Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-10-18
CHAPTER VIII. .

1t was that last thought OF all could
least endure.
CHAPTER VIII.
The Last Day Of the Trial.
! After the restless crowd-craning
necks, shifting feet, half-caught SEN
| tences-excited, alert, like a nervous
horse dancing at shadow. ready at
the vaguest rumor to rush into sem
sation, how quiet, prosaic and even
peaceful the court room seemed! That
morning when we entered 1t was only
partly filed, and in the space behind
the railing the clerk Of the court was
scribbling, the lawyers were lolling.
certain individuals looking like JAM
tors were wandering idly about, and
at his high desk the Judge was writing
steadily, his fine white hand moving
across the paper, his eyes now and
then glancing aside as he were think
ing and paying no attention at all to
what was going on in the room around
his. 1t was reassuring in q way, as II
after all nothing remarkable was going
to happen.
Some women came in all in group,
among them Halle Ferguson, her
mother hanging back In her wake, MS
If she were being towed along In spite
Of herself. Halle came over to where
we sat, and began to whisper in my ear
some long story Of something which
she was deeply absorbed In at the mo-
ment. This, too, had habitual and
pleasant feeling about 1t. Even when,
with black veil over her face, sweep
Ing in folds down the length of her
dress, the Spanish woman came in, It
was hard to believe that she was that
same terrible creature who had stood
before me only the day before yester.
day telling me ! should never leave her
/ house.
She took one Of the chairs which had
been placed along the wall, so that In
stead Of facing the judges desk, she
fronted the crowd, and threw her veil
back. She looked white, whittier than
had ever seen her, as IL she were deep
lly powdered, and this had the effect OF
a mask. have never seen human
face so calm or SO indifferently sweet
as hers, and she sat as 3motiOnless as II
she had been carved there. One heard
I the whisperings around the room, saw
the nudges and the twisting Of heads.
but 1t was as IL she did not see or know
them. Then the interest Of the room
turned toward the door. With that
queer instinct Of crowd. which knows
before it sees, the whole room knew
that the prisoner was coming before
there was glimpse Of him visible. sd
He walked up the aisle. looking re-
Imarkably fresh and calm. as II he we're
here on the merest matter Of business.
AS soon as he was seated he turned his
head and glanced behind him, and I
thought his eyes rested first on that
place where / had sat the week before;
but they did not linger there moment.
sweeping on in half-circle around the
room, glancing over me SO quickly that
| I could not tell at all whether he had
noticed me. thought he had been look
Ing for some one, though 1t couldn't
have been the Spanish woman, since
| she sat in plain sight on the other side
Of the room. e
The court filed rapidly. Young men
whom knew came in, and evidently
one or two Of these knew Johnny Mont
gomery, for they walked up and into
the rallied Enclosure where he sat, shook
hands with him and stood talking with
him. could not but believe that at any
time he pleased he could rise and leave
the court as freely as those others
could have done. The thing going on
here which they called q trial had the
appearance Of being just pretense-
play.
At last one Of the men who had been
wandering aimlessly among the tables
came forward and intoned those words
which could never understand. but
which, nevertheless, always brought
quick order. Then there was some ex-
change Of words between the lawyers
orNthe other side OF the rail, now with
the Judge, now with one another; and
now it was the clerk OF the court who
was speaking; and couldn't repress
the absurd feeling Of surprise that they
should, turn their heads and humble
SO, since it appeared irresistibly to me
that we were an audience, and the
thing was being done for our benefit.
was trying to make out what It
was that Mr.. Jackson had been saying
to the judge since it seemed to mako
for much smiling, when above the rus
tie and whisper heard again the voice
Of the clerk calling out. There was y
moments wait Then he raised his
tone; heard. and the words went
pea1ing through me.
Eleanor Fenwick, Eleanor Fem
wick!"
sat gazing pitifully at him while he
cLanted it out in that monotonous,
singing voice.
"Ellie!" father whispered
rose. then realized with sense Of
desertion that father was not coming
with me- would have to be alone.
Feeling strange, oh very strange, with
the echo of my own name still ringing
in my ears, battered up the aisle to-
ward that railing. AS advanced felt
as II ! were walking away from the
world heard the movement and the
stir Of it behind me. In front Of me ]