Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1915-12-23
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Il must ask your honor TO admon-
fish this witness against such false and
improper charges-or TO punish her
for contempt" he blazed furiously.
But the Judge spoke without great
severity as he cautioned: Yes. the
witness must not seek to imply mo
tives TO the prosecution"
The attorney took another step for
ward with q malicious smile. He
paused that the next question and its
answer might fall on the emphasis of
a momentary silence, Then he point
ed a finger toward the girl, with the
manner Of one branding a false wit
ness. and demanded:
rs there any sentimental attach
ment between you and this defendant.
Anse Havey?"
There vas a moments dead silence
in the courtroom, and Anse saw Jua-
nita's face go white. Then he saw her
finger nails whiten as they lay in her
lap and a sudden flush spread to her
face.
She looked toward the Judge, and at
once the lawyer for the defense was
on his feet with the old objection;
"The question is irrelevant"
Then, while counsel tilted with each
other. the girl drew a long breath,
and the man whose life was in the
balance turned pale, too, not because
Of this, but because the woman he
loved had been asked the question
which was more to him than life and
death-a question he had never dared
to ask himself.
Il think" ruled the court, "the ques,
ito. is relevant as going to prove the
credibility Of the witness"
So she must answer.
The prisoners finger nails bit into
his palms and he smothered a. low
oath between his clenched teeth, but
Juanita Holland only looked at the
cross-examiner with a clear-eyed and
serene glance of scorn under which he
seemed to shrivel. She replied with
the dignity of a young queen who car
afford to ignore insults from the gut
ter.
None whatever"
The defendant sat back In his chail
and the smile left his lips as though
he had been struck, by a thunderbolt
He knew that his case was won, anc
yet as he saw her leave the witness
stand and the courtroom, he felt sickel
at heart than he had felt since hi
could remember. He would almost
have preferred condemnation with thu
hope against hope left somewhere
deep in his heart that there slept ii
hers an echo to his unuttered love.
The question he had never dared tt
ask she had answered-answered un
der oath, and liberty seemed now {
very barren gift.
When he had been acquitted ant
was going out he saw a figure in con
sultation with the prosecutor-a figure
which had not been inside the doors
during the trial. 1t was Mr.. Trevor o
Louisville and he was testify saying
ooh, well, there are more ways o
killing a cat than by choking it will
butter"
Anse Havey did not require the in
depreciation of an oracle for tina
cryptic comment, He knew that tn
effort to dispose of him would no
end with his acquittal.
.
Juanita was going away to enlis
her staff of teachers and arrange TO
the equipment of the little hospital
and Anse did not tell her of his inse
curity.
You'll promise to be very careful
while I'm gone, won't your" she dc
manded. as they sat together the nigh
before she left.
"Ill try to last till you get back" h
smiled. He was sitting with a pipe i
his hand-a pipe which had gone on
and been forgotten.
In the darkness of the porch every
thing was vague but herself. Sh
seemed to him to be luminous by som
light of her own. She was a yer
wonderful and desirable star shinin
far out of reach Of his world.
Suddenly she laughed, and b
asked:
What is it,"
II was just thinking what a fool
was when | came here" she answered.
did you know that l brought a plan
with me as far as Peril? It's bee
there ove a year"
"A piano!" he echoed, then the
| both laughed.
II might as well have tried to brin
along the Philadelphia city hall" st
, admitted. Just the same. there hay
been times when it would have meal
: a lot to me, an awful lot, If ! coul
/. have had that piano. don't kno
, whether music means 80 much to 20
| but to me-"
II know" he broke in. Il som
|, times low that life amt much else e
: cept the summin' up Of the things
Teller dreams. Music is like dream
. lit makes dreams. Yes. l know som
, thin about that"
She went away and, though she wi
not long gone. her absence seemed !
4 terminable to Anse Havey. He m
her at the train on her return with
starved idolatry in his eyes, and I
gether they rode back across Il
ridge.
But when she entered the buildiI
which had been the first schoolhou
the man drew back a step or two al
y watched as surreptitiously as a b.
y who has In due secrecy planned a 81
I" prise.
She went in and then suddenly ha
l. ed and stood nea the threshold
/. amazement. Her eyes began to dan
I 49, AAn