Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1897-02-01


he expected an Introduction. He raise'l
his hat. and made some courteous and
pleasant remark, to which Philippa, to
my surprise, replied in Il calm and fit
ting way.
Grant knew | had no sister I called
her cousin because | had a wild hope
that. if the worst happened, l might
be able to conceal the true relationship
in which we stood, and so be permitted
to give evidence on her behalf. | trusted
my wife would guess that | had q good
| reason for this deception.
Try and manage this for me, Grant.
| said so earnestly that my friend made
10 further demur.
"Take me ilr your cab. and | will see
what | can do
During our drive to the Shirehall,
| asked Grant what he knew about the
| impending trial.
Nothing" he said frankly II hate
murder cases-hate even to read about
them. Of course / know that Sir Mer
vyn Ferrand was killed, and hidden in
the Snow for days and days. But |
| know no more.
WHO is the accused:"
Il don't know. | thought, from your
| anxiety, you must know him.
will he be found guilty.!
Il don't know. Stay, | heard some
one who ought to be well informed say
| yesterday that the case for the prosecu-
| ton was most feeble. He seemed to
| doubt if the grand jury would return Il
true bill
AS [ heard this I pressed Philippians
hand secretly. l felt that she was tren-
bling.
The drive to the ShirehaH occupied
| only a few minutes. We did not go to
the public entrance, in front of which |
could see. a crowd of people nearly block
| ing I'D the street We stopped at an
other door. and Grant. after looking
round, caught sight of what appeared to
| be an inspector of police. He entered
| into Il little conversation with him, the
! result of which was that we were given
| into his care.
This is breach of the law whis-
| pered my friend as he babe me goodby.
You will have. to atone for it by a hand
! some gratuity."
We followed our guide. Philippa, al
| though walking with firm step, leaned
| heavily upon my arm. | scarcely know
| by what door we entered that pal
man led us through stone corridors and
passages which re-echoed with the tread
| of our feet, and at last we found our
| selves before a double swinging plain
oak door, over which in old English let
] ters was written Criminal court"
felt Philippa shudder and knew that
| the sight of those words brought the
/ horror of the situation fully home to her.
| Mechanically | pressed a sovereign in
| the hand Of the yenial inspector, CT
whatever he was; then, holding my
wife's hand, passed through the noise
! less swinging door into the all but
J empty court.
| A few policemen and other officials
were lounging about. Two or three peo-
| pie. who had no doubt gained admrtance
! IN the same way as we had done, were
/ seated in various c0lgns Of vantage. l
| led PhilipDa UP the broad steps, and
! pointed to one of the hard wooden
| of the general public. These benches
were raised step by step, one above an
other. We chose our position about
halfway up, on the righthand side of
the court. Philippa, with her thick veil
falling down to her chin, and so defying
recognition, sank YEARLY into her seat.
| | placed myself beside her. my hand
| crept under the cloak she wore and held
/ her hand.
! Surely it was all a dream-a dreadful,
realistic dream! l should wake and find
| myself under the great orange tree i'll
that courtyard in gay Seville, my half
smoked cigar and the book l had been
laziIy reading reading lying at my feet; my
nolency, and Philippa's grave dark
eyes looking with calm, everlasting love
into my own. | should wake and find
the cool of the evening had succeeded to
the glare of the afternoon. We should
walk through the merry streets, lounge
| in the Alameda, wander through the
glowing Alcazar gardens, or drive out
miles and miles over the fertile, smiling
plains. Or [ should even wake and find
myself nodding over my fire in my lonely
cottage, the stolid William the only hui
man creature within hail; Philippians re-
| turn, the snoWstornl, the dreadful dis
cOyery, the flight, Seville, the maria ge-
| ALL all dream!
In kind of stupor-the temporary re-
action, / suppose, consequent upon such
fatigue and trouble gaZed round me.
and wondered where | was.
What is this great, empty building, lit
| from one side by large clerestory win
dows Of ecclesiastical design? What are
| lofty ceiling, crossed and cut into
small squares by dark rafters; this lead
| ed floor, on which feet fall all but noise
| lessly? What are those raised boxes on
| either side Of the building-those small
rallied platforms all but adjoining them,
and all but adjoining that paneled oak
structure at the end facing me? What
is that rectangular, boX-shaped erection
with Overhanging carved cornice? Let
! us away from this dismal, colorless place.
Let me wake and find myself amid the
flowers, orange trees; the fair sights and
|
No! I have but to turn my dazed
eyes to the center of space in which we
| sat- to know that [ am dreaming no
dream; that we must wait here and
learn our fates. That oDlong, wooden
enclosure with high sides, topped oy a
| light iron railing, brings reality back to
me. 1t is the prisoners dock. In an
hours time man will stand there. He
will be brought up those stone steps
which lead to it from below the topmost
| flag Of which | can just sec. He viii
stand there for hours. AS he leaves
| the dock. declared innocent or guilty, so
will our lives be declared happy or mis-
cradle.
My hand holds my wife's yet closer;
for the last minutes which may be ours
to spend together are slipping by so fast,
! SO very FAST
See, the clock under the balcony marks
half-past 8. The all but deserted court
begins to assume the appearance of pre-
pairing for business. Policemen and 9th
er officials pass to and fro, some arrang-
and placing quill pens ready for the