The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1920-07-16


my whole life, and then only for Dr'eI
periods-still his unexpected anu
dreadful end had bereft me OF practi-
cally every hope OF being acquitted OF
the absurd charge against me. WICK
1t was plain, intended to disciaim ali
knowledge of my relationship TO MI
Gaston. and now there was no one
else to explain how l happened to be
living in the building at the time OF
Miss Lutan's murder. Unfortunately
| had destroyed both Mr.. Gaston's let
ter to me and the note from my
mother which had first told me OF the
old mans intention. My great-aunf.
| learned from the newspapers. had
been completely Frustrated by the
tragedy and had been unable to come
| to the funeral The shock Of the news
OF her husbands violent end had left
her In a very critical condition. 1t
seemed to have wholly deranged her
aged brain. and the physicians sum-
moned to the Maine camp where she
was refused to permit her to be re-
moved from there or to let anyone
talk with her, declaring that the least
excitement of any sort would be apt
to have fatal results.
To be sure there was my mother,
who could prove my relationship. but
| felt there was little use OF dragging
her into 1t. On reading of her uncle's
death she had FASTENED on from the
West to attend his funeral and had
been puzzled and alarmed by not find
ing me there All the time had been
| In prison | had been writing her my
usual weekly letter. affecting cheer
fulness was far from feeling and tell
ing her nothing of what had happened.
Her letters to me, addressed to the
Granddeck, had been forwarded by the
post office, so that until after she ar
rived in the city she knew nothing OF
my plight. 1t had been my hope that
| would be able to conceal everything
from her until after had been trium-
phantly acquitted. II | were not she
would know the worst soon enough.
When she first learned. or froa
what source. of my predicament Ma'
unaware. | did not even know of her
presence In the city until the day after
my great-uncle's funeral, when-JuSf
twenty-four hours before my trial wns
to begin--a keeper brought me word
that she was waiting downstairs to
see me.
| stee!ed myself for the interview
with her. Naturally | expected that
she would be terribly horror strickel,
and shocked at my plight, but what
her attitude toward me would be |
could not conjecture. fully expected
nothing but repr0aches from her. She
had been so opposed to my coming to
New York that | felt certain that she
would insist that my conduct must be
responsible for my being where | now
was. For years. 1t seemed to me. the
relations between my mother and N.Y.
self had been nothing but continuous
Misunderstanding. To my great
amnzement and bewilderment not an
unkind word nor the suggestion of a
reproachful thought came from her
lips.
"Oh. my boy, my boy" she had cried
as she saw me, II know you didn't do
1t. know my boy Is innocentl What
can l do to help your"
In that glorious, wonderful moment
Of reaction all resentment | had felt
toward her forever vanished. | had
one sacred, unforgettable glimpse OF
the eternal greatness of the Mother
heart, ever ready to forgive. ever quick
to comprehend. ever prompt to aid
For one sweet hour we tnlked to-
gether, more understandIngly thur
ever before In our lives. Freely and
fully told her everything. even to my
wonderful but hopeless love for Bar
bnra Bradford. She was willing anv
ious, eager to aid me-but what was
there that she could do?-what was
there that anyone could dor
1t was hopeless for lone woman OF
limited means. unucquninted with tn,
big city aud unused TO its ways to at
tempt to battle against such powerful
and desperate criminals as were con
cerned In the far-reachng plot t.
make me the scapegout of their helm
:, Gus misdeeds. could only advis'
her that she see McGregor and Cor
man and be guided by what they sug
gested.
When the morning of my trial nctu
: ally arrived entered the courtroom II
a state OF dull apathy. The night he
fore | had not slept ut all. l had spen
MI the back hours reviewing my life
especially the lust year. thinking witt
what high hopes and great expectn
: tons had come to the metropolis an,
how misernbly everything had rurne,
: out for me. Step by step | had re
y viewed the events that had hrough
: me, discredited, all but frientIless. al
: but penniless. into this dismal cour,
room accused of horrible. cownrelI
| deed. seeking to see wherein | nigh
have altered my recent actions o
changed the course Of my life to avoi
n having arrived at this shameful gon
Il Yet, strange to say. ! found mysel
n after MIXTURE reflection convinced TIM
+, had | this lust year to live over ngni