Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-10-18

"What she said rang true"
times. too. such evidence has been
manufactured merely to satisfy spite
against the one unjustly accused"
"A court of justice has decreed her
guilty"
Nowadays" Demarest shot out, I'VE
don't call them courts of justice; We
call them courts of law
Anyway" Glider declared, becoming
genial again, its out Of our hands.
There's nothing we can do now"
why, as to that" the lawyer re-
piled, with a hint OF hesitation, II am
not so sure. You. see, the fact of the
matter is that, though l helped to
prosecute the case, l am not little
bit proud of the verdict. / am not sure
that Mary Turner is guilty-far from
it, in fact! Anyhow. the girl wants to
see you, and 1 wish TO urge you TO
grant her an interview"
Whats the use?" Glider stormed
Il can't have her crying all over the
Office and begging for snercy." he pro-
tested truculently. But note OF fear
| lay under the petulance.
Demarest's answer was given with
assurance.
You are mistaken about that The
girl doesn't beg for mercy. In fact,
! that's the whole point OF the matter
She demands justice-strange as that
may seem in court of law-and moth
! ing else. The truth is, she's a very
unusual girl, long way beyond the
ordinary salesgirl. both in lbrains and
in education"
The less reason, then. for her being
| a thief" Glider grumbled in his heav-
lest voice
And perhaps the less reason for be
lieving her TO be thief" the lawyer
retorted suavely. He paused for a
moment, then went on. There was a
| tone of sincere determination in his
voice. Just before the 1ndge imposed
sentence he asked her if she had any
thing TO say. You know, it's Just a
usual form-a thing that rarely means
much of anything. But this case was
different, let me tell you. She sur
prised us all by answeringIat once that
she had. It's really pity. Glider. that
you didn't wait. Why, that poor girl
made a fine speech
Pooh, pooh" came theIquerulous OBJ
lection. "She seems to have hypnotic
ed you" Then. as a new thought came
to the magnate, he spoke with a trace
Of anxiety. There were always the re-
porters looking for space to fill with
foolish vaporings.
did she say anything against me or
the storef"
Not a word" the lawyer replied
gravely. ''She merely told us how her
| father died when she was sixteen years
old. She was compelled after that 20
earn her own living Then she told
how she had worked for you for FIVE
years steadily without there ever be-
ing a single thing against her. She
said, too that she had never seen the
things found in her locker. And she
said more than that. She asked the
judge If ne himself understood what Il
means for a girl to he sentenced to
prison for something she hadn't done.
Somehow, Glider, the way she talked
I
room. / know. It's my business to
understand things like that. And what
she said rang true. What she said and
the way she said 1t take brains and
courage. The ordinary crook has nei-
Their. so I had a suspicion that she
might he speaking the truth" There
was little pause, while the lawyer
moved back and forth nervously; then
he added, II believe Lawlor would have
suspended sentence IL it hadn't been
for your talk with him.
81 simply did my duty" Glider said.
"You are aware that ] did not seek
any consultation with Judge Lawlor.
He sent for me and asked me what
. thought about the case-whether
thought it would be right to let the girl
go on suspended sentence. ] told him
, frankly that I believed that an exam
pie should be made of her for the sake
Of others who might be tempted to
, steal. Property has some rights, Dem
Arrest. although 1t seems TO be getting
nowadays so that anybody is likely TO
deny it." Then the fretful, half alarm
ed note sounded in his voice again as
he continued. 81 can't understand why
the girl wants TO see me"
; why, she Just said that IL you
would see her for ten minutes she
would tell you how to stop the thefts
: In this store"
: There" Glider cried. 81 knew 1t! Thl
girl wants 10 confess. Well. it's the
) first sign Of decent feeling she's shown
l suppose it ought 10 be encouraged
Probably there have been others mixed
up in THIS"
: Perhaps" DemareSt admitted al
least II can do 10 harm II you see her
thought you would be willing. 50
2 spoke 10 the district attorney. and hi
: ! has given orders TO bring her here foi