Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1905-03-02
The Jadge'sSOn.
BY RICHARD S. GRAVES.
Il IcAJAH poLEAN bad been !

80 IA 49, .moo tha romainder
e ~ nrin,,,o wear
ms nv ~ ~ 10" - -, H. ,.I,o4o
49, S Sv .,oa.,an 80 'ho wss moi IN.
-. ~ a. 700
p0seu 49, ao 80 ,sodo tha raca
a.. H. ~ ,'os cor-
Ms- ~ 49, a@o. 80 !. was sold
.a uat -. ~ , . S;I ~ raco;vo a sir.
.na' n.s 'PS ~ &c. oanS,dsto sor tha
e. 80 oo,,,d ~ soMrS aster FRAT and
p,%ee .I n,.t N,oo,oS poIoan wantad tbo
! -SHvN'
oh,Uo' -. .,,..,oo .ha
no Ahows no'nins Du' sIIs ~. h,s
strangers uSeu ~ 70 'o.u 81 ,Uasato
own poy 10 jan once' anu 'ne 49,
iul Attie wle'ch iah away ii' -O
ana never came pa.A'
Inc ohce Vi ING Juslco =, .no peaoo
was over a grocery store anu nis nono
was on quiet street wnere ms wig.
SAD raced woman Win STREAMS y.
gray IN ner Drown mar, Dusleu nersel.
all DAY with ner nousenoid duties' !.
was plain that some great sorrow nau
Defallen ner at some Time III ner Ms.
There was no trace Oh sorroW On inc
face OF the Justice OF the peace, espe-
cialiy Wnen he hau otioo 'urnou ~
the direction OF MS nome he had al
ways said that ne knew rlgnt from
wrong, and when ne stated tnat any.
thing was right nothing on eartn couio
change him. He was as nrm as rock.
He had been firm the day he sentenced
his own son to JAIL and that nrmness
was with him stin.
The boy had commended that ne was
innocent Of the charge against MIN
that he had been fighting IN seit-de-
fense-6ut the frm old magistrate Dc
lieved the evidence OF otner witnesses
and would not listen to him. he mad
made up his mind and refused to
change it. The boy threatened that Il
his father sent him to jail ne would
leave home and never return, and the
threat had some bearing on the case.
1t was true that he had been a GOOD
boy and gave promise OF being q gooo
man. Even his stern father was forced
to make that admission when he ar
gued with himself and tried to JUSTIFY
his action.
In the once OF tne Justlce % INC
peace there was an old table Uttered
with hooks and papers, and over all the
dust of years had settled. When a law
suit was tried there at long intervals
the dust was brushed away by the use
that was made Of the tables. but the
books and papers were not disturbed.
The edges of the papers were frayed
and ragged, and they were all yellow
with age. Sometimes the pile was
moved a little by some one slipping
sheet Of foolscap out to make . memoir
andum. On the table was copy OF the
revised statutes with one OF the covers
torn of and many Of the pages missing.
In the corner stood the stove. from which
the ashes leaked the wholeyear through
In summer 1t was the receptacle for
trash, and the lower section was always
a spittoon.
The bench was represented Dy the long
table. behind which the justice sat, and
in front Of him had been cleared q small
space among the aged, dust-coVered
papers.
In the pigeon holes Of the tall case
that stood against the wall were papers
that human eyes had not seen for 20
years-parts of the record in forgotten
law suits, and unpaid fee bills Of cases
in which the litigants were long since
the lower end and could not De moved up
or down. When 1t was desired 70 keep
the sunlight out, newspapers were
pinned across the windows.
II was in the old wall case, among the
papers that had been touched and turned
yellow by the hand of time, that Micatah
Bolean found, while searching one day
for a lost document, the picture Of q boy.
He looked at it curiously at flrst for his
sight was dim and he did not recognize
II. Then he turned It toward the light
ana pushed his spectacles up on his
nose.