Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 123, No. 3 — page 171: what you’re looking at

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

6 CIRCUMSTANCES. den himself. But it was a man’s life he Was arguing about! Then the professional Brent was called in consultation, not consciously, but he was there, the doctor who had seen men die was there. Life was rather a cheap thing; death part of the day’s work. He was quite callous to it—but Madden was inno- _cent. Madden might as well be dead. He would have to die some time. What if he were acquitted? had before, with tife more of a burden than anything else? How much did he owe Madden, anyway? The man was nothing to him, just a piece of human driftwood carried into his lifé by some capricious tide of Fate. Three weeks before he had not known such a man ex- isted. Then, circumstances— That was it, the whole thing was just a set of circumstances. Brent had had nothing to do with shaping them, they had reached out and caught him! And if he told, it was the end of everything for‘him— and for her. Brent burned with a sudden hatred of Madden. What if he wasn’t guilty! He was worthless, good-for-nothing. It might just as well have been he who murdered Mrs. Spalding. And he had lied! Brent had heard him lie, there in the morgue when he had made his " pefjured identification of the man who had been killed in the railroad yard. | What if they did convict him! It was no concern of Brent’s. He had asked noth- ing of Madden. Madden had no claim on him. This was every man for himself. What if he were innocent? If he wasn’t a fool he could prove it. It was his own fault if they found him guilty! And sup- pose ‘they did? Suppose Madden died down in the State’s prison? That would end it. Yes, that would end it, Mrs. Spalding’s death would be explained, the law would have exacted the penalty. Soon it would all be forgotten. Then Brent could find Peggy—he would find her somewhere-— then— Meanwhile Pendleton was well along with his summing up. It was a masterpiece. Afterward Juror No. 3 admitted admiring- Wouldn’t he go on as he _ : self, 453 ly that “It made you feel as if some one was settin’ there behind the judge, watchin’ everything to see that it went along all right.” Nearly two hours after Philip Brent reached his home, mammy appeared in the doorway of the study, paused and surveyed him in a worried way. “Doan you fret, Mr. Phil,” she soothed him, “ Miss Peggy ain’t goin’ to stay away for long. 7 N “ Did she say—” “No, she didn’t say nuthin’ only jes’ what I tol’ you. But I know Miss Peggy, Ido. What you doin’ with yo’ hat still: on yo’ haid?” “Pm just going out,” said Brent, ris- For Brent had at last reached his decision. It was a selfish decision, Brent told him- It wasn’t that he wanted Madden to be free, but. because he himself wanted to be free. He had realized that the one Ss. i thing from which he could not-escape was - himself. Silence now would sell him into bondage: he would be forever the slave of the past. Brent started for the court-house to ‘tell what he knew. A drizzling rain had set in, but. Brent was not aware of it. the trial of Madden for murder, was vividly before him. Nothing else existed. In the court-house, Brent went directly to the judge’s private chambers. Not until his hand was on the door-knob did he hesi- tate. Then it was not to reconsider his decision, but merely to weigh the wisdom of waiting for the judge to come ‘from the court-room. The alternative was entering the court-room and declaring himself there. Brent concluded that a private interview with the judge would be if anything more efiective than an announcement in open court. And, too, there was a possibility that the thing might be handled quietly if he were to talk to the judge alone, and — . that would spare Peggy some of the shock. He opened the door. . As Brent stepped into the room, he dis- covered a woman was seated in a chair beside the window, looking out at the gray blear of sky. His errand, stopping rigina | from (569) y =a Ke DOOK CO THE OF lo STATE UI