The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-02-17

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had been merely passing an idle half
hour-but the look on the child's face,
/ the sorrow so much older than her
years, struck to his heart
"Oh. 1 see" he said, gently; your
father is Frank Yanceys"
Yes" said the girl, in patient little
! tones. 1--WE used to have a splendid
birthday when daddie came home
| sometimes a trip in the country II 1t
| wasn't too cold-and nice things for all
of us. OF course, now, mamma and l
talk things over, and We can under
stand it, but Boys such baby, and he
cries"
It had been a long time since he had
been very sorry for any one, but now
something was Juggling at his heart
strings. He was looking down at Boy
sister. whose feet did not touch the
@Ohi yes" she said. resignedly. And
that's the reason bring him out here
so that he can cry without making
mother feel bad. Mother and 1 talked
things over for nights and nights try
ing to arrange something for Boy SO
that he wouldn't feel quite so bad, but
we couldn't think of a thing. You don't
have very good times Wnen your oauI
dies away. do you? If it wasn't that L
talk over everything with mother-ev-
cry single thing-I don't know what
we'd do
The tall gentleman in the other seat
looked away down the path. -
| A pathetic little long-gone vision rose
up out of the past when he had not
been successful nor self-made 1t was
| a vision of a raw country boy going
home from church through the moon
Hight under the whispering trees WIN
a timid little hand on his arm
The boy had devoured the sweet, IN
nocent, young face beside him with
hungry eyes, and had hated Frank
| Yancey in his heart for having wooed
and won her before he had a chance
If he had seen her hrst. ne told NM
self, she would have taken him; ana ne
tossed on his bed all that night, torn
7 with Jealous rage and love that could
never be told
' No natter-that was long ago-he
D came to the city the next morning aho
D entered upon his career.
r When he thought of her during the
n next few years it was to thank HEAVIER
f that he had escaped a marriage Whlct
l. | would have kept him grounding u
0 the end of his days.
But now. as he looked away dowI
: the path. somehow the old thrill wen
to his heart-he felt the light touch
n on his arm making leaping madness
n in his veins, and saw the moonngh
+ drifting over the brownest hair ant
5 bIuest eyes in all the world
# His own eyes dimmed at the memoir
- of it. WE'LL it was long ago, and n
- was successful among men, but Their
: had never been another night like thai
p oh dear. If daddie could only com
Is home" was the tired little sight tina
~ awakened him.
y He started and turned to see Bo
/ asleep on his sisters lap, while tW
y tears rolled slowly down her tnl
~ cheeks.
id 'You-you mustn't ery!" he STAN
= L don't let mother see me cry sh
w replied. smiling up at him with a cnllo
h ish womanliness that broke his heart
~ I,af from he
"a and started up, looking at his Watcl
he If there were only time!
Ie Look here he said. with an excite
az az ment that he had not felt for many
m long day, you go home and-and ia
- things over with mamma, and tell her
is ask her if she remembers Mr.. Floman
IL and tell here-well, tell her that yol
re daddie isn't without a friend, after all
- If there were only timel
Forty minutes afterward he was pusl
,l< ing through throng of spectators TIL
a crowded the courtroom and extend'
- | into the corridor outside. Men stood {
ar | tiptoe to peep over one another'S hea,
"a that they might catch a glimpse OF Il
80 prisoner who was not with the striker
~ and yet had done single-handed VII
~ some of them longed yet did not care
"a | do; who had kept persistent silence du
-0 ing his Imprisonment, and who refus'
az to employ a lawyer, though he kne
20 a. himself TO be in dire extremity
- Ten to one his neck'n stretch. sa
q man IN the QOOI DIS L lOIlidiA PuSAS0
~ him He heard the whisper, and sa
"a the dark looks cast upon the prisone
~ then he walked across the courtroo
~ and took his place at the prisoner SIC
~ Does any one represent Frank "a
ne cey?" the judge was asking, and Fl
e. - man stood up.
" Il do, my lord" he said.
:. There was a moment of amazed s
II lence, broken by an excited whisper tn
went around the courtroom If Floms
had taken up this case, the great Fl
a. man-why-then-
ale People who saw him saw how
SCI stopped and whispered word in [
stupefed prisoners ear and clasp
Dy his hand. Then he arose. with he
m N thrown up and lips set, and those W
IS; knew him knew that there was ba
no tie in hand.
his What that battle was is till remel
bered and spoken of with a thrill
lat pride by those who watched its pro
ly- ress: who heard the examination
cross examination of witnesses: W
wept and laughed for two hou
too swayed by such oratorX as Floman n
never uttered, and as they had neN
in heard
our If he had been famous before tho
ow two hours left his fame doubled,
rs, the jury returned a verdict of l
on guilty without leaving the box, a
,de hotly denied afterward that they W
under a spell. When the verdict V
de- rendered, men shouted and threw
ism their hats. and when the court 70
was cleared went out wiping ii
I'D eyes.
m fIanA 1ahcey was 5eu oue IoSS1i
F1oman put him into a cab. he leal
forward, his face working.
"Now that you've done this. Die
he whispered. I'll tell you why I b
that hound. I reached home in Il
to hear him insult my wife, an
a. gone to the gallows before I'd
mixed her name 10 in it,
Good for YOU old man." retur
F7lornan with barren speech but "