Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-03-30

was already petrified. Her heart had
turned To rock. Her tears were SO
many hard cold little pebbles. II was
more comfortable so. 1t helped her %
stand things. And there was SO much,
| oh, so much, To stand!
"Sibley!"
"WellP think answered you be-
| fore Ida"
"There is one question ! would like
| To have you answer before-before-"
MY case is called?"
| Eyes"
"Wen?"
"You have never said yet-nevcr 10
me. though of course l know it, dear,
only | would love To have you put IL in
| words-you have never said, in SO many
| words: i did not do it. Not for the
lawyers-words mean nothing TO them;
| they are only pebbles for their slings
| But To me, Sibley, the sister who loves
you and whose heart you have broken"
She was coming towards him with
tender outstretched arms, her worn,
thin face all a-qriver with pain. He
put out ii repulsing hand before folding
his arms sullenly.
mo. have never put il into words
for you. | did not know it was neces-
sary Forgive me, child, every pang |
have cost you. | asked the prison
authorities to let me breakfast with
you this morning, for knew what this
day would be to you, and ] wanted, if
possible, To say something comforting
To you. Somehow, ! don't seem To have
managed very well. l wish you had
some woman friend near you. | wish
you had not come to the city with me
1t makes it harder for both of US. viii
you bring the child here and let me say
good-by to her? If it goes against Inc,
| shall not see either you or her again.
| would not like you to come so close to
convicted criminal"
Her arms had fallen TO her side like
lead. He would not put il into words.
1t must be that he could not. She tot
tered from the room to fetch Ninette.
In the darker hall she nearly stumbled
over the two prison officials who were
standing guard at the door of the room
where she and Sibley had just got
through with that dismal breakfast.
One of the men put out a rough hand
with kindly intent. He saved her a fall,
for which she did not even thank him.
When she came back along the same
way. after a hurried five minutes spent
in rousing Ninette and buttoning tiny
dressing gown over her nightdress, the
sentinels were gone. So was Sibley.
He had scrawled "a message on an%nve-
lope and left it on her napkin.
Il have taken the easiest way for
both of us If | do not come back To
you tonight leave at once for Glen
burnie. ! wish you had some woman
friend near you. As for my little
daughter. Ida, all ! ask of You is to
make of her as true a woman as my sis
ter is. She will send no man TO the
dogs if you do that
She sat down on comfortless chair,
which CHANGED TO be close by the barred
shutters of her one front window, ano
clasped her long white hands behind her
head There was nothing to do but TO
wait and to listen. The verdict would
be proclaimed on the streets some time
that day The Norcross affair was
worth money to the newspapers. The
public would be eager for the extras as
they fell futtering from the presses
How long she sat there she could II
tel, She had lost ali record of time.
Perhaps it was another hour, another
day, another week, when she heard il in
the distance-then nearer, shriller. more
distinctly incoherent:
Extra" - humble. mumble-"Nor-
cross"-mumble, mumble-'here's your
EXTRA
She opened her blinds and leaned out
in feverish haste The enterprising
gamin caught her swift motion He
was across the street and at her win
dow in a second, with a fresh damp
sheet held aloft. She seized il, flung
him his pay, and drew the shutters to-
gether again with hands which almost
refused their service
Guilty.
Two small arms were placed about
the bent neck of her crouching figure
"Auntie, loves you. loves my
papa. Where is my papa? want him
to come here"
Ida shook her off ruthlessly There
was nothing in life worth any atten-
ton but that flimsy printed sheet in her
lap
1t was to spare her father this that
God took him. But why take one and
leave the other?
why should !. O Lord of might and
justice, be left to suffer what was too
great for him To bear? Is this infinite
justice, infinite pity, infinite mercy?"
Ninctte lifted up her voice in wailing
The room was dark. That crouching
figure on the floor filed her small soul
with fear. The unusual is full of ter
ror for baby-souls. Ida took no more
note of her than if her wailing had
been the wailing of the wind in the
tree-tops outside.
For once in her life Ninette was abso-
lutely forgotten by everybody. Her
aunt was porting again ravenously over
the closely printed account of the trial
After long time she looked at Nj
nette curiously. She had just mastered
the situation. II was to John Lorimer's
wife the detectives owed the clew that
they had inst followed ont to so trium-