothing.
Though my tongue faltered in the end,
at the thought of what Mara was about
| to suffer, and though | could not res
train some tears from yelling up into
nv eyes, as I said, God forgive you.
gentlemen, more freely than you for
give 2" there was not one Of my hearers
but seemed persuaded that the kingdom
of heaven would be his if he only re-
manned thus steadfast in denying pity
After had prayed and pleaded for two
| hours, the much-respected MOWleSOT
put an end to the controversy by saylns
crisply, 81 deeply regret being OBJ
liged to perform painful duty, b1
my mind is made up; besides, have al
ready put the case into the hands o
my solicitors; and he mentioned hrn
of attorneys for whom sending peOpl'
to Jail was as daily meat is to other per
sons.
With what feelings returned to TIN
police station need not be told. Their
were two tattered and drunken WOmel
l. who had Just been brought in when
came back; and the inspector, who wa
entering the charge against them, ex
cused himself civilly for not shown
me to the room where Halsey was. ii
gave me verbal directions where to fin
it. Threaded a corridor leading to tn
private part of the station, and came t
the door that stood slightly ajar..
pushed it softly, and saw Mara lyln
on the bed, with q great coat, which
2 kindly policeman had lent, thrown Ove
! her feet. The regularity of her breatt
ing told that she was asleep. Haise
was seated by the bedside, holding Oh
! of her hands between his. There VIZ
! no light in the room but the flicker
a small fire in the CRATE.
! L
= ND, pressed kiss to his wife's hand, ar
: laid it gently on the bed. Then he sto
; toward me on tiptoe. "Well?n M....
NV looks told him more than n
! words: "The man won't withdraw ii
Il charge, Halsey; but it will break dow
: : in court, so c0uragew s~=s-a
He remained silent some moment
y "Well," said he, when he had ralli'
u from the blow, "Well, if you have II
j succeeded, should not have done S
l l and, after all, it doesn't much matte
y The affair must have become publ
y since Mara was arrested in the stree
!, and so many tradesmen and our oV
servants know all about it. 1t is be
Q that the facts should be set forth i'll II
/ truth, so that no false rumOrs may
. hinted. Mara viii be committed
- trial. We shall bail her out to-morro'
y y and, of course, any jury will acqult ht
4, T. then we shall go and live abroad
Il shall rely upon you, old fellow, to ia
= $ all the steps for the defense. Be Mar
:" y counsel, and see my solicitor about
}: early tomorrow. Then you'll have
= call on my brother-in- law, and telegra
u to Merry respecting bail. I'll only n
- up firm friends III this business. GC
~ night. I shall remain by Mara. !
10 see she's sleeping. She actually
Il Il treated me to forgive her For!g
s, - to forgive herm
), Next day, after the night charges
aC been disposed of at the district pol
% court, Mara Halsey, aged TWEEN
ei eirhf, was indicted for stealing tn
ne rings, valued at $40, the property
= .Ja6ez Mowleson. Halsey had not
y, y, lis wife all the night; and he
n5 n5 driven with her in the cab Il
~ the station, policeman in pl
lSnfi clothes merely sitting on the /
ny At the court she was not put in
@ aS common room with the other p
'ot oners. The magistrate, who knew I
,uI sew. gave orders that she should
"a u shown to his private apartment u
lo1 lo fhe case was called and he spared
n loL the indignity Of the dock, directing ht
Oh oti sit on a chair in front of it, Halsey be
l nu Dlaeed to the right Of her, and mys
y, y, with Halsey's solicitor, to the left.
II. ~ had smiled sadly to me, and held
lfih liih1 her little hand on meeting me in
W - court, us IL TO thank me for not do,
-, ing her. suppose Halsey had told
II II that I had looked heart broken on
az ~ turning from my unsuccessful emb
~ - TO the jewelers. the evening before,
III III that / had spent a1l tho night In
aill snItation with solicitors and barIis
~bo whom / had reused from their beds
4ng ~ plan how this unholy charge nigh
M NJ frustrated. / had even though
,,as - binding to advise Halsey IN the NOR
asss e..s to call in counsel of good standing
.sslss ,,las that no chance should be missed thrt
~ ! ~ my want of experience on skill. 81
'the this he had replied vigorously