The Washington critic., 1888-04-14
lars found their way into his pockets

nlghtly.
II.
One morning, about two weeks after
his arrival in town, the daily Boomer
dng startled its numerous respected
patrons by the announcement, under
the headline Of "The Great Forgery"
that Walter Leonard had been arrest
ed the night before and was in jail
for having forged q check for $4,000,
payable to and indorsed by Allan
Parker, mysterious parsonage whom
no one knew and whom the authori-
ties had failed to find. Mr.. Leonard
had presented the check for payment,
indorsed by the missing man. In
accordance with the progressive spirit
of the West, the trial was set for the
following day, and anhour before the
Judge arrived the next morning every
seat in the courtroom was occupied
and hundreds of people had been
turned away from the door, Phoebe
was in fever of excitement and
couldn't comprehend the existing
state of affairs. No man had stood
higher in the little community than
Walter Leonard, and though he had
never been popular man, his integ-
rity had been unquestioned.
The court finally convened, the
jurors were chosen, and Walter Leon
ord was arraigned at the bar.
AT his side was his wife, trusting as
only women who love can trust, and
hopeful as only her trust could make
her. A bright little boy, with his
mothers golden hair and blue eyes,
| leaned against her and looked won
deringly at the strange scene around.
| him. The prisoner looked depressed
and shaken, and few would have
believed that such change could
have taken place in the man in so
| short time. He had retained the
best lawyer in the State, and the
latter made an eloquent and impas-
stoned appeal for the defendant,
dwelling on his hitherto unblemished
reputation, the folly Of the charge and
particularly on the absence of the
| mysterious man, Parker, in whose
favor the check was forged, and who
had received the amount from his
client. The prosecution, on the other
| hand, brought so many strong points
of indisputable evidence against the
| prisoner that there was not a man
| present who could not see that the
| States attorney would convict him.
Finally he produced the check and
| compared ii with numerous letters of
| disguised as it was, was yet too APP
parent not to be instantly detected.
When the check was produced Mr..
John Hardale, who had been sitting
in o distant part of the room, and
who, unobserved by her, had scarcely
taken his eyes off the prisoners
wife, walked forward to the bar, and,
in seemingly careless manner,
scrutinized the handwriting Of the
forged check for several moments.
After doing so, he glanced toward
Mrs. Leonard and bowed. She hesi-
tated, thought of her husband and
turned her head away coldly.
Every man and woman in the room
had witnessed his humiliation; had
seen the woman in the trying hour of
her own sufferings, heap modification
on the head of the gambler. But
none Of them knew that it was in
Difference to the wishes, more sacred
now than ever, of her disgraced
husband.
The jury did not remain out long,
and, when they returned, they rem
dered verdict of guilty. The judge,
before pronouncing sentence, asked
the prisoner, as is usual in such cases,
if he could give any reason why
sentence should not be passed. For a
moment there was profound silence,
except for the broken sob of the wife,
whose head was on her husband s
breast, and whose arm was thrown
about him as if for proteetieG. What
happened the next instant astounded
every soul in the courtroom. John
Hardale, with characteristic GOODNESS,
rose leisurely from his seat. and, with
kid gloves and silk hat in hand, APP
preached the bar. Sentence should
not be passed, Your Honor, unless ii
be upon the guilty man," he said, in
clear ringing tones.
81 forged that check and made it in
favor of Allan Parker, because the
name is an old alias of mine. gave
it to Mr.. Leonard representing myself
to be Allan Parker, and he cashed it
Here is the fifty thousand dollars that
he gave me. | came here with the
intention of seeing him play against {
stacked deck, but I'm not game
enough to stand the deal, and throw
down my hand"
At the same time the gambler placed
a heavy wallet on the table. TIL,
court and audience were dumb
founded. The Judge blew his nose 81
, bard that it made his eyes red, anC
Mrs. Leonard cried like child. TIL,
gambler was the coolest person in TIN
, room, and carelessly ficked a few
grains of dust off of his patent feathers
The prosecuting attorney was non
plussed. "Will you please write
duplicate of the forged check" h
said, having previously secured tn
, latter.
1 John Hardale wrote rapidly on
piece of blank paper, and someho,
/ Elsie Leonard couldn't help noticin
how white and small his hand was
, He handed what he had written t
the attorney. 1t was fac-simile @
the writing on the check, and tn
S latter was convinced. Sentence wa
], not passed that day on Waite
Q Leonard and he left the courtroom
free man.
q John Hardale, in consideration c
his generous magnanimity, was give
o the lightest possible sentence, thre
s years. When he left the courtroom
g in charge of the officer he looked lon
t and steadfastly at Elsie Leonard, an
r ifever woman's eyes looked graf
Q tude, hers did.
$ In her eyes his sins had bee
washed away, and she longed to 90 {
/ him and tell him all that she felt.
1 Before Mr.. Leonard left the coui
e the judge handed him the wallC
Y given up by the gambler, the lat
| nrieOner taking il mechanically. M