New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1916-03-08


But you were not married for some
time?"
mo" The gentle old voice shook
now, and a faint flush crept into the
thin cheeks.
"Why?" The question snapped sharp
ly, but her answer was long in coming.
Because" she said at last, Il found
that Dan drank, and IL said l would
not marry a man like-like that"
But you did later on?'
Eyes" she continued. He promised
me that he would stop, and l believed
that-from a man."
''Please make only direct answers to
the questions broke in the judge
sternly. But some woman in the back
Of the room said aloud:
"That's the truth she's speaking. Let
her say it,
'Silence!" commanded the judge
And now Langdon said:
"Will you tell US as concisely as pos
sible Of what happened after your mar
riage?''
For long time it seemed as if she
could not go on, and Mary leaned to-
ward her, whispering softly:
"Oh, mother-mother, darling!' But
as if the words were a draft of en-
couragement Mrs Page took up the
thread of her story.
what happened" she said YEARLY.
wi, ha f0 thousands Of
men. We hadn't been married very
long before my husband began to
drink again. The-the first night he
came home really drunk was the night
I had planned to tell him that Mary
was coming to us from God. I don't
think shall ever forget the horror Of
that time And all the while that !
was making ready for her he was max
ing my inability to go out with him al
excuse for debauch.
ooh, your honor" and now she turn
ed to the judge. Its no wonder my
child is full of the fear of drink. For
night after night l walked the floor,
and prayed like a wicked woman that
my baby might die before it came into
the world-because I was afraid it
would bear the taint-would be born
with that awful devastating thirst"
More than one man in the room and.
indeed, more than one of the jurors
moved uneasily at the words, quietly
spoken, but pregnant with tragedy.
ION the night that Mary was born"
she went on, Dan was too drunk to
even be told--that-he had a daugh-
ter
A murmur Of sympathy crept through
the room, and one voice could be heard
distinctly:
"Oh. well. that's not unusual Most
men do-beastly drunk
II felt then" said Mrs. Page tender
~, "that it didn't matter | had my
baby, and I was too full of happy
dreams for her future to fear for the
present.
"SomehoW." Mrs. Page continued,
1.-The years passed, and Mary reached
sixteen, but each of those increasing
years he'd increased her fear Of drunk
enness. She was even afraid of her
father, and because we We're too poor
for her to have pretty clothes she
could not go to the parties and things
like other girls. And l suppose my
own horror kept building and blending
with hers-untn-that-d
She broke off, and now Langdon was
on his feet, a red spot of color in each
cheek and his hands nervously clutch
ing a scrap Of paper as he asked
sharply:
What day do you refer to. Mrs
Page?"
ITO the 18th of June ten years ago."
she answered.
"Will you tell us why that day is so
clearly remembered? asked Langdon.
Because" she answered deliberate
ly, that was the night of Mary's first
wild attack!''
Il object!' shouted the district attor
ney, but the judge frowned.
"This seems to me to be particularly
relevant to Mr. Langdon's somewhat
curious Defense" he said. II will let
the question and answer stand"
twill you tell u.s." said Langdon,
what brought on that attack and
what you know Of it? Don't tell it to
me, but to the jury, who were not
there =:
II understand" she said softly. and
Langdon sat down, overwhelmed by
his own recollections Of that terrible
night and wondering where the frail
little woman was getting the strength
for the ordeal.
1T was early evening"" said Mrs.
Page, turning to the jurors "Philip-
Mr.. Langdon--had come to ask Mary
to go to ball game with him, for they
were friends even then," she explain
ed tenderly. "And while they were
standing on the porch my-my-hus-
band came home-drunk. He, saw the
two Of them and accosted them, using