The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1909-04-22
A SOUVENIR.
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By cHAvNcEv wARoweLl

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BY cHAUNcEY WARDWELL.
copyright. 1909. by American Press Asso
ciation.l
My friend Ben Wilcox is lawyer. .
clubman, an athlete and in colleg,
pulled stroke oar on the universit,
crew. He keeps his athletic trophie.
and souvenirs Of all kinds In his bach
elor apartments at the Westmoreland
One day was moving about inspect
ing them when came across large
and deliberately made spoon.
"Where did you win that?" asked
He smiled.
Souvenir of some affair Of the
hearth"
NO." he said. "In that spoon is a
story off,
Don't tell the end first. If you're
going to give me the story. begin at
the beginning"
He filled and lit pipe and accedctl
to my request.
"When l was beginning to practice
law l did what most young lawyers
do. I spent my spare time in court.
for the sake Of experience. One day
a young Frenchwoman-I.ucil Dew
eroux, a gOverncss--was up for trial
for appropriating her employers jew.
els and other articles. Having no coun-
sci, l was assigned to the task Of de-
Tending her. l conferred with her. lis
tening to her story. endeavoring to
make up my mind as to her guilt or
innocence. Suddenly she said:
You cannot do my case Justice un-
less you are convinced Of my innocence,
and in that you do not believe. l am
in terrible situation. My father was
one Of the noblesse Of France, his ia
ther dying in the Place de Revolution
in Paris in the reign Of terror. Sup
pose 1 am convicted. How can 1, with
the blood that flows in my veins, en-.
dure to go behind bars? And In
France? What would those have left
there suffer on learning that l am a
convict? The circumstances are strong
~ against me. To prove my inno-
ccncc is impossible. My attorney must
understand this and. believing in it.
throw himself feelingly into the case
to induce the jury to believe as he
does despite circumstantial evidence
There was lots Of practical sense
and knowledge Of such matters in this
which l was surprised to find in a
young and pretty woman. told her
to give me her version of the affair,
81, In, CT irr1,f f,,r
story that she succeeded in convincing
me that she was the victim of con-
spiracy Matched between the cook and
the maid in the house where Mile.
DeverouX taught the children French.
I admitted that believed in her inno-
cence and would do my best for her.
could not but sympathiZe with her
on account Of her unfortunate situa-
ton. while l was drawn to her by her
beauty and natural ability.
40 save her 1t was necessary to i'm.
pugn the value of the testimony of
the maid and the cook could not
break the testimony itself-thcy told
too straight a story-but Mile. Dever-
oux sent the coachman to me, who
was willing to tell things that cast
stain on the maid and left the cook
no reputation at all. Armed with this
testimony. I made pretty good offset
against the value Of their evidence.
Indeed, succeeded in putting them
in hole. I felt sorry for the maid,
she seemed so terribly cut up about
what the coachman said about her,
but, YOU see, my sympathies. both indi-
vidual and professional, were with my
client.
''The case was the first wherein I
came out with any especial cclat l
made a vigorous attack OH the two
conspirators. as l called them. for at
tempting to incriminate beautiful
and modest scion of the old noblesse
Of France. who sat weeping in the
prisoners box. turned the sympathy
from the real culprits to my client.
My summing up was surprise to my
friends. who said they had not sus-
pected what there was in me- When
got through the jury without leaving
their seats brought in Il verdict of
not guilty. Then tie congratulations
We're divided between the prisoner and
me. I said to them all:
eff had not been convinced of
Mile. DcverouX's innocence could not
have done it,
"From that day I resolved to con-
tinue in the branch of the law for
which had shown such adaptability.
Il have never been so nearly in love
before or since. suppose it was that
my whole being had been enlisted in
saving from disgrace Il very attractive
woman. Had Mile DeverouX remain
ed in America long enough for my pas
sion to bloom dare say should have
yielded. But as soon as the trial was
over she began to make arrangements
to return to France How she was to
raise the money to do SO did not
know, for she had nothing to offer me
for fee. should have declined to
take any fee, but did not have the
opportunity. Indeed, would have
liked to offer her the means with
which to return to her native land INIT