, 1916-04-13
cd Itself to her, and she . with a

- S W@<. -
ream
Hes gone! He's gone! II he finds
hin he'll kill himl His whole life viii
be ruinedr'
The words spoke eloquently of her
devotion to her husband. No thought
now of her own ruined life-only that
Of her husband lying in ashes.
She rushed to the telephone and seized
the receiver, at the same time calling
excitedly into the transmitter:
Hello, hello! Give me 1872 River
Again a telephone call rang in the
home of Gerald Trask thai night.
Before central could reply to May
Strickland's frantic request for "1S2
River her daughter Doris rushed into
the room from the adjoining bedroom.
The child cried:
"Oh. mamma, I'm afraid. I'm afraidr'
The mother ook her in her arms.
"oh. my darling! My baby! My little
girl! Hello, helloI''
Doris Strickland had told the story
of the tragic last night in her home.
All the courtroom-Judge, jurymen. at
torneys, attendants, spectators-had lis
tened s~pellbound to the child. She was
q bright y%oungster and had required
but little leading by David Arbuckle.
Several times District Attorney Gray,
jealous of the interests of his client,
the sovereign people, had objected to
questions put to the child by Arbuckle
on the ground that they were leading
questions and therefore calculated to
bring u the answers which the at
torney wanted. But Judge Dinsmore
had ruled that the age of the child was
such that latitude must be allowed to
the attorney for the defense.
Even the judge himself, learned.
grave. stern n impartial, had been
favorably impressed by the child's
I'M on the stand and had smiled
at her, thereby encouraging her to go
on with her story even when she was
tired
Now, however, the limit of the child's
strength seemed to have been reached.
and she sobbed in childish yearning for
that mother had not been found In
spite of diligent search by prosecution
and defense! Was she alive or dead?
No one knew. Had she sought relief
in voluntary death, mt had her body
gone the way taken by so many. life
weary women in New York-the way
of the cold green tides leading down
the river. through the bay and into the
limitless ocean?
Ia -. - A.. -
Doris cried:
Mammal Mamma! I'm afraid I'm
afraid!''
Arbuckle soothed the little n
Don't cry, Doris. | won't be much
longer. Whom did your mother call up?''
"Mr. Trask. But he wasn't there"
How do you know he wasn't thereT''
again"
Then what did she do?"
"She cried and walked up and down
the room and said lots of terrible
things"
What did she sayT"
why didn't l tell him? Why
didn't I tell himY"
what thenT' asked the lawyer.
Then l cried, too. because l was
afraid l wanted to talk to her, but
she wouldn't. l was awfully afraid"
Here the child's voice broke. I'm
afraid now" she said plaintively, and
she began to sob.
Arbuckle was gentleness itself as he
said:
Don't cry, Doris. 1t will only be a
few minutes longer: then Wen be
through with you"
But Doris still wept, and Arbuckle
went on:
Try not to cry. Just a little while
longer. That's a good girl. Are you
listening to meY"
The child choked back a sob and an
swered, Eyes, sir"
Did your mother call up again."
Yes, sir, and she said, Is that you,
Gerald Traskf' oh, 1 don't want to
talk any more. Ny head hurts. and
I'm afraid"