The Washington times., 1930-09-30

kADOE 0A4G AA0AS y OAA40A bA0NA tldb
with a fold Of white under the
brim, and q black crepe veli
that she was to throw back
from her face, and let flov
back over her shoulders.
Cathie fingered the crere
sadly. She had thought that
widows weeds were out of date,
that only a few old fashioned
women like Ma clung to the
fashion. And here they were
making her wear them, to i'm.
press the jury " I" those peo-
pie who sat in the box, all filled
with their own thoughts, and
decided your life for you, out
of scraps of things that at
torneys let the witnesses say,
and not all Of it true
some Of it lies lies e"
Faith Shaken
Wearing widows weeds ."
She, Cathie -" who was
young, too young to wear any.
thing but misses things, less
than a year ago.
"AI ready?" The deputy sher.
iff and a policewoman came to
take her to court.
Good luck, and don't you
get nervous now!" Mrs. Evans,
the matron, waved her q cheer
full good-by.,
They'll wave me happy good
bys when they take me to the
gallowS to hang me-" Cathie
thought cynically. She didn't
believe in anyone but Ma and
Gordon any more, and they
wouldn't let her see Gordon
Gordon was to be kept
away he was to be a cool,
well wishing, devoted, but not
too devoted friend.
So the only person in the
world who loved her unSelfiShly
must be denied her.
Come, don't drag back,
please, Mrs. FarnSworth," the
policewoman said sharply.
Curious Eyes
Cathie picked up her heavy
feet faster. She let them lead
her into the courtroom. It was
full Of people. There were peo-
pie out in the halls, too, whom
policemen were sending away.
So many people who really don't
care what happens to you, like
to watch you while your fate
hangs in the balance, dipping
first this way, then that way.
waiting till the trial is over, then
hurrying home to their safe
houses, their husbands, their ba-
bieS, their loving, lighted lives.
MRS. Catherine FarnSworth!"
Cathie felt eyes on her. Hun
dreds of eyes. Curious, morbid
eyes. She made a supreme ef-
fort. Got up and walked, with
out stumbling, to the witness
stand. And then, while the room
swayed, and dipped and whirled
all around her, she took the oath
and forced herself to sit up, to
listen to what they were saying
to her.
ALI they had told her to say
was gone. She looked into that
crowd Of strangers who had
been watching her, and her
heart failed her. She looked aS
the judge, with his little clipped
mustache, and his cold in the
head, and remembered that he
had let Chester sit in this very
chair, and lie. She looked at
the jury. and saw the man with
the grease spots on his vest
staring at a woman whose fat
legs were crossed, showing red
garterS. And the college looking
boy with the fraternity pins
was trying to look bored like
the newspaper men. He paid
much more attention to them
than to the witnesses. And the
jury ladies were stirring tiredly,
because it was a warm after
noon, and the trial was drag
ging out so many more days
than people had expected. One
OF them was staring at Cathie'S
hat, wondering how much it
cost probably.
Oh, what did it matterp
What could she say to con.
vince them, when you could see
their minds were all made up
already?
Story Repeated
Mr.. Allan asked her uues-
tions, slowly, sympathetically.
Mr.. Macmillan flung his at
her hard rat, tat, tat. It
made her think Of when she
was little and she tried to play
ball with Eddie he threw
1T so hard and so fast she
couldn't ever catch it.
These questions from the dis.
tr1ct attorney were like that
/. too hard, too fast. She
couldn't catch them and throw
back the answers oh, what
was the use?
All over again she told her
story. She was downstairs in
the drawing room until about
eleven. Yes, Mr.. Moore was
there, too. What were they
doing? Talking. Waiting for
Mr.. FarnSworth to come in.
You see, they didn't know he
had come in already.
And she went upstairs about
eleven, and took a bath. and
found the maids note saying