The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-04-09
CHAPTER x.
PoIIoek's Threat.

PolIoek's Threat
"HE green shaded limp flung a
wide pool Of mellow light over
the scattered papers on the ia
BILE and brought out boyish
glints In Langdon's dark head as 1t lay
on his folded arms, sunk in ineffable
WEAKNESS.
All through the long hours of the
night he had kept his lonely vigil-now
porting over the legal documents on the
table. now pacing the floor In frenzy
OF anxiety. or MAXIM his way down the
echolng corridors to look in with mute
suffering ut the room where DR.. Eos
ter and Nurse Walton watched SO ST.
lently beside a moaning. 'witching fig
ure on a narrow prison bed. But when
the scanty furniture Of the office was
gradually emerging from the envclop-
ing cloak of hight into Visible ugliness
he had at last sunk into n doze of COM
plete exhaustion. Miss Walton, COM
ing to tho door. an eager message on
her lips turned silently and pityingly
oway. Some betraying sound reached
him. however. and he lifted his head
with start. blinking to find the lamp
light paling before the gray OF morning.
Yawning. he got to his feet and
crossed to the window. He flung I'll
wide and drew in great breaths OF the
chill air. a heavy fog was wrapping
the city in dense gray waves. and from
the river came the minor monotony Of
warning whistles. Dreary rs 1t was.
his heart .lightened: for after all. 1t
was morning. and he was still young
enough to. feel that nothing. can be
quite so bad in the day as 1t IL in the
shadows Of the night.
For the first time since Nary's at
tack Of madness in the, courtroom he
realized fully how tremendous an as
set the tragedy was to the defense. and
in spite of his grief. as lover. over
her suffering. the lawyer in him cx-
ulted in the episode which cemented
into place the cornerstone Of his case.
The thought of this lent hint OF
buoyancy to his tired body as he made
another trip to tho cell where. at DIR.
Fosters orders. they had Carried Mary.
still screaming with frenzy. But 1t
was the lover rather than the lawyer
who had surged uppermost by the time
he reached the door. and all thoughts
OF the trial were submerged In an
overweening anxiety and pity for the
slender girl who was paying SO heavy
a price for her fathers sin of drunk
enness.
Mary herself was sleeping sountily
when he glanced into the cell. and Dr.
Foster was on his feet. frankly stretch
ing. while Miss Walton was bathing
her tired eyes at the basin in the COR
ner.
Both greeted him with smile, and,
answering the question in his eyes
rather than the one he huskily whis-
pered with his lips. DR.. Foster said:
"She will be all right now. She woke,
conscious. Just after your last visit and
is now sleeping soundly. There's moth
ing to worry about-at least, not Just
1t present"
"Thank Cod" Langdon's voice broke
on the words. and DR.. Foster put out
his hand and patted the shoulder of
the younger man reassuringly. saying:
Eve all say that. but you'd better go
get some rest now: you look done up"
"oh, I'm all right" said Langdon.
but, Doctor. is she-is 1t going to be
possible to go on with this trial? Can
Mary bear it?"
ly. "Of course yesterdays scene was
bad, very bad. But you must realize
that the attack, while 1t was plainly
due to the whiskey thrust upon her,
was only to some extent brought about
by the fact that the liquor was hand
ed her at time when she was hys-
tericsl and had been re-enacting events
that kept her earlier experiences con-
s.nn.!y N her mind. Given healthy
surroundings and happiness. I wouldn't
worry about attacks IN the future. But
us fine reflection upon an American
city, he continued harsh!y, drawing
Lansdon out Into tho hall so as not
TO wake Mary. "a fine thing when II
Is impossible TO keep ONE woman from
The sight OF drunken men and the smell
OF liquor"
I.ansdon nodded nhsent,y. for his
heart was cchoing the earlier words
Of the great alienist: Given healthy
surroundings ind happiness wouldn't
worry about attacks IN the future" and
he was vowing to himself that, cost
what 1t might. 70 would yet win free
dom and hoppineas for her.
He had net dared hope that she
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES