The San Francisco call., 1910-09-18
CHAPTER VIII
THE LAST DAY OF THE TRIAL

dancing at a shadow. ready at the
vaguest rumor 70 rush into a senso-
ton, how quiet, prosaic and even peace
ful the courtroom seemed That morn
ing when we entered It was only partly
hlled. and in the space behind the rail-
ing the clerk OF the court was scrib-
bling, the lawyers were loUing, GER
tain individuals looking like janitors
were wandering idIy aboat. and at his
high desk the judge was writing stead
fly, his hne white hand moving across
the paper, his eyes now and then
glancing aside as If he were thinking
and paying no attention at all to what
was going on IN the room around him.
It was reassuring IN a way, as If after
all nothing remarkable were going TO
happen.
Some women came in all tn. a group,
among them Halle Ferguson, her
mother hanging back IN her wake. as
= she We're 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 a habitUal and
pleasant feeling about It Even when.
with q black veil over her fact, sweep
Ing IN folds down the length of her
dress, the Spanish Woman came in. *
was hard TO believe that she was that
same terrible creature who had stood
before me only the day before yester-
day telling me I should never heave
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 I had ever seen her. as II
she We're deeply powdered. and
this had the effect OF a mask I
have never seen a human face so calm
or so indimerently sweet as hers, and
she sat as motionless as IL she had
been carved there One heard the
whisperings around the room, saw the
nudges ana the twisting OF heads, but
Il was as II 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 II sees. the whole room knew
that the prisoner was coming before
. there was a glimpse OF him visible
He walked I'D the aisle, looking re-
narkably fresh and calm, as If he were
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 I had sat the week before;
but they did not linger there a mo-
ment, sweeping on in a half circle
around the room. glancing over me so
quickly that I could not tell at all
whether he had noticed me I thought
he had been looking for some one,
though IL couldn't have been the Span
Ssh Woman, since she sat IN plain sight
on the other side Of the room.
The court filled rapidly. Young men
~Hrlrr lrrrr NJ 1-w,F IT,
one or two OF these knew Johnny Mont
gomery; for they walked UP and into
the rallied fnclOsure where he sat, shook
hands with him and stood talking with
him. I could not but believe that at
any time he pleased he could rise AMI
leave the court as freely as those 9TH
ers could have done. The thing going
on here which they called trial had
the appearance Of being Just pre-
tense-a play.
At last one OF the men who had been
wandering aimlessly among the tables
came forward and intoned those words
which I could never understand, but
which, nevertheless. always brought
quick order. Then there was some ex-
change Of words between the lawyers
on the 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 I couldn't repress
the absurd feeling OF surprise that they
SHOULD turn their backs and humble
80. since fl appeared irresistibly to me
that we We're an audience, and the
thing was being done for our benefit
was trying TO make out what it
was that Mr.. Jackson had been say
ing 10 the Judge since II seemed 10
make for much smiling, when above
the rustic and whisper ] heard again
the voice OF the clerk calling out
There was a moments wait. Then he
raised his tone; heard. and the words
went pealing through me:
Eleanor Fenwick, Eleanor Fen
wick"
1 sat gazing pitifully at him while
he chanted Il out IN that monotonous,
singing voice.
"Enie." father whispered
rose. then realized with sense Of
desertion that father was not coming
with me. I would have to be alone
Feeling strange, oh very strange. with
the echo Of my own name still ringing
IN my ears, ] pattered up the aisle
toward that railing. As I advanced
felt as II I were walking away from
al the world. I heard the movement
and saw the stir Of # behind me- IN
front I saw only the faces OF the law
yers. Of the clerk. OF the judge and
these all seemed without any feeling
as II they were not people at all
I found myself standing IN front OF
the railing and two men were facing
me. one the clerk OF the court, who
was holding an open book. I had an
impression that they were speaking to
me. stiD in those monotonous, artificial
voices as II they were not saying any
thing with human meaning in II, and
while they spoke they held their hands
Up. palm out and j held mine. The
next thing I knew I was mounting into
the little raised and rallied IN seat on
the left hand Of the judges desk
What is It that IS going TO happen
here2' I thought I turned and took
the chair and found myself facing
mass-a monster-numberless heas3s
and eyes, all gazing at me. A cold
sensation Of fear went over me, like a
great wave. closing my throat and
making my head feel as if Il were fitted
with a cap OF ice.
"Oh. can not. can mott" kept re-
peating TO myself.
But while It still seemed to me as
II I should never make another sound.
I heard a voice asking me my name
recognized Il as Mr.. Dingley's To
see him standing up there and gravely.
as II he had never seen me before. nut.
ting that question was indeed absurd
II was impossible 10 be frightened
with such laughable procedure. He
asked me my age, my place OF resi-
dence when he knew both very wall.