The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1900-01-18

you every opportunity | can, so long as
it doesn't bother you. Dad knows all
about it and he's with me-"
The judge wanted to shout: Good
for dad" but he didn't.
Then after another longer silence
they left him alone. As he rode slowly
home he turned the little tragedy over
and over in his mind and the more he
thought about il the more he felt that
he had made a mistake by staying and
listening. At last he evolved a plan
calculated TO ease his own conscience
and give the young man some courage.
So the judge sent him this letter:
mr. Edwin Grant:
II had the misfortune TO ovcrhear part
| OF your Convcrgation wljh Miss Rand to-
! day, although In quite an accidental man
| ner. If, as / surmise. you are the son of
| Grant Of the supreme, you are made OF
the right sort Of stuff to regard Miss Rand 4
! views as only a temporary obstacle to your
! happiness. / sentenced Rand, and II you
! care 20 call on me ! should be glad to see
! you, Perhaps we may rink o. some arsu-
ments 20 make Miss Rand look at the cas-
differently. At any rate / agree with his
honor, your father, and am also with
you Yours,
"ROBERT sTORROW."
The next day the judge was obliged
to go to distant city TO act as referee
in case.
The Rand case was almost purely a
circumstantial one and hung on the
| handwriting in which the false entries
! had been made in the books. The hand-
writing experts all agreed that the en-
! tries had been made by Rand; indeed,
the prisoner admitted as much.
lie had pleaded mot guilty." and
when he admitted the identity of the
/ handwriting there was little left to do
/ for him. His counsel was completely
/ bafiIed by the admission and Rand re-
/ fused TO explain it in any way.
/ II could never be found how Rand had
disposed Of the sum he cmbczzled. In
fact, not penny of the missing money
was ever found, and the bank charged
/ il 10 profit and loss.
Hooper, the president OF the bank
was in constant attendance at the trial,
and expressed great sorrow for Rand.
| Shortly after 'he sentence Hooper left
! the bank ard went TO another city,
where he engaged in private banking
and brokerage business. II was in this
city that Judge Storrow was now sit
! ting.
! One night at his club the CONVERSE
tion drifted round 10 money and bank
ing. The judge made the remark that
he wished TO procure letter Of credit
for his niece, who was going abroad.
and some one suggested IIooper's house
as the best place TO get it.
"By the way" said his adviser, you
| sentenced the cashier Of the bank of
which Hooper used TO be president,
didn't your The judge said he did.
well" continued the man, that's
the way some men treat those who have
| been kind to them. My wife grew up in
the village where Hooper and Rand
were boys together. Rand was not in
very good circumstances, while Hooper
had plenty of money. At that time
Hooper was quietly buying up great
deal Of land through which he knew
railroad was projected He let Rand in
on the ground floor, lent him money,
and then, when they realized, collected
Rand's notes, and in this way they both
made money, and Rand's share was a
moderate fortune to n man in his cir
cumstauccs. II wasn't many years be-
fore Rand had lost his money in fool
ish investments. Then Hooper got him
the position OF cashier in the bank
where he was president. 1t seems pref
ty tough for Rand to have stolen all
that money. The directors asked
Hooper for his resignation, of course,
and he was obliged to come here and
start fresh"
Now this was part Of the story that
the Judge had never heard before. 1t
little agreed with his personal impress
stUus, which Of course has nothing to
do with the claw and evidence" He
had an idea that Rand was not that sort
Of a man, and, curiously enough, he
had acquired an antipathy for Hooper.
Gradually he found himself forced TO
a conclusion for which there was little
reason. He somehow thought that
Hooper was the guilty man and Rand
inc innocent ne IuN hHbNH u lew
similar cases OF quiXotic gratitude.
The next day he called at the bank
ing house OF Hooper &, Go. As he was
leaving he met Hooper face to face.
The man went white, and staggered
against the door jnmb as If he had
been struck
"Why how dye do? Why didn't
expect TO see you" he stammered.
"Anything we can do for you?"
The Judge looked him square in
the eye and said: "No, Mr. Hooper,
nothing you can do, unless-but
never mind now" and he gave him
n peculiar look under which Hooper
qunilcd,
The Judge had not gone two blocks
before one Of the clerks came rushing
after HIM and said Mr.. Hooper want
ed him TO come back. He found Hoop
or stridlng the floor and mumblng
to himself
"My God, Judge, do you know?" he
cried,
~ know you are n scoundrel." the
judge replied, surprised out OF his self