Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1916-03-24
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so that they may plumber his people ="
The lawyer wheeled on the Judge.
Il must ask your honor TO admon
ish this witness against such false and
improper charges-or to punish bel
for contempt" he blazed furiously.
But the Judge spoke without grea,
severity as he cautioned; Yes. the
witness must not seek to imply mo.
tiyes TO the prosecution"
The attorney took another step for.
ward with a 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:
is there any sentimental attach.
ment between you and this defendant.
Anse Havey?"
Ihere was a moments dead silence
IN the courtroom. and Anse saw Jua.
nita's face go white. Then he saw her
ringer 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.
I'M 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.
4 think" ruled the court. the Ques.
ton 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 q clear.eyed and
serene glance of scorn under which he
seemed to shrivel, She replied with
the dignity Of o young queen who can
AFFORD to Ignore insults from the gut
ter.
None whatever"
The defendant sat back In his chair
and the smile left his lips as though
he had been struck by a thunderbolt.
He knew that his case was won, and
yet as he saw her leave the witness
stand and the courtroom, he felt sicker
at heart than he had felt since he
could remember. He would almost
have preferred condemnation with the
hope against hope left somewhere
deep In his heart that there slept In
hers an echo to his unuttered love.
The question he had never dared to
ask she had answered-answered I'm.
der oath, and liberty seemed now a
very barren gift.
When he had been acquitted and
was going out he saw a figure In con.
sultation with the pr%osecutor-a figure
which had not been inside the doors
during the trial, 1t was Mr.. Trevor of
Louisville and he was testify saying:
"Oh, well, there are more ways OF
killing a cat than by choking 1t with
butter"
Anse Havey did not require the In.
depreciation Of an oracle for that
cryptic comment. He knew that the
effort to dispose of him would not
end with his acquittal.
Juanita was going away to enlist
her staff Of teachers and arrange for
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 you?" she de-
manded, as they sat together the night
before she left.
"Tll try to last till you get back" he
smiled. He was sitting with a pipe in
his hand-a pipe which had gone out
and been forgotten.
In the darkness of the porch every.
thing was vague but herself. She
seemed to him to be luminous by some
light Of her own. She was q very
wonderful and desirable star shining
far out of reach of his world.
Suddenly she laughed. and he
asked:
What is III"
Il was Just thinking what a fool |
was when | anne here" she answered.
Ibid you know that | brought a piano
with me as far as Peril? It's been
there W a year"
"A piano!" he echoed. then they
both laughed.
81 might as well have tried to bring
along the Philadelphia city hail." she
admitted. Just the same, there have
been times when 1t would have meant
a lot to me, an awful lot, II ! could
had that piano. | don't know
whether music mean so much to you,
but to me-"
Il know" he broke in. Il some
times low that life amt much else ex-
cept the summln' up OF the things q
Teller dreams. Music Is like dreams
1T makes dreams. Yes. | know some
thin about that"
She went away and. though she was