The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-11-13
Three Meetings
BY F. A. MICHEL
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1911.

Three times ! saw her. three times
gazed upon her, each time being drawn
nearer to her before / knew her sor-
row.
was riding on~a railroad train to my
home In the suburbs of great city
when looking up saw a girl who faced
me gazing at me with a pair Of large
brown eyes. There was In her face
something like sadness. but not sad
ness, rather the appearance of one born
under different conditions from other
mortals-a resignation, yet content
ment In resignation. | have tried by
these words to describe 1t, but am con-
scious of having failed.
Though her eyes were fixed upon me,
there was no holiness In them Rather
she seemed unconscious Of meeting my
gaze Perhaps, thought, she is think
ing Of something so absorbing that
though she is looking straight at me
she does not see me. or it may be
that she is looking at something be-
yond me. | have often returned
salute from person who meant II
for one behind me- So continued to
gaze at the girl and she at me till she
turned her face In another direction.
She was sitting by lady double her
age, and the likeness between them in
dicated that they were mother and
daughter Presently the train stopped
at station. and the two left the car
together. had noticed by the affec-
tionate glanees the mother gave the
daughter that she do!ized her. and
when they passed out 1t was hand in
hand.
did not forget the face, and year
later | saw it again. This time it
was in church She was, as before.
accompanied by her mother. / was
sitting in a transept: the girl was fac
ing the pulpit There was the same
look. indescribable in words. that had
impressed me twelve months ago Her
gaze was fixed on the clergyman.
though occasionally she would drop it
as though looking into her lap. There
was in me a vague feeling-somethin
Ike hope-that when | had seen her
on the train she had been. at least a
part Of the time. looking at me, cogni
zant of my presence; that she had re
membered me as remembered her. |
watched to see If she would not look |
In my direction. Just before the close
Of the services was rewarded by see
ing her turn. and her eyes rested upon |
me. / looked for something to indi- |
cate that she was conscious Of my /
presence and that she had seen me
before. But there was only that |
strange look OF resignation | had seen |
before. After the benediction she and |
her mother left the church In the same i
manner as they had left the train
The third meeting. Having law
case was waiting in the courtroom
for it to be tried. A criminal case was
called-that of Evelyn Bryce. Who
should come into court to answer to
the charge of forgery but the girl |
had seen twice before She came hand
and hand with her mother
Naturally | was wrapped in the
trial. The prisoners attorney was evil
IDENTIFY trying to prove conspiracy on
the part of certain persons against his
client. When he made a point in her
favor or her case appeared TO be going
against her | looked to see what effect
it had upon her, could see very
little. was not sure that | could
see any. I noticed that the jury-in
deed, all those in the courtroom-were
looking at her; that they seemed as
much impressed with that look of
mingled resignation and content as |.
The defendants counsel exhibited the
document that the girl was accused of
forging and showed that the name had
been written on the line intended for
1t without the raising or depression
of single letter and without incline
either up or down.
you see, gentlemen Of the jury" he
said. that whoever wrote that name
must have written it in bright light,
must have written with pair of eyes
that worked thoroughly in concert. for
there are defects of eyesight that
cause persons so affected to write
slanting the lines downward or up.
ward"
II presume" interrupted the pros
ecuting attorney, that defendants
counsel proposes to prove that his
client has the defect he mentions.
would call your honor's attention to the
fact that the prisoner has very beau
tiful pair of eyes. Indeed, | greatly
fear that she is using them upon the
jury with view to securing her &C
quittaL"
The accused's counsel received in ST.
lence for a few moments this attempt ,
to prejudice the court and the jury
against his client Then he said: I,
1.-THE prosecuting. attorney. is mistak-