And went on writing. Still writing the court said without looking up, "I
don't know of anything else."
And the counsel for defendant said he didn't either and putting on his
hat, smiling at the plaintiff aforesaid, counsel for said defendant
Henry Fenn departed, and after a minute the court ceased writing, folded
and blotted the back of the paper, handed it to young Joe Calvin,
sitting meekly on the edge of the chair, saying: "Here Joey, take this
to the clerk and file it," and Joey got up from the edge of the chair
and vanished, closing the door behind him.
"Well?" said the plaintiff.
"Well?" echoed the court.
"Well," reiterated the plaintiff, gazing into the eyes of the court with
somewhat more eagerness than the law requires under statute therefore
made and provided.
"So it's all over," she continued, and added: "My part."
She rose--this plaintiff hereinbefore mentioned, came to the desk, stood
over him a moment, and said softly, much more softly than the code
prescribes, "Tom--I hope yours won't be any harder."
Whereupon the court, then and there being as herein above set forth, did
with premeditation, and much show of emotion look up into the eyes of
said plaintiff, said eyes being tear-dimmed and extraordinarily
beautiful as to their coloring to-wit: brown, as to their expression
to-wit: sad and full of love, and furthermore the court did with
deliberation and after for a moment while he held the heavy bejeweled
hand of said plaintiff above mentioned, and did press said hand to his
lips and then did draw the said plaintiff closer and whisper:
"God--God, Margaret, so do I hope so--so do I."
And perhaps the court for a second thought of a little blue-eyed,
fair-haired girl and a gentle woman who lived for him alone in all the
world, and perhaps not; for this being a legal paper may set down only
such matters as are of evidence. But it is witnessed and may be
certified to that the court did drop his eyes for a second or two, that
the white thread of a scar upon the forehead of the court did redden for
a moment while he held the heavy bejewelled hand of plaintiff,
hereinbefore mentioned, and that he did draw a deep breath, and did look
out of the window, set high up in the court house, and that he did see
the elm trees covering a home which, despite all his perfidy and neglect
was full of love for him--love that needed no high sleeves nor great
plumy hats, nor twinkling silver bangles, nor jangling gold chatelaines,
to make it beautiful. But let us make it of record and set it down here,
in this instrument that the court rose, looked into the great brown eyes
and the fair face, and seeing the rich, shameless mouth and blazing
color upon the features, did then and there fall down in his heart and
worship that mask, and did take the hand that he held in both of his and
standing before the woman did cry in a deep voice, full of agony:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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