The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1913-11-27

~What she said rang true"
times, too, such evidence has been
manufactured merely to satisfy a 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 I'M
not SO sure. You see, the fact Of the
matter is that, though I helped to
prosecute the case, l am not a little
bit proud of the verdict. l 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.
II can't have her crying all over the
office and begging for mercy" he pro-
tested truculently. But a 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.
Che darponIo i1otioa ctron~n NO that
may seem in a court Of law-and moth
ing else. The truth Is, she's a very
unusual girl, a long way beyond the
ordinary salesgirl, both in brains 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 a thief" the lawyer
retorted suavely. He paused Tor a
tone Of sincere determination in his
voice. "Just before the judge imposed
sentence he asked her IL 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 nj tell you. She sur
prised us all by answering at once that
she had. It's really a pity, Glider, that
you didn't wait. Why, that poor girl
made a fine speech!"
"Pooh, pooh" came the querulous 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 storeT"
"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 to
earn her own living. Then she told
how she had worked for you for FIVE
years steadily without there eve be.
ing a single thing against her. She
said. too. that she had new seen the
things found in her locker. And she
said more than that. She asked the
fudge IL he himself understood what 1t
means for a girl to be sentenced to
| prison for something she hadn't done,
, Somehow. Glider, the way she talked
! had its effect on everybody in b court
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 it take brains and
courage. The ordinary crook has mel
Their. So I had a suspicion that she
4 might be speaking the truth" There
4 was a little pause. while the lawyer
I moved back and forth n~ervously; then
1 he added, 81 believe Lawlor would have
4 suspended sentence II it hadn't been
/! for your talk with him."
81 simply did my duty" Glider said
"You are aware that I did not seel
4 any consultation with Judge LAwlor
1 He sent for me and asked me what
! thought about the case-whether
& thought It would be right to let the CIR
4 20 on a suspended sentence. told hin
frankly that I believed that an exam
4 pie should be made Of her for the sake
Of others who might be tempted t.
steal. Property aas some rights. Dem
Arrest. although It seems to be getting
nowadays SO that anybody IL likely t.
deny It." Then the fretful, half alarm
ed note sounded in his voice again a
he continued, II can't understand VIII
the girl wants to see me-"
why, she just said that II yot