Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-25

CHAPTER XXXVI Continued
s. AND is there no power I can employ
"A to keep you from doing that?" in
quired the lawyer quickly, purposely
ignoring the agents gratuitous observa-
ton.
There is none" said the Federal Of
fetal.
II have Just one request to make. of
YOU, then. Simmons. Make sure that
you get the whole truth"
II wish | knew how to make sure of
that" retorted Simmons dryly.
Perhaps that is where | can help you
and thereby not hurt but actually ad-
vance the interests of my client"
Perhaps" reflected the Secret Serv-
ice man. with sudden straight look
at Robinson. as il he had caught a
hitherto unsuspectcd meaning in his
words and manner.
Victor went out thinking of Sylyy /!
Sylvy! Poor little Sylvy! This blow
one else but Ruth; and sylvy was to
have brought her father to him tonight.
The lawyer made a pretense of eating
a cold bite at the Bellevue and went to
8 o'clock. He had no doubt that the
girl i'm her distress would come to hin,
but bringing her mother instead of her
father. He was right SO far but in ad-
the Aurehtsky family, Rose, sixteen,
Lily. fourteen. and Sarah, eight--all
cinging about the ashen-featured, heavy
footed ,h their whse frightenSd
woe that had fallen on them, and their
great dark eyes fixed upon Robinson
as the only human being in whom their
souls could find a hope.
But while the mother and children
halted at the door. apparently too awed
or too frightened to heed Rollinson's In
vitation to enter and be seated, Sylvy
came impulsively to the very center of
the room
Victor Oh, Victor - she breathed,
and then halted with wringing hands. a
foriorn pathetic figure; ,, She was slnud hat
tears, and wisp of hair had fallen
down across her forehead and was plas-
tered to the round Of a cheek by the
struggle for self-control her lips were
disappeared. obviously: her grief-torn
heart was yearning for him. and yet she
by the exercise Of some subtle force
held him back from her.
Victor had pictured her as flying with
sobs to him for help. Instead she came
ognize that she had been struck and
wounded and that she suffered. Into
that fresh, young face there seemed to
have come suddenly all of that vast
has displayed through the long years OF
history.
In this moment Victor saw the girl
lifted far above him, and through his
mind there fitted some faint perception
of the fact that between him and her
were certain fundamental differences oil
reaction toward the experiences OF life
reactions the determinations, of which
lay outside of themselves and were not
controllable by themselves but reaching
back into the roots Of the past, held the
two by iron grip to courses that must
This was his Sylvy; her grief was
his grief. He meant to take her II
she stood apart and held him Off by
that subtle. indefnable negation of hei
own personality. She made 1t cleal
that though she loved him she was moi
his Sylvy that this burden of grief was
hers. not his. But she had also made
it clear that she came to him knowins
he would make her suffering lighter Il
he could GERRY! Mr.. Archer! will he
die?" the girl gasped when it seemed
that she could trust her voice to speech
encouragingly. and then sought to shift
worst possibility by asking gently
Have you seen your father"
"Ve been by de jail" said a woe
filled voice from the door.
'They let mother and me in for
few minutes" explained Sylwy.
Victor eagerly. was It the Iplot?"
mo, it was the doctor who cam'
to see little Isadore," Sylvy explained
in a breathless voice that tried to b'
very calm and steady, He met papa
on the street today and wanted him t.
move. He told him what had killed
little Isadore and that it would kill III
ALL" - wa.
tor. perhaps a trife impatiently.
"Dot Buckingl,am-dot Buckingham
He kilt my Izzie." broke in the woman
from her position near the door, he
voice saturated with an anguish sucl
as only wife and mother can know.
buckingham !" Victor's exclamation
was almost reproof
buckingham !" echoed sylvy deter
minedly.
plexedly from one to the other Of thu
'Here! Here" he commanded. Isl
down! Every last one OF you sit down.
He indicated chairs for the children ant
made Sylvy and her mother sit neal
Now" he said, 'between you try t.
| tell me exactly what-what 1t was th'
doctor doc, tor told told your father and how ~ at
with Mrs. Aurentsky leading ant
speaking rapidly. and Sylvy interjectint
| Interpretation and explanations. th'
story sHd I
| lawyer was obviously much moved, bu
at its conclusion he sa. for tim,
Strange, strange coincidence" h,
murmured. and then, turning to thu
wife, he said feelingly: Mrs. Aurent
sky. / think God will acquit your hus
band of murder. but I have my doubts
about jury"
"But-but can nothing save him?'
interposed Sylvy. her voice tremulou
and appealing. "Father is just a poor
helpless victim of something he doesn'
understand"
"T solemnly believe him to be-" de
clared the lawyer. "but-listen."
The window was open. The cries o
newsboys rose from the street.
"DO you hear all that pother" TIL
| people will demand q sacrifice. An,
vet" Robinson rose to his feet and de
clared impressively. "Before God, I vii
do all In my power to prevent this cit
from committing another crime upol
the person OF Jacob Aurentsky."
Sylvy could not have marked tn
heroic figure Robinson made, or the de
termination in his voice without bein
freshly moved to tremendous faith !