Grand Forks daily herald and the evening times., 1914-08-24

say no word to lessen it. He prayed
that she might never lose it. Other
girls less favored by fate, like
Annette, whose sad. gray eyes had
plainly looked into sorrows black
depths, might have to take thought,
but Ruth, so far as it lay in his
power
The clause was scarcely framed be-
fore he recognized its futility. His
day! Perhaps his nerves were I'M
strung. Perhaps he had worked too
hard. He tried to put the fault at
nerves. He tried to believe that only
a o vivid imagination gave import
ance to a threat hurled at him two
days before.
He had given twenty years to a rep
rebate whose life had been one long
debauch of wrongdoing and the
twenty years might Justly have been
made forty. The fellow would be a
menace to society until his limbs be-
came frail and his wicked brain
withered. AS the bailiffs approached
to lead him out Of gthe court room he
had whirled to the judge: "I'l fix
you when I get Gout, you old, white
silence him. Judge Griscoll had re-
fused to dignity the outbreak by TAX
ing any notice Of it.
Such threats were not infrequent.
Scarcely a month passed without M
more or less violent. The Judge ac-
cepted them as n penalty to be paid
for position and responsibility. He
was glad Ruth knew nothing of them.
Their from brooding involuntarily
on this last threatener he was able
to place that middle aged, slouchy,
hard visaged loiterer. It was a Jerry
Kane, who several wears before had
been hired by one set of gamblers to
exterminate another set. Jerry had a
national reputation in a certain line.
AS a result of Jerry's skill a reputable
citizen, taking his family out for a
stroll, knew when the solid
on his inoffensive head. Several fac
tories, too modest to publish the ad-
dress Of their workrooms. toiled over
time keeping Jerry and his underlings
supplied with bombs.
The police %nervously refused to look
for Jerry. They argued that it wasn't
really any Of their business, and if
he were diverted from his regular
route he might blow up central sta
the back door Of a saloon adjoining
a grocery store owned by an old Ger
man, who had a bigger lump Of re-
sentiment than most people. He shook
a hard old fist vel the shelves spilled
Of tomato cans and catsup bottles,
dumped sugar barrels and dill pickles,
then hustled around and did what a
force of patrolmen and detectives had
tailed to do. No M knew how, but
some way he got hold of Jerry, some
how he got evidence to convict him
and brought him to court before
Judge Griscoll, who made the SEN
tence as long as he could. although
Jerry's employers got him excellent
lawyers. And when the bailiffs led
Jerry away he had looked back at the
judge and smiled grimly.
was the kind to get good time-he
would just about be out now. Judge
Griscoll shivered as he got out of the
car at the criminal court building.
Would he strike at him-or Ruth?
He was distracted through the
morning session. Only a sort Of rigid
pride kept him from sending a plain
clothes guard to his home, but he
would not let any one know that he
vas afraid. Besides, no plain clothes
squad could balk Jerry Kane.
When the morning session was over
he got lunch, then went after the
Partisan bust. He would go home
directly after the afternoon session.
At h shop he gave the order so
apsently that the clerk asked him to
repeat 1t. Then he paled in spite Of
a strong will. Jerry Kane was in the
shop. With an aplomb that staggered
him Jerry Kane lifted his hat and
smiled.
Judge Griscoll managed to get into
the car without Manters s~uspecting
that he was trembling. His thoughts
were altogether Of Ruth. What would
She do without him? Left alone she
would be as frightened as a pet
canary tossed into a windswept alley.
He sent word to the court room that
he was i'll. 1t was true. Then he went
home. Annette told him that Ruth
was out. He waited in the cool dark
library; he tried to occupy himself
with a batch of court papers, but he
found it impossible to keep his eyes
from the roadway. He strained his
ears for the sound Of Ruth's car.
When at last the brouGham crunch
ed on h gravel Of the driveway he
ran out in a panic that was more
terror thar relief, and on the piazza
he. had to lay hold OF the railing to
steady himself. for his worst fears
We're realized. Jerry Kane was saunt-
ering from the foottvay. hard Of face,
half smiling with that same aplomb
that he had given the judge. One
slouchy arm Rugged q package, a
queer shaped package.
Judge Griscoll needed only a mo-
ment for s~teadying. Then he was the
keen witted, poised mar Of decision.
The vista OF green lawn the gravelled
driveway, the yellowteh white face OF
the man. Rlfh,a yNAJAe Nina 51nny. vuAra