Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-05-11
CHAPTER XVII
uu,o .Judpe and the Man

The Judge and the man
mrELLOA! Glad to see you about
I'll again. Fenclla has gone off to
- .o"th Of the island somewhere, but
y. la.,, uVI no home for luncheon. Take n
~ M.isr, No? Not smoking yet? !
INST anyway .-,..
-.t., sjr." said Stowell--he felt his
": ss:tr,1 s,;%'l'ns'
~ Governor glanced up quickly.
ss.issd hi, pipe and then settled himself
aYcu " will remember the story told
.u.-about the man who had promised
4 : marry a girl and then fallen in love
VII somebody else"
"Perfectly.' WI, 49,,
t.ssns pale and his hands contracted.
"Well?' >,
.That was my own story. sir.
There was another moment Of silence.
s,ovsIl had expected an exclamation of
~,n,ise. A clang of astonishment. but
\. Sv; vG;oyernor's face was still to the fire
.,a the only sound he made. was the
ssi,slins s.t Of the pipe between his teeth.
.You advised me to break off the
snsen,ent and l did so.
HWhat was the result?''
"The girl was relieved.
"Relieved:'
EYES. because she, too. had in the
meantime fallen in love with somebody
lx-my friend Cell
"How fortunatc!'
ut seemed so at first. I thought
pvyidence had stepped In to help her
Nt, But fate has kept terrible
reckoning. SIR ,.,,
"What has happencd?"
"The girl has committed crime. She
n IN Castle Rushcn awaiting her trial
Ioe fbe murder Of her newborn child
"The woman Collister!'
"Yes. And now I'm Judge and in
ordinary course it is my duty to try
mr."
There was another period Of silence.
broken only by the rapid putting of the
governors pipe. :,
"But that's not all. sir. Being in
ttIs frishtful position everything is
umpting me to corrupt justice. First.
ny natural desire to influence the trial
Ia favor Of the girl-perhaps to get her
of altogether. Next. pity for her poor
mother who has been pleading for mercy.
Then, friendship for Cell. who has been
bning me to try the case because the
Old statute is severe and my colleague
cruel. And last of all the step father
u the girl who has been trying to in
tim!date me-
"Well?"
II think you will see it is impossible
for me to sit on case in which my pri'
vts interest and my public duty con-
Aict-utterly impossible. 1t would be
against all usage. all Justice
The Governor removed his pipe. His
face had become cold and hard. "iou
speak Of your colleague-have you done
,uythins with him."
YES. have asked him to sit in
stead Of me-"
What If he cannot?"
Then ! will ask you. sir. to send
is another Judge from across the
Stowcll had struggled through to the
end, although pcrspiration had been
efeaking out On his forehead. When II,
had finished the Governor sat for some
time without speaking.
Obscure motives were operating with
In him. In the depths of his mind
ktrcey known to himself, he was ask
i1y himself. "How will all this. II
allow 1t to go farther, affect Fanella
viii It stop her marriage, disturb hel
applness. destroy her life?' But oi
lhs surface of his mind he was only
ixaN Of considerations of public vel,
lafe. He was lrritated by what hat
occurred. 1t was an impcdiment In his
path which he wished to kick out OF
the WY.
he rose, laid his pipe on the mantel.
llece. and standing with his back to tho
1fe and his hands behind him, his CHR
Gm and his mouth set hard, he said
with sudden energy.
NOW listen to me. ! always knew
"YesY"
What I did not know was that an!
am had been done. Did you?"
Indeed, no."
did the girl:"
" is incredible"
auiDsS you know that she has killed hel
~, Not certainly, She denies 1t. ant
'ssvldcnce is not too convincing
Auiu0, 70 you know that she ever had {
No cant say. =" Sh'
Mas rsu,es that also, and the medical testi
~VaS TX Is far from conclusivc.'
uo you know--are you satisfied
I.' ~. y she had a child, and killed it
As g. ehlld was yours?"
slowell, with n gulp, stammeret
,aaS ,aMaSslning about Bessie having been 1
wv ~ sirl before he met her.
..Wy!tnao ..vWyt 10 you know anything?'
"Mmuell, no '|' | can't say -
tb,,tihNen' good heavens, what are yol
So.lsslhg about? knowing nothing
n. inning really. you are acting, and ask
tu,.s ne &C, 70 act, on a cloud of conjcc
'Tss III not do it,"
m'Uweil drew his breath with a gasI
n.. .enel. 1t was just as If he hat
%a Sssn living for days In the stuffy at,
boat bSIers rs OF sealed room and some
MI nad broken open a window. Hi
us Shoulder. ~
81 cruel injustice"
VG"en was startled and looked up.
Der sn,iy,ur m your own mind you are findinl
"iSIW9y before she has been tried"
tin. w w are doing yourself an injus
tAL o, aJo. Even IL the girl committed
ponubIs' ubI'tmi g. say if-you are not re
1Vce" oegnn to stammcr again
n~ ! did wrong In the first in
S ~ and nothing but wronl
\ r. 7 Y a.
Governor ,.ia sharply, 20