The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1901-10-08
IN PRACTICE.
By BARRY PAIN.

house, and he might very we'll have
gone past without my knowing any
thing about it." She paused and added,
II shan't be able to sleep tonight after
what you've told me-"
you needn't trouble, MISS" said the
mounted policeman. "He won't hurt
you. We aren't more than a mile be
hind him, and we shall get him before
nightfan."
tits all right" she said in a cheerful
voice as she opened the studio door.
From the angle formed by a big canvas
leaning against the wall there crept a
man in convict's dress. He was clearly
exhausted, and in his face there was
evidence Of the relics of a gentleman.
Its awfully good Of you," he said.
"No. It's bad Of me. I've told a lot Of
lies. I never did that before. Well,
come on. You can't stop here. What
can I do for you? When can you goT
"If you had refused me shelter or had
shown me that you would betray me, I
should have killed you at once and
without the least conjunction. That
will make it hard for you to believe
that l am heartily sorry for all the trou-
BILE I am causing you, but it is true. I
will get away as soon as ever I car.
I've been a day and a night without
food, and l cannot move safely in these
things. So you see what l want
clothes and food"
She brought him a worn serge suit
and the other requisites for his trans
formation. Then she went back to the
house to prepare and fetch the lunch
con. On her return she found a wash
against him in his appearance but the
fact that he had not shaved recently.
He suggested that the studio stove
would make short work of the convict
dress, and he helped her to lay the
luncheon table-a difficult task for q
man near starvation to accomplish
with complete decorum.
II don't mind anything" she said,
Except those lies that l had to tell the
policeman
''Those lies saved two lives" said the
convict. II should have put one police
mans lights out before they took me,
and subsequently they would have
strung me up. Permit me to pass you
the salad. Questions of ethics always
had a fascination for me. l came to
the conclusion that there was no abso-
Lutte right conduct. Given proper hui
man feeling in an individual, conduct
then becomes entirely a matter of cir
cunistances. The best test of a system
of ethics is not in theory, but in prac-
tice. 1t is amazing how few people
realize that. That is where every legal
system is wrong. Not q that / have
ever come across in my studies takes
sufficient account of circumstances and
of decent human feeling in the individ-
ual. The law judges by results-this is
right and that is wrong, and if you do
the wrong you will be punished. The
absurdity of it! Why, anybody with
imagination can think Of circumstances
in which it would be the only right
thing for a man Of decent feeling to
commit a murder"
The law admits that to some ex-
tent" said Miss Marsh. !,
ITO a miserably insufficient extent,
As q matter of fact, we do not want
any laws at all. We want judges wise
and sympathetic, with absolute power,
who will Judge each case separately on
its merits. You see, l am not advocat-
ing anarchy. The inquiry would be,
first, as to whether the accused had
done what he was said to have done;
secondly, as to whether he was a man
of ordinary decent human feeling; last
ly, as to the circumstances Of the case.
With a common sense procedure Of
that kind we should frequently hang
the drunkard and discharge the muir
derer. What could be worse than our
present chance system? I was sent to
penal servitude because I did not al
low sufficiently for my revolver throw
Ing up. If l had allowed sufficiently, I
should have finished the man that l felt
ought to be finished, and in that case I
should have been hanged. Why, it is
abominable. The moral question is
sunk altogether. l escaped death not
because I was moral, but because I was
clumsy and inexpert with firearms. Is
it re~asonableY"
"The laws not perfect" said Miss
Marsh. But your system would have
still more chance in it. You would not
be able to get a supply Of judges fit to
be trusted with absolute power"
They argued the question at length
over the coffee and cigarettes, and at
last the convict rose. II must be go
ing, Miss Marsh. Many thanks for
your charming hospitality and the
great services you have rendered me-"
THAT'S nothing. You must have
some money" She fumbled with her
purse. and put the rest of those
cigarettes in your pocket. Is there
anything else""
you overburden me with kindness.
The money, of course, I shall return,
but the kindness-that must always re-