The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-10-22

had assured, silver goods OF value tnat
had evidently been stolen, this was re-
ally more than she could bear MI
Nottingham would be here. too, in few
minutes. for it was near to half past {.
Mr.. Nottingham, who was a serious
minded stakeholder of. Copthall Court,
neither young nor middle-aged, but be-
twiXt the two. who had wooed Miss
Farley with great respect for years
and had, for hobby, the restraint of
crime and a general view of life that
was in tune with that of Miss Farley
Mr.. Nottingham was no man for such
an emergency as this; he would only
reprove her gently for having taken
such grave responsibilities. A disclos-
ure meant police court proceedings, Old
Bailey attendance
$ Ere we are, lady"
Going to take a ticket for it ?" asked
the man on the other side of the coun-
ter.
"TH leave. it, she said. determinedly,
''in my name and the number, ten
sixty-siX."
BIT lumpy miss. said the cloakroom
man.
TT has-it has something heavy in
side" she stammered-
All" remarked the cloakroom man,
as he affixed a label, that accounts
for ii"
Mr.. Nottingham brought news that
the night was fine, that the hall was
but the distance of three minutes
walk, that things were looking ominous
in the east, that the only way to keep
peace was to be prepared for war.
Having reeled off these statements with
indiscreet haste and thus exhausted
his evenings stock, Nottingham APP
peared to find himself on arrival at
the hall, so to speak, beached, and un-
able to move in conversation until the
tide turned with some similar re-
marks They found seats on the
crowded platform, neither in the mood
for talk. Miss Farley checked a sigh
now and again as she looked at the
strange men and women who filled the
body of the hall. They were mainly
criminals, or at any rate affected to
be SO for the purpose of this meeting,
and Miss Farley felt that, strictly
speaking, her place was among them.
Mr.. Nottingham, content to be near the
lady of his heart, content also to see
| in his hat the notes of a speech which
he felt contained some thoughts that
came near in his opinion to being cpl
grams, sat with folded arms and did
not observe Miss Parley's preoccupa-
! tion of thought.
Excuse me- she said presently. The
chairman and the principal speaker,
| judge, We're coming onto the platform;
| the hall rose to it's feet and cheered aS
at length to. be gratified. II wish to
speak to the police Inspector
Can / take a message, Jane?" asked
Mr.. Nottingham
No. said Miss Farley with brusque-
ness. please stay where you are
The inspector, seeing Miss Parley's
attitude of appeal. met her half way on
the platform. The hall, amused at this,
and having finished its applause, called
on the inspector to look her up. She
was a well known character, shouted
! the hall humorously, and a perfect ter
ror in the lane. Take her off to Bow,
! begged the hall, and if, she became vio-
lent, why, give her the good old frogs
| march.
Il wish to ask YOU" said Miss Farley
in low voice, unconscious of the bad
] image, what is the sentence usually
given for-for-''
Murder" prompted the inspector.
| NO no. For what'd you call ft?'
o. said the inspector, you mean
| shoplifting, madam
L mean nothing of the kind she
replied with asperity. Il mean reeeiv-
| ing goods
well knowing the same to be sto-
! len. said the inspector glibly. He pass
ed his hand over his chin. Let me see
now. madam, what shall we say for the
average? What do you say to three
| years?"
Miss Farley went blindly back to her
seat as the chairman rose to introduce
| the judge to the meeting. a proceeding
that was in some part superfluous.
/ Three years! One, two, three; she had
never before thought of three as a
large number. There seemed a way out
of the difficulty and this was fortunate;
but it made one tremble to think that
one should be ever within sight of a
| fate so terrible, The obvious exit was
never to alFude to the incident to any
! one. That dreadful man would send
| for it; the bag would thus disappear;
no one need know the part that she
! had taken in the affair. The old judge
was getting on with his speech, with an
! occasional joke of moderate strength
! that made the hall roar with ecstatic
| appreciation. and Miss Farley nerved
herself to put aside her terrifying
! thoughts that oppressed her, with par
tiai success, partial failure. A deplor-
able old hag sat in the front row be-
! low lnterrupting the proceedings now
and again by demanding cheers for her
self; the pleasing thought occurred to
! Miss Farley that she might never lead
a sedate comfortable later life, but that
she might finish in the type of the
dreadful woman who was Just then
shouting, "Hooray fer Patsy Maguire!"
Pursuing this cheerful vein, Miss Par
! ley succeeded, as the old judge resumed
his seat, fearful at his own affecting
peroratfon, in accepting with fair equa-
nimity sentence of penal servitude
| for life.
Would anyone in the audience
! asked the chairman, care to give their
experience? 1 can spare five minutes
before calling upon Mr. Nottingham"
| Nobody rose at first, but when the
| deplorable old woman in the front row
| stood up, then a doZe 6~others started
! to compete for the honor. The old
woman, called upon by the chair, stated
| that she was as good as any other lady
in Sardinia street, and that if anybody
| dared TO say a word against her public
or her private character she would.
! Nevertheless, Mrs. Mcguire confessed
with tearfulness. but with something
! of pride to a life of wrongdoing that
included crime from bird-faking to
! highway robbery. 1t was all the fault
of the first step. said the old lady; the
| first step was fatal. Becoming interest
| ed, she declined TO regard the chair
mans call to order, and had eventually
| to be removed from the hall. Morning
ham, in his speech, took advantage of
! this, and spoke severely of mistaken
tolerance. Wrongdoers, said Mr.. Nor
| bingham, wrongdoers must be stunned.
Anyone participating in crime should
not be recognized by decent folk.
| Wrongdoers must be ostracized. The
other men on the platform coughed
doubtfully at this, the argument being
precisely opposed TO the intent of the
movement. Miss Farley sighed.
Sure, you are not out of sorts, Jane?
! That place was very close.
Il am quite WE'LL said Miss Farley,
dolefully. She was in the Chislehurst
train n r f~harinsy Cross anxious for the