Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 137: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

‘DUST TO. DUST. — which had. settled: aver her spirit. “A sense of something dire impending filled her thoughts when she entered the ecurt reont, _and she wondered haw Stephen had fared on his mission. Could Uncle Matt have heard from him yet? As on the previous day her eyes swept the spectators in a quick, comprehensive ~ glance, glowing softly as they noted Mrss Yates’s faithful presence. Then they fell _upon Dicky Tewson sitting alone and a _ little frown gathered between her eyes. Did he mean to attend the trial to its end, hop- ing te see her convicted? Hew much deep- er his vindictive resentment ai her dismissal must have gone than she imagined? Her attorneys bowed gravely as she seat- ed herself and turned slightly te Rowe. “ Stephen—” Her lips barely meved. __. Matthew Rewe shock his head in silence, and in a few moments he was on bis feet, addressing the jury in his turn. He desired first ef all te congratulate his learned friend the district attorney on the remarkable case he had made out on the previous day, the only trouble with it being that it wasn’t fact. jury had been requested to be “ fair-mimd- ed” in their judgment ef the late Niles Hamersley, as though a deubt existed that they would be fair-minded in whatever judgment they might be called upon to make, but he, Matthew Rowe, questioned the “ fair-mindedness ” of the implication that any secret existed in the past of the late husband of his client merely beeause he had not been a resident ef New York prior to twe years ago. The bereaved young widow seated before them in a grief too deep fer tears had de- voted her life to charity and good works since the death of her father, she had had no worldly experience, and when she fell in love for the first time she loved deeply and truly, with utter faith and trust. It _-was her consolation now that that trust had not been misplaced, that that faith had been justified! She had sent her husband from her at the very doers of the church to suc- _ cor his dying friend, and on his return had Not the shadow of x chad sea = : a= as would bes proved te the satis- gave way, precipitating him to his death. — Claudia Hstened to the benign, fatherly tones as Uncle Matt went en to describe in detail the tragedy as she had herself been called upon to tell it so many times, but — = her thoughts were far away. Time was passing; why had no werd come from Stephen? Surely something must have gone” The wind was howling outside the court reom windows and the sky was heavily overcast, but still there was no rain, ~~ and a grim, portentous waiting had seemed = to settle down brooding over the face of the = wrong! universe. But Uncle Matt had reached his perora- — = tion. =a Look at the young girl ‘Srfcre you, gen- e= tlemen of the jury!” His gentle, pityme voice was in telling contrast to the thunder- ous tones of his opponent on the previous day. ‘‘ She is utterly alone, the man to whom but a few shert hours before she had chances, snatched from before her very eyes — im & moment of joyous happiness by an accident at once simple to —— and : = fearful to contemplate! to be the cold-blooded, calculating deress our learned friend would have you Ae believe? “She asks neither eS nor pity: her sorrow is too profound for human cen- solation. She asks only that she be judged by the true facts in this case as they shall — be set before you, not suppositions as fal- lacious as they are fanciful. Counsel for the defense will effer you evidence, not theories, and will ask that you set this young girl free or send her to join her hus- band, according to your decision.” __A gasp ran through the court room at this bold stroke, and as Matthew Rowe seated himself a murmur of something very eS applause rose and swelled until checked by the sharp rap of the gavel. Claudia faked Bee at him with all her heart in her eyes: and snuled waveringly in wordless sortie, _ but ae the district attorney was on his Se CO MI DEOKS faction of the gentlemen of the j jury, until eae they had found that old revolver in theat- tic with which the late Mr. Hamersley was amusing himself when the floor suddenly given the sole right to protect her has been taken from her by the most cruel of ——— com