The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1896-08-28
A DECISION.

Gus YET haI tender glance at the papers
before him, lis ono that enlists the ardent
sympathies of the layman and the more
ardent interest of the legal student.
To hear Judge Holbrook speaking thus
one might have supposed that he was be-
ginning an address to jury as cou.aal for
the claimants to q considerable fortune;
but, in fact, he was in his library, in his
own home, alone with his books and his
learning, Far from being an advocate in
the case in hand, he was the presiding Jug
tice.
He had been listening patiently all day
to the best eloquence that Calhoun county
could furnish. A half dozen LAWYERS on
each side had faced him for eight hours.
and all through that time somebody had
been talking to him, some lawyer had been
endeavoring to convince him as to the
proper disposition of Josiah Teliafer 5
enormous fortune.
1t was now evening. Judge HolhroOk
had dined leisurely after the long session
and then had taken up the briefs. with
their hundred references for conscen-
tious, personal study of the points in
volved. 1t never for a moment panied him
to render a decision against a perfectly
prepared case He worshiped the law,
and 1T may be he experienced an added
pleasure in finding that the statutes were
proof against the cleyerest attacks of the
advocates.
He took up the case in hand with as
much spirit as If he had not listened To IL
all day. 1t was his habit to begin the
consideration of fine problems by speaking
his views aloud, for he had been a famous
pieader in his younger days, and he found
that it helped him to concentrate his at
tention on his work to argue the matter as
If he was trying to convince third party.
Here Is a widow, most estimable
lady, whose life must pass in abject pow
erty II the law does not sustain her claims.
Associated with her on the same side and
similarly circumstanced are several Young
people and two very old ones. And there
is the lass, Ellie. The loss of this suit
means the ruin of her only romance. All,
well, all these are good people, good, mod
est, generous, and yet so situated that
trick of the law may make them miserable
for life. l cannot help feeling sorry for
them. "
The Judge paused and glanced admiring-
ly at the pages Of the brief Judge Hol-
brooks eyes twinkled with pleasure as he
came to sentence of remarkable brevity
and more remarkable lucidity. The
window curtains rustled, but the breeze
failed to arouse a whipser from the
leaves of the trees or the great oleanders
growing on the lawn. The Judge turned
over page of the brief with cracking
sound OF stiff paper, and the curtains
shook with the-was 1t the breezep
"a genuine lawyer, Routledge Hamp-
den, " exclaimed the judge smiling. "His
brief has put the claimants case in nut
shell, and SO beautifully that it Is almost
sure to win"
He sat down in his big chair and turned
over the pages of a musty volume in search
of some of the references in LAWYER Hamp-
denis brief The curtains at his back
stirred again-they parted slightly--a lit
tie wider. A mans face appears there,
eager, suspicious, cruel, repulsive. The
curtains fall together again with culver,
and the treetops can just whisper tlmor-
ously together under the influence of a
Whit of air that does not stir the oleanders
near the ground.
And to think" resumed the Judge,
putting Hampden's brief aside and taking
up another, "of the personality interested
on the other side. No criminal ever glared
at me from the dock with more vicious,
vindictive eyes than Roanoke Walton, old
Teliafers nephew-a man of evil propen-
stiles, selfish, hard hearted to whom the
possession Of fortune could confer no
good but the cultivation of his bad nature.
His claim in natural equity could not
stand for one instant before that of the
Others"
The curtains divided again, and the
same face, intensely hateful and passion
ate, peered for an instant at the Judge.
Even as 1t was looking, the Judge began
again In half declamatory tone
THAT the sublime fabric of the law
should uphold the claims of such mon
ster is-is-unfortunate.
Judge Holbrook could not go farther
than this in criticism of the law. "But if
1t proves that the law upholds his claim,
he must be supported by the bench"
For several minutes the judge busted
himself over the defendants brief, analyz-
ing the sentences, consulting references
and jotting down notes, Presently the
judge rose to his feet.
There Is another pointp' he exclaimed.
"1n tombstone versus Hayne recall that
similar situation was disclosed, and, on
my word, do believe that Routledge
Hampden failed to see the bearing on this
case. 1t will tend strongly In his favor if
my memory Of the decision Is correct How
pleasant 1t would be In this case to find
the law on the side Of the innocentr
He found the volume of reports in which
tombstone versus Hayne was recorded and
read the points and decision with evident
satisfaction. The man on the veranda
was greatly excited. The suspicion In his
face had become desperation.
Softly he pulled the curtains aside and
stepped into the room. The Judge, stoop-
ing over the lamp and volume in the al
cove neither saw nor heard him. Rapidly
and noiselessly the intruder crossed the H.
brary and passed through the open door to
the dark parlor. There he paused an in
slant, that his eyes might accustom them
selves 70 its gloom.
Then he picked his way past the chairs
and tables to the dining room, and so to
the kitchen. There colored servant sat
DOING. The intruder shook him by the
shoulder.
HUH Wbar you come frumS" ex-
claimed the darky, awaking.
From your master, " returned the des-
perate looking man harshly.