Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-05-19
PERSONS or THE STORY

| nj
I'm. Io sit in judgment on a tel-
nr .sinner. He is high principled
"sJ Tkdblc, though in a moment OF
m",uaI pdssion he has. to great later
"".;tsnce over the secret sin, had
Illicit relations ,oith
srSSJE COLLISTER--A handsome
hUt ;iIifsrdtc peasant Girl. She has a
Ss;,d mhich 10 accidentally Smothered
or Inc night Of its birth. Sac is
..r.,trd for ,nardcrinD her babe.
Bessie really loves
.IItCE GELL--Agreeable but some
mbat reak. rho pcrsuddes Besrte to
S.trotb herself to him despite the
osposition Of his father,
sprAEER CELL - The rich and
,Dronuical head of the Monr Pariia.
rrNIEiLA STANLEY A great
b,aricd and beautiful girl cith ad-
!. rsnced ideas on tpomen's rights ,cho
IL IN lorc with Victor and he With
her. She is the daughter OF
0ESERAL STANLEY-Governor Of
nay a' l"e eBoaiLIDRoMMA a brutal
farmer. stepfather. Of Bessie. and
Mho tries 10 use her trouble, for
mhich he thinks Gelt 10 responsible,
Io lever to advance his oUn fortune.
~ A small unventilated room over
] looking the Keep the jury considered
,heir share of the verdict.
"Gentlemcn.' said one (he was an
.uc,ioneer and Town Commissioner +,
"rou heard what the Deemster said.
We can't let her off, but we can recon-
mend her to mercy.
"Why should we?" said another. a
..u landowner with q bad reputation
about women. She killed her child.
ist her swing. | say
"But she said she didn't intend to
md that she was out Of herself and
i,isbtened by her stepfather.' said n
,bird--a fat butcher who was sitting
sstride on a chair and making 1t creak
"Cbut. That was only an after
thought" said a fourth-a little bald.
headed English grocer.
"Ouestion. Question cried the
Town Commissioner. Lets keep to
the point, gentlemen: -,
lets get finished and away" said
the grocer. 1--WE 'ad an addition to
my family. ] may tell YOU. A son
at last after four daughters. My wife
getting up today and we're to ave a
turkey for dinner. Let the woman off +,
say
"But We can't. man. Didn't you
hear what the Dcemster said!'
"Then let the 'uzzy 'ang.'
"Are we to recommend the girl to
mercy-that's the question" said the
Town Commissioner.
"Why shouldn't we?" said the
butcher. Hundreds and tons of girls
have done as bad before now. and
nobody penny the wiser. Why make
flesh Of one and fowl Of another?"
"1f We show mercy to women Of this
sort We Il only encourage them in their
bad conduct" said the landowner.
Look here said the butcher. this
Isn't a game woman can 60 into q
corner and play all by herself. you
know. For every bad woman there's a
had man knocking about somewhere. -
"a man isn't always filling his house
with by.children anyway" said the
landowner.
"No." said the butcher. "but hc is
sometimes filling other people 5
though
"That's personal and I won't stant
it, cried the landowner. and ther
there were loud shouts with much smit
ing Of the table.
In the midst Of the tumult quiet
voice was heard TO say.
Hadn't we better lay this matter
before the Lord brothers!'
II was a northsidc farmer and loca
preacher. who tnOt always to his
financial advantage) had made 1t tn,
rule OF his life. whether in the reapinl
Of his corn or the sowing of his tur
hips. to wait for divine guidance. Ir
another moment he was on his knees
and one by one his fellow -jurymen. in
Guiding the long landowner. had slith
cred down after him.
When they, rose they were apparently
Sf one op;nion-that inasmuch rs no.
oody except God knew why Bessie ha'
KILLED her child lbeing alone and unde,
me cloud of nighn the only thing to dc
was TO leave her to the Lord.
Meantim" Gel. with restless and ir-
resul lar footsteps. was stri.ling about
in the courtyard. Fcnclla's outbursl
had fallen on him like flash Of light .
nnE in tn" darkness. Everything had
slddenly become ccar--all the vague
iearS that had haunted him so long
.ne suspi" ons he had thrust behind
ms back. the facts he had been unabl,
had been
stowell! His ife-long friend. or
Nncse word he would have staked hi,
soul There must have been n con
Spirary to deceive him. Both Stowel
ahd BESSIE had been in it--Stowell I,
sst r,d OF tho girl he no longer wanted
an b"s'l" to cover up her disgrace b.!
marrying h i'm: What n plot. Th'
woman h." had loved and the man h
naa worSShped. Hc saw himself hood
NN'hkel by both of them. lied TO. per,
sspS laughed at. His life. his faith
y" J." loVe hal crashed down in u moment
MAS 100 cru"l. too damnable
,l, Inc air was chill. though the sun wa
sn!nihg, but Gel took of his wig ant
mrrled It in his hand for his hea,
seemed to be afira.
After time the hatred he had fc
or BESSIE became centered. with ,
nmlndrcdfold intensity. upon S,owclI
, ,Nen " Bessie had begun with an in
mn!ioh OF b"traying him, she must hav
,hspent'd OF /, afterward. and commrtc,
",, rt crime poor girl. because (as Fen
b;u haa said| she had come to low,
d,n d,m' hn' S,owcll had carried on hi
m.ep,loh TO tho last moment. He wa
N"I.'hg II on nov. when he was sit
m.S m. IN Judgment on his own victim. II,
W. van, 10 sentence her to death. too
a., .s, under al his fine phrases it wa
h.S' 70 see that he meant to sentenc,
der him. ~ >'e'' "o"'u '''''
thought '""'''' "'''' !"
n.iLn1 the darkness of her cell. with n,
81 -, ,ho 'h h'r tortured face EXCEPT tina
breaking into another tit Of hystcriu
rss repioaching Feneila with deccivin.