The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-10-29
JUSTICE AND DUTY,
BY ALICE cHEEvER.
copyright. 1909 by American Press ASS
ciation)

copyright, 1909. by American Press Asso-
ciationl
An old woman sat in the anteroom
of Judge Baxter's private Office waiting
to be admitted to his presence. Final
ly the door opened. and she was told
to go in.
"You see. judge, I'm here again."
eyes, you are here again"
81 have just come back from visiting
my boy. IIe told me to thank you for
your kindness to me-"
81 suppose he will be kind to you
himself when he gets out He gave
you terrible blow when he permitted
himself to fall into bad company and
got into the penitentiary."
''They fooled the poor boy, Judge;
indeed they did. When they put him
on watch before they robbed the house
they told him they We're only going for
q watermelon"
The judge made no comment on this
statement.
Hes earning time" continued the
woman. by good behavior. If HI
keeps it up-and he will-he'll ha,, !.
year and a half off his term. But
even that'll leave him three years and
half yet to serve. It's as hard on
me as it is on him. have trouble to
pay my rent and keep body and soul
together now my health has broken
down. If he We're free he could work
for me. l wish the officers of the law
could find some way of stopping crime
without visiting the punishment on
the women and children. and my boy,
too, the victim Of foul play
Il wish So too" replied the judge,
with something akin to sigh.
"Have you got son. judgeT
II have, and about your boys age"
do you remember how it was when
he was born-helpless little thingL
how your heart warmed to him, and
how when he began to walk and to
talk you watched every movement.
caught every word, and how as he
grew older you were delighted with
his smart sayings. just as If no other
child said such things; how you
watched him grow up to be-
Eyes. yes. l understand what you
mean and sympathize with you with all
my heart. would have liked to save
how Inf a avid -
him, and the jury convicted him. 1t
was my duty to sentence him. Come
In here, say. a month from today, and
III give you another chance to see
him, or, rather. I'll confer with the
warden and let you know the date
You must go now. have to be in
court soon and have lot to do before
| the opening"
THANK you. judge; here is S1.55 left
over that didn't use from the money
you gave me for my trip"
But the judge waved her away. the
door closed behind her, and she went
to her desolate home weighed down
| with the remembrance of those long
months that must elapse before the
law would cease to punish her through
her boy. And yet the least of that
| punishment was that. deprived of the
support Of her own son, strong mar
| Of twenty-five. she must earn her owl
living. 1t was the pain that her dad
die" was convict in stripes with
shaved head that hurt her most.
| A month dragged by. Her rent was
coming due, and there was no money
with which to pay it. One morning
the old woman received note asking
her to call at the judges office at L
o'clock noon. She went there and was
given seat in the anteroom. There
she waited for half an hour Then al
attendant opened the door to the
| judges private room and told her t.
go in. The Judge was turning over the
sheets of a legal document and die
not indicate that he was aware of bel
presence. She sat down demurely and
waited. Presently the judge turned
the last sheet and looked up at her.
I'm here again, judge" she said.
Yes" said the judge. taking out his
watch. ."You're here again. but this
time at my call. Twelve O'Clock,
wrote you. | believe. and it is now
nearly l. I'm sorry to have kept yor
waiting. but there's been a delay
Let me see. told you"-he hesitateG
lN-"when you left me the last time that
| he paused again.
you would send me word when thu
warden considered 1t best for me t.
see my boy again"
1.-THE warden? Did say the ward
en-? should have said-but nevel
mind"
The judge seemed confused. He pu
his spectacles on his desk and whel
he tried to find them again failed t.
do so. He took up papers only Il
throw them down again.. Then h,
went to the door that led to his ante
room, opened it and said something ii
a low voice to an attendant. Goinl
back to his desk, he took out his watcl
again and said incoherent nothings Il
the old woman. Then suddenly doc
leading to a corridor opened and
young man entered. The old woman
looked at him dazed and cried feebly:
"JimmyT'
The youngster went to her and tool
her in his arms.
II expected your Jimmy to be here
few minutes before 12," said the judge
who meanwhile had found his glasse
and equanimity as well, "but th
train was late, and he has been delay
ed. I've been working on his cas-
| ever since he went I'D and few day