Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-11-15

Thomas Fleming did not SPEAK. The
other man, his lawyer. who had
brought him the unwelcome news, be-
gan to make the best of it.
"Of course, it's annoying; but"
We'll, yes. It's an annoyance"
Fleming said. dryly.
Fleming knocked the ashes from his
cigar. He was silent.
"As for Hammond, ne won't have
8 leg TO stand on. l don't know what
Ellis & Grew meant by letting him
take the case before the Grand Jury.
He won't have leg TO stand ont
what has Hammond got? What's
ne got to support him, anyhow"
Bates continued. The opinion that
YOU pinched $4,000 from the Hammond
estate? His memory of something
somebody said twelve years ago and
an old check. Well, we won't do
thing to 'em!''
His client stood absently locking
and unlocking his desk. | suppose 1t
will be in the evening papers, he
said
con. 1 guess So the younger man
said, easily THE findings of the jury
were reported early this morning.
plenty OF time for the editions"
Then I'll take an early train
home" Thomas Fleming said, quick
". MY wife" he paused.
Doesn't Mrs. Fleming know about
it?" the lawyer said, surprised.
mo" the other man said gloomily,
Il didn't want her to worry over 1t.
But, of course, now she's got to
know"
The lawyer behind him. at the Of
fee door, hesitated.
"Blemming, really it isn't going
to amount to anything. OF course,
know how you feel about Mrs. Flem-
Ing. but"
The man at the window turned
round. Rather than have her dis
turbed, I'd compromise on it. I'd
pay him. I'd"
The lawyer raised his eyebrows.
This time, l think, Hammond is
honest. l guess he really believes
he has q case; but Ellis ~
Giew are sharks. and you'd be en-
couraging backmail to compromise.
Anyway, you couldn't do it, Grew
volunteered the information that
their man couldn't be bought off;
he meant to put it through, Grew
said. l told him they'd got the
wrong pig by the ear. | told him
that Thomas Fleming wasn't the
kind of man who pun chased peace at
the cost of principle. They're shys-
ters. and / gave 'em plain talk. Now,
don't let Mrs. Fleming take it to
heart. Tell her / say it will be
triumph"
He went off. laughing. Fleming
took up his black cloth bag and
Dolked about among some papers;
then unlocked his desk, and found
what he had been looking fora box
of candy for his wife. A minute later
he was in the street As he moved
along with the surge of the home-
ward-bound crowd. he looked doubt
fully into the flower stores he wished
he had bought violets for Amy in
stead of candy; he had taken her
candy last Saturday He debated
whether he had not better get the
violets. too. but decided against them,
because Amy was stern with him
when he was extravagant for her
sake. She never saw extrayagance
In any purchase he made on his own
account!
So Fleming. smiling, forbore to add
a bunch of violets to his box of
candy After all. 1t was his thought
that would bring the delicate and
happy color up into her face, not the
gift itself Thew were very happy,
these two: perhaps because they were
only two. There had been a baby,
but Ii had only lived long enough to
draw them very close together, and
not. as sometimes happens. to push
them apart again; and there were
MANY friends. Naturally, all the
thwarted maternity of the woman
was added to the wife's love; and the
paternAl instinct of the man (Which
is, for the most part, only amuse-
ment and the sense of protecting and
giving ioy) was conferred in his vie.
So 1t was no wonder that, going home
on the train he WINGED at the thought
of telling her that that fool Ham
mond" who would not have a leg
to stand on" had prosecuted him
criminnllv for misrepresentation of
funds as trustee of old Mrs Ham
mond's estate. The trust had been
closed at her death n month or two
before, and the estate handed over
to her son--this same Hammond, who
Thought he remembered" hearing old
Smith say, twelve years before, that
he Smith, had paid the Hammond es-
tate $17, 400 for a parcel of land;
whereas F'leming's trustee account
put the sum received at S14,400.
Amy's husband set his teeth as he
sat there in the train planning how
he should tell her. Her incredulous
anger he foresaw; and her anxiety
the anxiety of the woman IMMERSED In
legal matters He damned Hammond
in his heart, and pulled out his eve
ming paper. There ii was in all the
shame1essness of the flaring headline,
IA Leading Citizen Indicted" and so
on. The big black letters we're like
a blow In the face Fleming felt that
every commuter on the train was
looking over the top of his newspaper
at him. And he had to tell Amy!
The fact was Thomas Fleming had no
experience In disgrace and did not
IL IA
he swung off onto the platform and
Dlodded slowly up the lane to his
own house, 1t seemed to him as
though his very feet hung back!
When his foot touched the lowest step
of the porch. the door opened wide
and Amy stood there.
GO right into the house! You'll
take cold" he commanded.
But she drew him inside with eager
welcome. why, how did you man
age to get the o'clock? l heard the
gate shut and could hardly believe my
earst" She possessed herself of one
Of his hands, so he had to dive as best
he could with the other, to fish out
her candy. She took 1t, with gay pre-
tense of scolding, and then checked
herself.
''You look tired, Tom. When you've
mad your dinner you'll feel better"
'tAh, Amy"
Eyes? Tell me; knew you hadn't
had O good day
When he had told her, she sat dumb
before him. Her face was white and
her eyes terror-stricken. But that
was only for the first moment AL
most Instantly there was the relief of
anger. She stood UP. her delicate face
red, her voice strained.
tsfTsa aaatlSa VOIi YpulH
1t was just what Bates had said.
The first thought everywhere would
be Of the absurdity of such a charge
ae.ainsf Thomas Fleming