Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1911-05-17
: bird. ana that she attended ! meet.

. bird. ana that she attended meet
ing OF witches at Salem village. She
was not insane. but the horror Of
the accusation brought against her
had been too much for weak mind.
Towards confession may possibly be
due to some such influence"
II hope for his poor fathers sake"
said Alicia. that you may be right
and that he may be proved innocent,
but everything is overwhelmingly
against him. think you are the only
one in New York to express such q
doubt"
Don't forget his wife," remarked
the Judge, dryly.
NO." she replied. 81 really feel
sorry for the girl myself. Will you
give her some money If l." I
The lawyer shook his head.
"She won't take 1t. tried 1t. She
wants me to defend her husband-I
tried to bride her to go to some other
lawyer. but it wouldn't work"
well. something ought to be done
to stop her annoying us!" exclaimed
Alicia, Indignantly. Mr.. Jeffries suf-
fers terribly. can hear him pacing
up and down the library till three or
four in the morning. Poor man, he
suffers 80 keenly and he won't let any
one sympathize with him. He won't
let me mention his sons name. feel
we ought to do something. Try and
persuade him to let me see this girl
and-you are his friend as well as his
legal adviser"
Judge Brewster bowed.
Your husband is very old friend.
Mrs. Jeffries. can't disregard his
wishes entirely"
There was knock at the door OF
the private office.
Come In" called the Judge.
( The door opened and the head
clerk entered. ushering in Howard
Jeffries. Sr. The banker. still aristo.
cratic and dignified, but looking tired
and careworn, advanced into the room
and shook hands with the judge, who
greeted him with q cordial smile.
There was no response on the bank
er's face. ENORMOUSLY he demanded:
Brewster, what's that woman doing
out there again? It's not the first
time I've met her in this Office,
Alicia looked up eagerly. lis she
out there now" she cried.
What right has she to come here!
What's her object?" went on the
banker irritatedly.
The lawyer shrugged his shoulders
1.-THE same old thing" he replied
"She wants me to take her case"
The banker frowned.
Didn't you tell her 1t was impos
sible?"
THAT makes no difference
laughed the judge. "She comes just
the same. I've sent her away a dozen
times. What am i to do, If she in
sists on coming? We can't have her
arrested She doesn't break the furni
ture or beat the Office boy. She sim
ply sits and waits"
Have you told her that object to
her coming here?" demanded the
banker. haughtily.
Il have" replied the Judge, calmly
but she has overruled your objec
ton" With a covert smile he add
ed, you know we can't use force"
Mr.. Jeffries shrugged his shoulders
impatiently.
You car, certainly use moral force,
he said.
What do you mean by mora
force?" demanded the lawyer.
Mr.. Jeffries threw up his hands as
II utterly disgusted with the whole
business. Almost angrily he an
swered:
Moral force is moral force.
mean persuasion, of course. Coco
God, why can't people understand
these things as do?"
The Judge said nothing, but turned
to examine some papers on his desk
He hardly liked the inference that hi
could not see things as plainly as
other people. but what was the use
Of getting irritated? He couldn't at
ford to quarrel with one of his bes,
clients.
Alicia looked at her husband anx
iously. Laying her hand on his arm
she said soothingly:
Perhaps If were to see her"
Mr.. Jeffries turned angrily.
How can you think of such
thing? can't permit my wife t.
come in contact with woman O
that character"
| Judge Brewster. who was listenin5
in spite Of the fact that he was seem
ingly engrossed in his papers, purset
his lips.
"Oh, come" he said with forced
laugh. she's not as bad as all that!
Pm sure she isn't" said Alicia, EN-
phatically "She must be amenabl,
to reason"
The bankers wife was not altogeth
or bad. Excessive vanity and ambi
ton had steeled her heart and stifiet
impulses that we're naturally good