Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1896-02-20


that took him into the woods, And
see she continued, laying her hand
fendly on the shoulder OF the confused
and aNtoupded lad, look AT that face,
Is he not son 10 be proud Of And
he is named the same AS yourself -
Alexander Marin, Your gameke&per
provoked hun beyond all endurance, Ii
was he who assaulted him first the
hoy is hiGh-Spirited and could not
brook his brutal iusolence, Do YOU,
can YOU blame him for defending him
self" You cannot, YOU dare not she
asked, III u tense whisper, leaning Tor
ward and looking with u strange eN-
preston into the eyes Of the Justice,
Ii was we'll for him that he sat with
his back TO the little court room win
dow, Tor his face had taken on the
hue Of ashes the Indictment which he
held in his hand shook like Il leaf in
the wind, his eyes were riNcted on hers
as though he We're magnetiaed by
them. AZ that moment dog, whose
toes had been trod on by some hob
nailed foot, set up loud yelping,
Mrs, Marin drew her veil over her
face again and the spell was broken.
1t had all happened in few swift
moments in less time than II has
taken TO describe the scene, The jus
tice drew n long, shivering breath and
waving them of, said in a strained
voice:
Il dismiss this ease, Can the next, '
THANK you, Mr. Marin, said the
widow, with slow, sweeping cour-
tesy, that To an ohserVant eye might
have seemed sarcastic in its lowlincss,
and mother and son left the court
We'll. mother, you beat all! You
seemed to have made the justice do oX-
actly as YOU liked" SAID At,,, ON the
way home.
Don't talk Just now, Alec, II it
was hard for me, but YOU are on,
That's enough"
The lad saw Eer once or twice slip
her handkerchief under her veil to
wipe the tears which came now and
his own began TO fill
she was quite cheerful however,
when they reached home and never n
word of rCproach did sh" utter In
deed though paler than heE won't she
was more than usually cheerful to-
ward night,
How IS II you never scold me or
get angry with me, no matter what
| INT ~ \
as they sat talking together before
bedtime.
Mrs. Marin hesitatcd little and
then answered..
"You could hardly get angry with
any one you had wronged, could you,
Alec?"
Alec unused over this question for II
moment or two.
81 don know, he said, slowly; IN
no. No, you couldn't very well, that's
true; but what has that TO do with me ?
yes, Alec, said his mother in n
hard voice, 81 have wronged YOU
grievously."
How, mother? How? Tell me how
creduous curiosity.
mo, Alec canHo, tC,l yea how,
she answered, and heavy sigh IS
capped her
"Of course you cant, because you
know you have been too good to me,
Thats all Think don't know how
I've worried you? But never will
again. Long ago, mother, | meant no
i'll, just fun, but the folk YOU get the
fun off don't see that, so I'm going to
quit and be as good AZ YOU want me
to be, | swore that to myself when
YOU stood up in the court this morning
and got me off You'll never see me
inside a court again. | feel Just as
bad as If | had really done It,"
"Ah. no, Alec! If you had been cap
able of doing ii you would Eot have
felt that way. Put II is all over now
dear, so go to bed Good night, my
poor. fatherless boy"
She laid her arms around his neck
fondly, looked long and hungrily into
his face, then kissed mis- lips and
pushed him away from her. lie went
into his room, with his candle In his
hand and shut the door close behind
him. But the latch was loose and
noiselessly slipped the catch again.
He had boon rather careless of late I'm
observing the simple form Of devotion
he had been taught, but tonight his
soul had been unusually stirred and he
knelt aDd silently prayed, not only the
usual form, but a deeper. slncerer
prayer in which was registered vow
henceforward to be a good son TO the
best and kindest mother ever any boy
had.
He blew out his candle and went TO
bed and in few minutes was sound
asleep. His mother drew the draught
screen between his door and the fire
and sat down to think over the days
events. In the blinking freight she
seemed to grow old even as she sat. 10
intensely was she thinking and feel
ing Al last she rose somewhat stiff
and tired and, glancing at the little
clock on the msntelshelf, saw that II
was on the stroke Of midnight. She
lifted the tongs to put lump OF coal