The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1916-01-13

Blacks efforts, q charge like this is
found posted up In the public ways,
the ruin of the Ostranders is deter.
mined upon. and nothing we can do
can stop it."
In five minutes moro she had said
good.by to Miss Weeks and was on
her way to the courthouse. AS she
approached 1t she was still further
alarmed by finding this square full of
people, standing in groups or walk.
Ing impatiently up and down with
their eyes fixed on the courthouse
doors. Within, there was the uneasy
hum, the anxious look, the subdued
movement which marks an universal
suspense. Announcement had been
made that the jury had reached their
Verdlct, and counsel were resuming
thelr places and the judge his seat.
Ihose who had eyes only for the
latter-and these were many-noticed
change In him. He S6oked older by
years than when he delivered his
charge. Not the prisoner himself
gave greater evidence Of the effect
which this hour of waiting had had
upon a heart whose covered griefs
were, consciously or unconsciously, re.
vealing themselves to the public eve.
lie ala not wish this man sentenced.
Ihls was shown by his charge-the
most one.sided one he had given in
all his career
Silence, that awful precursor OF
doom' lay In all its weight upon every
ear and heart, as the clerk, advancing
with the cry, Order in the court" put
his momentous question:
Gentlemen Of the jury. are you
ready with your verdict?"
A hush!-then. the clear voice of
the foreman:
I'VE are"
How do you find? Guilty or not
guilty?"
Another hesitation. Did the fore.
man feel the threat lurking in the air
about him? If so, he failed to show
1T In his tones as he uttered the words
which released the prisoner:
Not guilty"
growl from the crowd, almost like
that of a beast stirring in its lair,
then q quick cessation Of all hubbub
as every one turned to the Judge to
whose one-sided charge they attrb-
uted this release.
Deborah experienced in her quiet
corner no alienation of the fear which
had brought her into this forbidding
spot and held her breathless through
these formalties.
For the end was not yet. Through
all the turmoil Of noisy departure and
the drifting out into the square Of a
vast, dissatisfied throng, she had
caught the flash Of bit of paper chow
introduced into this moving mass Of
people no one ever knew passing
from hand to hand. toward the soli-
! tary figure of the Judge, it's delay as
1T reached the open space between the
| last row Of seats and the Judges
bench and its final delivery by some
ofhc1ous hand, who thrust it upon his
notice just as he was rising to leave
Deborah saw his finger tear It's way
through the envelope and his eyes fall
| frowningly on the paper he drew out.
Then the peoples counsel and the
counsel for the defense and such
clerks and hangers-on as still fingered
In the upper room experienced a de.
cided sensation
The judge, who a moment before
mad lowered above them all in mel.
ancholy but impressive dignity, shrunk
with one gasp into feebleness and
sank back stricken. If not uncon-
scious, into his chair.
1t happened suddenly and showed
her the same figure she had seen once
before--a man with faculties sus-
pended, but not impaired, facing them
all with open gaze but absolutely dead
for the moment to his own condition
and to the world about.
But, horrible as this was, what she
saw going on behind him was infinite
ly worse. A man had caught up the
bit Of paper Judge Ostrander had let
fall from his hand and was opening
his lips to read it to the curious people
surrounding him
She tried to stop him. She forced
cry to her lips which should have
rung through the room, but which
died away on the air unheard. The
terror which had paralyzed her limbs
had choked her voice
But her ears remained true. Low as
he spoke, no trumpet-cail could have
made its meaning clearer to Deborah
Scoville than did these words:
We know why you favor criminals.
Twelve years Is Il long time. but not long
enough to make wise men forget.
CHAPTER XII.
"The Mlsfortunes Of My House."