The Dickson County herald. (Dickson, Tenn.) 1907-1979, 1915-09-10

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is6elAtld wssh taAs sr11na Had M beaa
gallsy had oas separation c0pe
through his crime aRd MT thfoyNh
raS own. I should have befh p~epiIred
for issah o contingency. ard nod 6seF-
whelmsd ty iIr
And were lou NOT prepaiedTF
NO, before Or ~
The gesture accompanies this oath
was q grand one, convincing tn It's
teFvor. IT'S aSiesty and posteE.
Bet facts are stubborn things, and
while most of those present we're sttll
thrilling under the eject Of this oath,
the dry voiSe al District Attorney An
drews was heard for the flrst time. IN
these words:
Why. thea. did you. on the night u
Relas death. stop On ynlir Say aernas
the bridge 10 look back upon Dark
Hollow and cry In the bItteress tones
which escape human lips. Oliver! OH
vert You were heard 10 speak
this mans. Judge 0sirander." be
hastily PUT II. as the miserable father
raised bis hant In Intellectual protest.
"A man was lurking Ia tho darkness
behind you. who both saw and beard
you. lie may not DO the most pre-
possessing Of wltncss. but va cannot
diseredit his s,tory"
Mr.. Andrews. you have no children.
To the man who has. make my last
appeal Mr.. Renfrew. you know the
human heart both ~ father and
pastor Do you find anything unnatural
In guilty soul bemoaning It's loss
rather than its sin. In the spot which
recalled both to hls overbardened
spirit!"
NO"
The word came sharply. and Il
sounded decisive. but the ones which
followed from Mr. Andrews were no
less so
That Ia not enough We want evi.
dence, actual evidence. that you are
not playing tbs. par, Your son aseribes
to you"
The judges eyes glared. then sud
denly and incomprehenslvely softened
till the quick fear that bis mind as we'll
as his memory had gone astray, van.
ished In a feeling none OF them could
have characterized. but which gave to
them all an expression OF awe.
y have such evidence" announced
the Judge Come"
Turning. he stepped into the hall,
Oliver, with Bonded head and dis
couraged mlen, quickly followed.
Alanson Black and the others. cast.
ing startled and inquiring looks at
each other. brought up the rear Deb
orah Scoville was nowhere to be seen.
At the door OF his own room, the
Judge paused. and with his hand on
the curtain, remarked with unexpected
eomposure; You have all wondered.
and others with you. why for the last
ten years have kept the gates OF my
house shut against every conner,
am going 10 shew you"
And with no further word or look.
scarcely even giving attention to Oil
vers angulshed presence. he led them
Into the study and from there on to
that inner dior known and talked of
through the town as the deor OF mys'
terry. This he slowly opened with the
key he took from his pocket. then.
pausing with the knob In his hand. be
said
In the years which are past. but
two persons beside myself have
crossed this threshold. and these only
under my eye Its secret was for my
own breast Judge what my remorse
has been; Judge the power OF my own
secret self'condemnation. by what you
see here"
And. entering. he reached up. and
pulled aside the carpet be had strung
UP over one end of the room. disclosing
amid a number OF loosened boards. the
barred cell Of a condemned convict
This was my bed. gentlemen. till
a stranger coming Into my home. made
such an acknowledgment of my sin i'm
possiblel"