The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1898-08-26


adversary's next move; she was too eau
tious to overstep her mark.
"lf yeu mean in the matter of circum-
stantial evidence, Miss Boniface," said
Roger Tresham, 81 quite agree with |
tnu'" He Redeemed little, for any ref |
erence to the law was a pain be would !
willingly have spared her.
"N-no," said the girl, elowlv, s'I-II
wasn't thinking of that. [ was thinking
that the law doesn't seem to have any
heart. 1t doesn't seem to take cogni-
zance of misfortune, of-oh, Judge
Tresham"-She broke off with catch in
her breath dangerously near to q sob.
Tresham was thrilled and warmed by
the intimacy of her appeal at the same
time that he was struck with horror at
his own impossible predicament.
Judge Tresham'-she had reaained
her composure-"willy you let me speak
of my poor fathers trouble? You know
fort. Judge Tresham, is the law really
without pity?"
"God forgive mel" cried the man be-
side her; III cannot listen; | cannot
help or comfort you. Miss Boniface, if
things had been otherwise You and I,
perhaps; but now, as 1t is''-He stopped
helplessly and made q despairing ges-
ture. But Joyce Boniface met his troub-
led eyes with her own blue unbashed
ones.
Even as things are, r >ger," she mur-
INJURED, sit may not be altogether hope
less. There must be mercy somewhere,
even in the law, and surely in the law
Yers. Think, Roger, how much | should
owe you if
Tresham had gone white 70 the lips
his breath came in gaeps. Ten minutes
ago he would Indignantly have repudlat-
ed the idea that she could stoop 20 lrflu-
ence him by so much as a feathers
weight upon one side or the other, far
less to bribe him with the glittering
promise of what he most desired. Ac-
Gu tom to viewing things with the eyes
OF Ia eyer ard purist, he had omitted
to take into account the natural preiu-
dices, emotions and falings of poor, weak
human nature. He shrank before the
thing he knew che was about to utter.
"Do not say it, Joyce he cried; do
not say it?'
She had faltered a little at his look of
horror. "Have I said anything so ter
ribie, thenT she asked, almost proudly.
''ls it crime to help ones father?"
"Hush." said Tresham; ''yes. You
are child; you cannot know what you
are doing. Your father
She dropped his arm. INV father
knows nothing of this she said haugh-
tily. "No doubt he would be angry if he
knew that had condescended to beg for
him. No doubt he will be honorably &C.
quilted without your help Then she
sank into chair, laid her head against
her arm, and quietly wept.
Tresham laid gentle hand upon her
shoulder. "You must not think I don't
pity you" he said softly; shut, indeed,
| am to be pitied. I am in a terrible po-
sition. When we came here some few
weeks ago, you with your unhappy faith
er, and his lacklass Judge, all three of
US snatching at the legal stays to rest in
mind and body; when J. met you and saw
how lovely you were, and knew, as-God
help me II knew soon enough that your
smile OR fro~n was the only bar at which
tremb'ed, why, I should have been
brave for you and for me, I should have
I'D before you"
He paused, but the girl gave no sign
and he went on, brokenly: "Do you
think it is only you that suffer? Do you
think it is nothing to me to see you like
this, and to feel that if onor were not a
reality / could save you as readily as [
can lift my hand? Yet, living as we do
in world and in time in which honor
rules, am as utterly powerless to help
as if my hands were fettered."
Again he paused, and this time the girl
slowly lifted her eyes to his face; then
she asked, gently; Are you powerlesg,
Roger?"
The swift blood surged through the
young Judges face; light flashed in his
eyes. He made quick, involuntary gee-
ture. Joyce Boniface saw and under
| stood.
II know what you would say" she
cried, lifting her head proudly. 'Like
father, like daughter, you think. Well,
you are right. I would save him if had
to lie or cheat or steal.'' Her voice shook
helplesely. Oh, If you could see him as
L do-so broken, so changed from his
former self! A poor, sick old man,
bounded by the law and-Heaven help
| me by the man love- She was still
striving for her father with all the
strength she had, and yet now she was
not acting.
Tresham uttered low cry, and losing
all his habitual self-restraint, caught her
to him.
"Roger," she whispered, and it was the
voice of eternal woman tempting eternal
man-"Roger, you will save him. 1t is
so pitiful. What can wretched pair of
girls, persons we have never seen, matter
to usf know you will be good to him.
In the shock of returning oneciousness
aud conscience, produced by her strange
sophistical plea, he could not help a smile
at the very womanishness of it all. I'll
was very wan smil", tho; and then he
put her from him.
"What feuda1 princess you would |
have made!' he said, with grim humor |
"You wouldn't have recommended cake
instead Of bread; you'd have asked what |
poor folk, persons you didn't know, had |
to be in the world for"
He knew it to be very far from laugh