The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-07-10
che bott1e Reading Circle
DOROTHY.
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81 painted them all by myself" she
exclaimed.
The judge thought II not unlikely,
as he glanced with twinkling eyes at
the highly unconventional forms and
daring colors of these striSingly origi-
nal works of art.
well" he said, at is very kind of
you to bring me all these pretty things,
| but why do you want to give them to
| me?"
I-I don't want to give them to YOU"
she faltered.
The Judge regarded her with friendly
eyes. He was so used to hearing ro-
mantle deviations from the truth from
| the lips of imaginative witnesses that
| frankness was at all times delightful
| to him.
Come" he said with a quiet laugh,
that's honest at least Well, why do
you give them to me IL you don't want
| tor"
"I'll give them to you, and Tommy,
| too" the words were accompanied by
very wistful glance at the fat puppy
tiff you'll promise not to send
| poor papa to prison."
A silence. such as precedes some aw-
full convulsion OF nature pervaded the
room for several seconds after this au-
| dacious proposal. Even Tommy, as
| though covering before the outraged
majesty of the law, buried his head be-
| tween the judges coat and vest. and
| lay motionless except for propitiatory
wag of his tail.
What is your name, chld?" asked
the judge, grimly.
Dorothy Maxwell" faltered the lit
tie girl, timidly, awed by the sudden
silence and the perhaps unconscious
stern expression upon his lordship's
| face.
Dorothy Maxwell" said the judge,
| severely, as though the little figure be-
fore him were standing in the prison.
| ers dock awaiting sentence, "you have
been convicted of the almost unparal-
| leled crime of attempting to corrupt
| one of her majesty's Judges; to per-
srade him, by means Of bribery, tC de-
feat the ends Of justice. shall not fur
ther enlarge upon the enormity of your
crime. Have you anything to say why
sentence should not be-No, no, don't
cryl Poor little thing, didn't mean to
friEhten you. I'm not the least b.t an
cry with you-really and truly-Come
and sit on my knee and show me all
these pretty things. Get down, you lit
| tie beast"
| The last words were addressed to
Tommy. who fell with a flop on the
floor and was replaced on the judges
knee by his little mistress.
| This is very like condoning a crimi-
nal offense," thought the judge to HIM
self with grim smile, as he wiped the
1 H.
| face and tried to interest her in the
contents of the brown paper parcel.
But the thoughts the tears had aroused
did not vanish with them. Arthur
Maxwell was no longer a kind of i'm
personal representative of the criminal
classes. to be dealt with as severely
as the law allowed in the interests of
society in general. He was the father
of this soft, plump, osy-cheecked blue
eyed. golden haired little maid, who
would inevitably have to share, now or
in the future. the fathers humiliation
| and disgrace. For the first time, per-
haps, the judge felt pang of pity for
the wretched man who at that moment
was probably pacing his cell in agoniz-
| ing apprehension of the inevitable ver-
dict. A vivid picture started up before
twitching lips and tragic eyes. He re-
membered his own emotion when he
first sentenced a fellow creature to
penal servitude. Had he grown callous
since then? Did he take sufficiently i'll
to account the fraility of human ma
ture, the brevitv of life, the far-reach-
ing consequences that the fate of the
most insignificant unit of humanity
must entail?
At this moment the door opened and
his wife, a slender, graceful woman,
considerably younger than himself
with a refined, delicate face, came
quietly in,
"Ah." exclaimed the judge with a
sudden inspiration, Il believe you are
at the bottom of all this. Agnes. What
is this child doing here?"
TT was her own idea, entirely her
own idea, but her mother brought her
and asked to see me. The poor woman
was distracted and nearly frantic with
grief and despair, and ready to clutch
at any straw. She was so dreadfully
miserable, poor thing, and | thought
it was such pretty idea, II couldn't
refuse her, Matthew.
But, my dear" expostulated the
could do no good"
II knew what the verdict would
be-" answered his wife, ."I read a report
! of the trial in an evening paper. But
then there was the sentence,y you know
and nd l thought the poor child
might soften you little, Andrew"
The judges hand strayed meohani-
cally among the toys, and to interest
the child he began to examine one of
the mCst vivid of her pictorial efforts.
You think am very hard and un-
just, AgInes?" he asked.
NO NO. no." she answered hurried
ly. mot unjust, never unjust. There
is not more impartial judge upon the
] bench-tne whole world says it. But
don't you think, dear, that justice
without without mercy is always a
little hard? Don't, don't be angry,
Matthew, 1 never spoke to you like
this before. 1 wouldn't now but for
the poor innocent woman in the next
room and the innocent little thing at
J your knees"