Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1923-03-29
The Judge and
His Task
By MYRA CURTIS LANE
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Its a great honor your being ap
pointed a judge" said Henry Widdi
mer's wife as they sat the first evening
In their new home at Tryon. "And
think I'm going to like this town
Henry" She Struggled up to him. III
only"
He patted her shoulder. He knew
what was in her mind, the one thing
they never spoke about, though they
were always thinking of it.
If only they had a child to carry on
the family honor
1t was years since that hope had
been abandoned.
Didn't you tell me you once lived
Ia Tryon?" asked the judges wife.
ayes, years ago spent six months
here with a lumber company, when
was a young man." answered the judge.
at was up in the mountains"
And his mind went back to those
bitter-sweet days that he had long
since dismissed from it. He had been
In love with a mountain girl, Margaret
Eames, and for weeks he had hesitated
between making her his wife and
riding away.
Honor and decency had demanded
the former course. But then-how
could he have brought Margaret into
the refined circle Of his home? 1t
would have ruined his future. And so
well, he had ridden away. He did
not like to think of that episode, which
he had shut down in the casket of the
past.
Nevertheless, when he sat In court
he would look at the faces of the noun
taineers whenever any were brought
In as prisoners or witnesses, and won
der whether he had ever met any of
them in the past, and whether they
would remember him.
He had made discreet inquiries about
He had learned that she
had died about three years after he left
her. Nothing more was known of her
story, or else-but he did not think of
this until long after-they had been
to tell him. He satisfied
himself that she was dead
And he was not thinking of Margaret |
.hai day when the prisoner Eames was
brought into court on the charge of |
wounding. He and another
nan had been rivals for a mountain |
girl. They had drawn knives and
Games had got in the first blow. The
1oir af |
or long time, but was now recoy-
ring.
Still, the judge wondered whether
he man were kinsman of Margaret's.
n some way, probably, he decided. All
hese mountaineers were connected
nth one another.
He tried not to think of Margaret as
e listened to the evidence. The jury
etired, brought in the obvious verdict.
'efore passing sentence the judge
sked Eames what he had to say.
To everyone's surprise Eames burst
ito impassioned invective.
"What have l to say?" he cried.
Why, it's fine for you grand folks to
t in judgment on the likes of us !
THAT done l done honest and open.
didn't crawl into the girls house like
friend and wrong her. fought Jim
ykes for her, man to man. That's
hat got to say.
"Send me to the pen. Send me up
n life, but I-tell you my quarrels
18th Jim Sykes, and my loves fol-
oily Breen, and her loves for me.
nd she'll wait for me, however long
III send me up for. We amt like you
ne people, who love and ride away.
hen we love, it lasts. That's ALL"
And with his last words he flung
lck his head and confronted the
dge unflinchingly.
If there were those in court who saw
e resemblance between the two it
'obably did not occur to them to
AXE deductions from it; and If any s
the old mountain people noticed it
ey said nothing. n
"Eames, who were your people?"
ked the judge.
"My mother was a good woman
I'd rest her. My father was rogue Il
10 deceived her. That's all got to
Y. One Of these fine, dedicated, soft {.
oxen rogues-Oh. it's easy enough
r them to take advantage of a girl Il
10 trusts them"
The judge passed a sentence of six
,nths' Imprisonment. Many thought
At was severe under the circum-
noes.
But the bitterness lay in this-that
no way could he make atonement
her to the dead girl or to the boy.
Ike him out of his environment, edu- ~
te him-and thus wrong the girl he
ed and had fought for? No, 1t was
possible.
And never could he grip this son
It he had longed for by the hand,
! transmit to him the honor of the
family of which he was the last to
E to power.
or not the boy had known
o he was, he had kept to his own
lnsel. Nobody would betray him. :.
ere was hardly greater height of "a, ra'
nv nOSeihla For dov nv dow ba -