AT MIDNIGHT
Miss Julia, late mistress of ceremonies, passed here and there, turning
out the lights. The bonnets and blouses all had departed, the coughs and
shufflings had subsided. She might give way now to the weariness, the
reaction, attendant upon long hours of eager enterprise.
Strange, she did not look about to find her friend, Aurora Lane, did not
even hasten to take the hand of Don Lane before he had left the room.
The little group at the door--Aurora, Don and the old minister, now was
increased in the entry way by the addition of none less than the tall
and awkward figure of Horace Brooks, who came forward, smiling
uncertainly as the other three finally emerged from the door. Aurora,
quickly divining his purpose, made some hesitating excuse, and darted
back into the hall, where now Miss Julia had well accomplished the
purpose of extinguishing the lights. But what Aurora saw caused her to
withdraw softly, and not to speak to Miss Julia at all that evening!
One by one the switches had cut off the side lights, the desk lights,
those of the ceiling. Two lights remained burning at the back of the
little platform where the speakers had sat, one electrolier on each side
of the portrait over which still hung the draped flag of the Union--the
portrait of the Honorable William Henderson, lawyer, judge, politician
and leading citizen.
Before this portrait stood Julia Delafield, her smooth-topped stick
resting on the little table against which she supported herself now. She
stood, both her hands clasped at her bosom. She was looking up directly
at the lighted features of this portrait, and on her face was so rapt a
look, her gaze was so much that of one adoring a being of another
world--so much ardor was in her face, pale as it was--that Aurora Lane,
seeing and knowing much, all with a sudden wrench of her own heart,
withdrew silently, thankful that Miss Julia had not known.
"Miss Julia's tired," said she to her companions, who still stood
waiting at the entry way. "We'll not disturb her tonight, Don, after
all. I know she wants to see you. You can imagine she has a thousand
things to talk about--books, pictures, everything. But tonight we'll
just go on home. We'll come again tomorrow."
The people of Spring Valley scattered this way and that from the
classical front of the Carnegie Library. They passed away in long
streams in each direction on the street, which, arched across in places
by the wide branches of the soft maples, lay half lighted by the moon,
and yet more by the flickering arc light sputtering at the top of its
mast at the corner of the public square, which made the shadows sheer
black. So close did the trees stand to the street that the summer wind
could not get through them to lighten the pall of the night's
sultriness.
In Spring Valley the climate in the summer time was at times so
balefully hot that common folk were forced to take the mattress from the
bed and spread it on the floor at the front door in order to get a
partial breath of air. The atmosphere was close and heavy under the
trees tonight, and some commented on the fact as they passed on toward
the public square where yet further separations of the scattered groups
must ensue.
They passed along a street lined by residence houses, some small, others
large, all hedged about with shrubs or trees, all with little flower
beds; a certain conformity to accepted canons in good taste being
exacted of all who dwelt in the village. Each one of this dispersing
assemblage knew his neighbor, and all the other neighbors of the town.
This was general plebiscite. Moreover, it seemed to have a certain
purpose--an ultimate purpose of justice.
This was the actual jury of peers--this long stream of halting,
hesitating figures who at midnight strolled on across the patch-work
shadows of the maples. And before it had come on for trial the case of
Aurora Lane and her unfathered boy.
"Look at them go!" said Old Hod Brooks, chuckling bitterly to himself as
he and his companions turned toward the public square, this same thought
occurring to him. "For instance, there's an even dozen just ahead of us
now, if we cared to poll them."
Had this jury been polled it might have been found in some part
resembling the original concourse which filled Noah's ark, since for the
most part they walked two and two. Ben McQuaid, traveling salesman--the
deadly rival of Jerome Westbrook in matters of fashion--who traveled out
of Chicago but had his home in Spring Valley, because it was cheaper
living there--walked now arm in arm with Newman, the clothing merchant
of the Golden Eagle. He inquired solicitously as to the condition of
business. Newman said he "gouldn't gomplaim, though gollections mide be
better." But that was not in the least what both were thinking of at
that time.
"Seems like there was a little rukus on the square today," said McQuaid
casually. "I just heard of it--Number Four come in a little late today."
"Vell, yes," said Newman, looking around to see that he might not be
heard. "I ain't saying a vord about it--but listen, that kid has the
punch in either hand--the last time you should have seen it--you see,
they got at it twice now already----"
They drew apart, because they now saw approaching them too closely at
the rear two of the ministers of the gospel. These found themselves none
too happily assorted.
"I enjoyed your remarks very much indeed, Brother Burnham," said
Reverend Fullerton, with a mendacity for which no doubt the recording
angel dropped a suitable tear. "I agree with you that the tendency
towards looseness of living in modern life----"
Reverend Fullerton coughed ominously. Anyone very close to him might
have heard half-whispered words of "brazen exhibition" and "necessity of
public measures."
But these did not speak freely, because close behind them came yet
two--Dr. Arthur Bowling, the homeopathic physician, who somewhat against
his will had fallen into the company of Miss Elvira Sonsteby. Now, Miss
Elvira Sonsteby was the town's professional invalid. She tried regularly
all the doctors in turn as they arrived. It was well known of all that
she had suffered all the diseases ever known to man, as well as many of
which no man ever had known. Just now, with much eagerness, she was
explaining to Dr. Bowling that she feared her neuritis had become
complicated with valvular heart trouble, and that she suspected gall
stones as well. As to her rheumatism, of course she had long since given
up all hope of that--but this trouble in her arm----; and much other
conversation extremely painful to Dr. Bowling at that time, because he
was much possessed of the inclination to step forward a few paces and
walk with Sally Lester, the banker's daughter. But even they hit common
ground of converse when Miss Sonsteby voiced her belief that it was an
outrage for a public personage like a certain milliner she could name if
she cared to say, to appear in public on an occasion such as this, when
only the most refined personages of the town should have been invited.
"I am sure," said she in tense tones to the young doctor, "that although
alone in the world myself--not so old as some would try to make me out,
either--I would die rather than have anyone voice the slightest
suspicion of blame against me--the slightest blemish on my name. Now,
_that_ woman...."
Back of these two came yet others. Old Mr. Rawlins had gently said his
farewells to Aurora and her son when they emerged upon the open street,
and as he advanced passed certain of these groups, until presently he
fell in with none less than Miss Hattie Clarkson, soprano and
elocutionist of Spring Valley, who had favored the assemblage that
evening with two selections, but who, it seemed, was not wholly
satisfied.
"It seemed to me, Mr. Rawlins," said she, throwing about her shoulders
the light scarf of tulle which she always wore when entertaining
professionally--"that the exercises rather dragged tonight. Of course,
we know what to expect when Judge Henderson speaks--he's very
entertaining, to be sure. But it seemed to me that had there been a
selection or two more of elocutionary sort it might have lightened up
the evening----Who is that coming just back of us?" she whispered,
looking back over her shoulder.
"That's Aurora Lane, my dear," said Mr. Rawlins, quietly. "Her son is
with her."
"Indeed!"
"Yes, indeed! There's one of the best women I ever knew, my dear."
Miss Clarkson drew herself up proudly, and bent upon him an icy glance.
By now they had approached the corner of public square. "I think I must
say good _night_, Mr. Rawlins!" said she, with icy emphasis.
"Good night, my dear," said the old minister, sighing.
Not far ahead of Ben McQuaid and merchant Newman walked two other
citizens, J.B. Saunders, leading grocer and prominent Knight Templar,
and Nels Jorgens, village blacksmith--the same whose shop was across the
way from the home of Aurora Lane. It was said of Mr. Saunders that it
would have been difficult to surprise him at any hour of the day or
night when he was not in his uniform of a Knight Templar, or carrying
his sword case and hat. For some reasons best known to himself, and
anticipating all possible surprises, he had taken with him to the
meeting this evening the two latter accessories of his wardrobe, which
now he carried as he walked on in conversation.
His neighbor wore an alpaca coat and no necktie whatever--a reticent,
gray-whiskered man, whose bank account had a goodliness perhaps not to
be suspected from first look at its owner. The two talked of many
things, but naturally came around to the only topic which was in the
mind of all.
"What'll he do--old Eph Adamson," asked Saunders. "It looks like he
couldn't stand for what's been handed to him. That young fellow has
pounded him up a couple of times. If I was Adamson I certainly would
have the law on him good and plenty."
"Well," said Old Man Jorgens, comfortably, "I don't know much about it
anyway, but it looks to me Adamson has got pretty near enough already.
He pays a lawyer to get him clear, and when he gets out of that court
already he gets licked once more again. And he knows the boy can lick
him."
"You think he'll like enough lick him again?"
"Yeh, that's like enough, yeh. I heard things have been said of his
mother by Adamson. Oh, yes, the news is out now--she couldn't hide it no
more now--there is the boy she said was dead. But, you know, after all,
my friend, a mother is a mother, and men is men. When they say things of
how we was born, you would fought, I hope? Me, I hope too. No man likes
to hear his mother called of names. And she is his mother. Too bad it
is--a bad business all around."
"But then--why, Nels, we know----"
"Yes, we all know," said Jorgens stolidly. "I know and you know, and we
all know. And what I know is this:--For twenty years she lives across
the street from me, as straight and as good a woman as anyone in this
town--each first day of the month right in my hand here she pays the
rent, not a month missed in twenty years. I rather rent a house to her
as to any business man in this town, and I say she is straight as any
woman in this town! No man goes there, not any more now in twenty years.
The man who meets her on the public street he takes his hat off--now.
Her boy--well, he looks citified to me, but at least he can fight. Yeh,
I vote he was in the right. Tomorrow my wife shall take some more eggs
to Aurora Lane in her house; yeh, and coffee."
There were two other members of the unpolled jury, and they paused now
in the full light which came from the mast at the corner of the public
square. Judge Henderson, wearied by the exertions of the evening, was
disposed to ascend the stair to his own office in search of a manner of
refreshment which he well knew he would find there. Turning in this
laudable enterprise he met face to face the city marshal, Old Man
Tarbush, who halted him for a moment's speech, drawing him apart to the
edge of the sidewalk.
"I just thought I'd ask you, Judge, since I see you," said Tarbush,
"whether you think I done right or not."
"What do you mean, Mr. Marshal," inquired the judge, none too happy at
being interrupted.
"You know how it was. He licked Old Man Adamson again right at the foot
of the stair, before the record of his trial was hardly dry on the
books. It was unlawful, of course. I didn't arrest him no more, because
I seen what had happened in the other trial. You pulled out of that. I
didn't want to make no needless expense for the county. But I been sort
of uneasy in my mind about it, and I just thought I'd ask you."
"Exactly, exactly," rejoined Judge Henderson. "Well, now, Tarbush, come
to think it over, that matter came up for trial, and we concluded the
best thing to do was to sort of let things take their course--you see,
the young man in all likelihood will leave town very soon. In the
conduct of my own affairs I sometimes have seen that it is well enough
not to stir things up. Leave them alone, and sometimes they will smooth
themselves down."
"Then you wouldn't run him in if you was me?"
"No, I think not, I think not. Let it go for the time. Perhaps there may
be further developments, but with such information as I have at hand
now, I would be disposed to approve your conduct. There's nothing like
letting bygones be bygones in this world--isn't that the truth?"
"But now, about the eejit, Johnnie," resumed the city marshal once more,
reaching out his hand still to detain the other, "I don't know as I done
right about him, neither."
"What have you done then, Tarbush?"
"Well, I let him go. You see, I don't know but maybe the _habeas chorus_
proceedings would be squashed like the rest. Besides, the eejit boy has
been raising all kinds of hell down at the jail, raving and shouting and
threatening me. About a hour ago or less I concluded to let him loose,
so as to get shut of him."
"You did let him go? And he was not discharged?"
"Well, now, what's the difference, Judge," said the old man. "We
couldn't really get no sleep down there, he was making so much fuss, so
I just let him out. He lit out upon the street right thataway, towards
home--not so very long ago."
Judge Henderson gazed moodily in the direction to which Tarbush pointed.
"Well," said he, "maybe you did right, and in any case this isn't the
time and place to discuss it. My professional hours"--and he turned away
and walked slowly up the stairs to his own office, intent upon the
purpose already prominent in his mind.
The arc light illumined fully the great town clock in the cupola of the
courthouse. The hands pointed to a quarter of one, after midnight.
The deliberations of the jury of Spring Valley might have been said to
have concluded at the time when Aurora Lane, her son Don, and old Hod
Brooks--the last group of the slow procession--themselves turned the
corner and emerged upon the public square. The matter of bringing in the
verdict was another affair.