The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-03-17

district attorney 1T is not relevant
What have a child's vague recollection
TO do with the action of woman o
Miss Pages age?''
The judge hesitated. and Langdon
still smiling, said quickly.
Il withdraw my question. The wit
ness is excused"
DO you wi. examine.
asked the judg district attor
ney, with Il scowl, shook his head.
"Are--are you through with meg
gasped Mary in bewllderment and
Lansdon nodded And now, as the
throhg waited, he turned to the little
gray haired mother. and his voice rang
ont twas it with triumphg:
Mrs. Page
In an instant the room was in an up
roar. More copy boys rushed for tne
door bearing tapping sheets covered
with scrawled disiointed words. and The
onlookers, who had so far considered
Mrs. Page as merely a prop" n bit Of
The setting In this gripping tragedy,
1ow scrambled up on to their seats 10
ape ut her. In vain the judge thun-
Tered with his gaycl. and in vain the
police shovel back the spectators and
even thrust enc or two beiliecrent ones
mt into the corridor. where they were
welcomed with a roar from the wait
ing. The noise did not subslde until
uriositg had been stated.
Mrs. Page how long ago was it that
on met your husband. Daniel Pager"
"Thifty-one years ago mt Christmas"
he said softly. ana the district attor-
1ey leanel forward scowlngly, wait
'ns 70 leap Mt The first irrelevant ones
ion.
"5nd YOU becalae engaged almost at
once. did you not:' The question and
the answer We're equally quiet
Yes
But yotswere not married for some
.hue:"
No The gentle Old voice shook
now, and faint flush crepp into the
Thin cheeks.
"Whyg" The question snapped sharp
81, bur her answer was long in coming
because she said at last II found
ihat Dan drank, and II said | would
not marry a man Hike like that
But you did later on!f
Yes" she continued He promised
me that lie would stop, and believed
God knows 4 woman always believes
g. f,.nr,t Ram
Please make only direct answers to
he questions" broke in the judge
slernly. But some woman in the back
81 the room said Aloud:
That's the truth she's speaking. Let
her say it,
silence" commanded the judge.
Aud nor Lanslon said:
will YOU tell US as conclsely as pos
ne of what happened after your mar
@e.r
Tor long tiiae it seemed as if she
4aA Tot 60 on, and Mary leancd to-
gnrd her, whispering softly:
"0h. mothcr-4 mother darlingm But
IS il the words were draft Of en-.
ohaecment Mrs. Page took mp the
asead Of her story.
What Happened" she said wearilyg
Z, whit hapncns 70 thousands of VIZ
Ell. We hadn't been married verg
ing before my husband hogan e
.ak again The-the tlrst night h
arac home really drunk was the nigh
had planned TO toll him fiat Mar,
goS coming to us from God. ! don (
hiuk + shah ever forget The horror of'
lat time And I'LL the whllc that
ms MAKING ready for her he was max
ns i5y inabil'y to 20 out with him az
Nuse for debauch.
"oh, your honor and now she turn
TO the judge. it's no wonder N,
lid is full OF TIE fear of drink. F0'
int after night walked the floor
nd prayed l!!;c q wicked woman tina
MS baby might die before it cane inte
he world because was afraid i
would bear the tant-woula he hor
Nitll that awful devastating thirst
More than one man in the room ana
indeed, more than one Of the juror
uoved uneasily Mt the words. quietly
spoken. but pregnant with tragedy.
"On the night that Mary was born
he went on. Dan was too drunk TO
even be told -that-he had a daush-
ter
a murmur OF sympathy crept through
her and one voice could be heard
distinctly:
"0h. well, that's not unusual. Mos
men tio--beastly drunk
II felt then" said Mrs. Page tender
A.. "that 1t didn't matter | had ny
baby, and I was too full of happy
dreams for her future to fear for the
present.
somehow" Mrs. Page continued.
the years passed, and Mary reached
sixteen, but each of those Increasing
ears had increased her fear of drunk
mess. She was even afraid OF hcf
.ather. and because wa were too poor
FOR her to have pretty clothes she
d.