Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-08-08

ueuu anu cleur, uOueSb eyes, Sne was
the last person to be suspected as a
vicious enemy of society. She passed
in and the doors were closed.
After some delay Over other matters,
her case was called. The Judge spoke
with her through the court Interpreter
to ask if she had counsel to represent
her. A lawyer sitting by her ad.
dressed the court.
"Your honor" he said, "I repre-
sent this prisoner. 1 learned the
facts only this morning and have not
had opportunity to speak with the
district attorney, but think can
satisfy him"
81 insist" said the prosecuting at.
torney, "that this hearing proceed in
the regular way. We have conclusive
evidence that this prisoner has COM
mitted most heinous crime against So
ciety, and should be held for trial"
VERY WELL" said the prisoners
counsel. ''We are ready. Proceed
with your evidence"
Very remarkable evidence it was
that was then heard. Breathlessly
tho Sc in attendance heard the officers
tell the story, to the point where,
rushing into the bare and dingy
room where the child was, they found
her, frightened by the sight of thou.
sands of upturned faces and the
hoarse roar from the street, crouch.
ing in corner, but still clasping the
red flag in her arms.
Here the flag itself was produced
long, red scarf-and the attorney
waved it about and denounced it, and
being of a fiery disposition, finally
threw it on the floor and danced up
and down ON it in rage.
When he had finished with his wit
nesses, the prisoner took the stand
and kissed the little Bible the clerk
handed her before she was sworn.
Then, speaking through the court in
terpreter, who translated her words,
sentence by sentence, she said:
81 lived in Russia. I had heard
people tell of this free country. We
had hard time there. We were
poor My father and worked hard,
but 1 had scarcely any books and
could not learn as much as / wanted
to. persuaded him that we should
be better off here. SO we worked
harder than ever, till we saved little
money to come to America. We never
had very good food, but we even
saved little from that, to get this
money. Whenever 1 could, L found
out all about America.
SAN agent of the steamships, who
came to our village to get us to buy
steerage tickets, gave me picture of
your flag, and toll me what the stars
and the stripes stood for, and how it
is the flag OF people who are free and
happy. So loved the flag. And
while We were coming over in the
steerage, had some pieces of cloth OF
different colors, and made an Ameri-
can flag, because loved it.
"When we came here, and I looked
out of our window and saw all the
people in the street, and saw flag
waving there, wanted to wave mine,
too, but it was in our box, that had
not come yet, so 1 only had my scarf,
and waved that. I never thought
about any red flag, or making any
trouble. L am sorry 1 have made
trouble"
"All nonsense" said the fiery attor-
ney, who nevertheless, had been some-
what stirred by this recital. "Where's
that flag you made? Lets see that. "
The child took from her father, who
handed it to her, poor, pitiful touch
ing semblance of our Stars and Stripes.
The shades of the color were very
strange, and the stars were q little
crooked, and there were not enough
of them for all the States, but much
love for the flag and all it stands for
had been sewed into it by the little
traveller to a land of freedom.
AS she spread it out, the spring
breeze from the open window sent a
ripple over its surface. The crowd in
the courtroom could not be restrained,
and applauded with deep enthusiasm.
ga great deal of dust flies in through
these windows" said the prosecuting
attorney, blowing his nose and wiping
his.eyes. "And, your honor, am in
clined to think that the public inter
ests do not demand any further pro-
ceedings in this matter.
He picked up the vicious red flag,
and looked at it ruefully. "Tell her, "
he said to her counsel, "tell her I'll
see she has better one, and a real
flag, too"
"Prisoner discharged" said the
judge.
And day or two later, Helena, the
suspected anarchist, the little Russian,
the true American, had the Stars and
Stripes flying fron her high window
at No. 81, to celebrate the success oi
the strike, in which her neighbors
were rejoicing.-Youth's Companion.