Within the Law: From the Play of Bayard Veiller

  CHAPTER IX. A LEGAL DOCUMENT.

  Mary Turner spent less than an hour in that mysteriously importantengagement with Dick Gilder, of which she had spoken to Aggie. Afterseparating from the young man, she went alone down Broadway, walking thefew blocks of distance to Sigismund Harris's office. On a corner, herattention was caught by the forlorn face of a girl crossing into theside street. A closer glance showed that the privation of the gauntfeatures was emphasized by the scant garments, almost in tatters.Instantly, Mary's quick sympathies were aroused, the more particularlysince the wretched child seemed of about the age she herself had beenwhen her great suffering had befallen. So, turning aside, she sooncaught up with the girl and spoke an inquiry.

  It was the familiar story, a father out of work, a sick mother, a broodof hungry children. Some confused words of distress revealed the factthat the wobegone girl was even then fighting the final battle of purityagainst starvation. That she still fought on in such case proved enoughas to her decency of nature, wholesome despite squalid surroundings.Mary's heart was deeply moved, and her words of comfort came with asimple sincerity that was like new life to the sorely beset waif. Shepromised to interest herself in securing employment for the father,such care as the mother and children might need, along with a propersituation for the girl herself. In evidence of her purpose, she took herengagement-book from her bag, and set down the street and number of theEast Side tenement where the family possessed the one room thatmocked the word home, and she gave a banknote to the girl to serve theimmediate needs.

  When she went back to resume her progress down Broadway, Mary feltherself vastly cheered by the warm glow within, which is the reward ofa kindly act, gratefully received. And, on this particular morning, shecraved such assuagement of her spirit, for the conscience that, inspite of all her misdeeds, still lived was struggling within her. Inher revolt against a world that had wantonly inflicted on her the worsttorments, Mary Turner had thought that she might safely disregard thoseprinciples in which she had been so carefully reared. She had believedthat by the deliberate adoption of a life of guile within limits allowedby the law, she would find solace for her wants, while feeling that thusshe avenged herself in some slight measure for the indignities she hadundergone unjustly. Yet, as the days passed, days of success as far asher scheming was concerned, this brilliant woman, who had tried to deemherself unscrupulous, found that lawlessness within the law failed tosatisfy something deep within her soul. The righteousness that washer instinct was offended by the triumphs achieved through so deviousdevices, though she resolutely set her will to suppress any spiritualrebellion.

  There was, as well, another grievance of her nature, yet more subtle,infinitely more painful. This lay in her craving for tenderness. Shewas wholly woman, notwithstanding the virility of her intelligence,its audacity, its aggressiveness. She had a heart yearning for themultitudinous affections that are the prerogative of the feminine; shehad a heart longing for love, to receive and to give in full measure....And her life was barren. Since the death of her father, there had beennone on whom she could lavish the great gifts of her tenderness. Throughthe days of her working in the store, circumstances had shut her outfrom all association with others congenial. No need to rehearse theimpossibilities of companionship in the prison life. Since then, thesituation had not vitally improved, in spite of her better worldlycondition. For Garson, who had saved her from death, she felt a strongand lasting gratitude--nothing that relieved the longing for nobleraffections. There was none other with whom she had any intimacy exceptthat, of a sort, with Aggie Lynch, and by no possibility could theadventuress serve as an object of deep regard. The girl was amusingenough, and, indeed, a most likable person at her best. But she was,after all, a shallow-pated individual, without a shred of principle ofany sort whatsoever, save the single merit of unswerving loyalty to her"pals." Mary cherished a certain warm kindliness for the first womanwho had befriended her in any way, but beyond this there was no finerfeeling.

  Nevertheless, it is not quite accurate to say that Mary Turner had hadno intimacy in which her heart might have been seriously engaged. In oneinstance, of recent happening, she had been much in association with ayoung man who was of excellent standing in the world, who was of goodbirth, good education, of delightful manners, and, too, wholesome andagreeable beyond the most of his class. This was Dick Gilder, and, sinceher companionship with him, Mary had undergone a revulsion greater thanever before against the fate thrust on her, which now at last she hadchosen to welcome and nourish by acquiescence as best she might.

  Of course, she could not waste tenderness on this man, for she haddeliberately set out to make him the instrument of her vengeance againsthis father. For that very reason, she suffered much from a consciencenewly clamorous. Never for an instant did she hesitate in herlong-cherished plan of revenge against the one who had brought ruin onher life, yet, through all her satisfaction before the prospect of finalvictory after continued delay, there ran the secret, inescapable sorrowover the fact that she must employ this means to attain her end. She hadno thought of weakening, but the better spirit within her warred againstthe lust to repay an eye for an eye. It was the new Gospel against theold Law, and the fierceness of the struggle rent her. Just now, thedoing of the kindly act seemed somehow to gratify not only her maternalinstinct toward service of love, but, too, to muffle for a little therebuking voice of her inmost soul.

  So she went her way more at ease, more nearly content again with herselfand with her system of living. Indeed, as she was shown into the privateoffice of the ingenious interpreter of the law, there was not a hint ofany trouble beneath the bright mask of her beauty, radiantly smiling.

  Harris regarded his client with an appreciative eye, as he bowed ingreeting, and invited her to a seat. The lawyer was a man of finephysique, with a splendid face of the best Semitic type, in which werelarge, dark, sparkling eyes--eyes a Lombroso perhaps might have judgedrather too closely set. As a matter of fact, Harris had suffered aflagrant injustice in his own life from a suspicion of wrong-doing whichhe had not merited by any act. This had caused him a loss of prestige inhis profession. He presently adopted the wily suggestion of the adage,that it is well to have the game if you have the name, and he resolutelyset himself to the task of making as much money as possible by any meansconvenient. Mary Turner as a client delighted his heart, both because ofthe novelty of her ideas and for the munificence of the fees which sheungrudgingly paid with never a protest. So, as he beamed on her now, andspoke a compliment, it was rather the lawyer than the man that was movedto admiration.

  "Why, Miss Turner, how charming!" he declared, smiling. "Really, my dearyoung lady, you look positively bridal."

  "Oh, do you think so?" Mary rejoined, with a whimsical pout, as sheseated herself. For the moment her air became distrait, but she quicklyregained her poise, as the lawyer, who had dropped back into hischair behind the desk, went on speaking. His tone now was crisplybusiness-like.

  "I sent your cousin, Miss Agnes Lynch, the release which she is tosign," he explained, "when she gets that money from General Hastings.I wish you'd look it over, when you have time to spare. It's all right,I'm sure, but I confess that I appreciate your opinion of things,Miss Turner, even of legal documents--yes, indeed, I do!--perhapsparticularly of legal documents."

  "Thank you," Mary said, evidently a little gratified by the frank praiseof the learned gentleman for her abilities. "And have you heard fromthem yet?" she inquired.

  "No," the lawyer replied. "I gave them until to-morrow. If I don'thear then, I shall start suit at once." Then the lawyer's manner becameunusually bland and self-satisfied as he opened a drawer of the deskand brought forth a rather formidable-appearing document, bearing amost impressive seal. "You will be glad to know," he went on unctuously,"that I was entirely successful in carrying out that idea of yours as tothe injunction. My dear Miss Turner," he went on with florid compliment,"Portia was a squawking baby, compared with you."

  "Thank you again,"
Mary answered, as she took the legal paper which heheld outstretched toward her. Her scarlet lips were curved happily, andthe clear oval of her cheeks blossomed to a deeper rose. For a moment,her glance ran over the words of the page. Then she looked up at thelawyer, and there were new lusters in the violet eyes.

  "It's splendid," she declared. "Did you have much trouble in gettingit?"

  Harris permitted himself the indulgence of an unprofessional chuckle ofkeenest amusement before he answered.

  "Why, no!" he declared, with reminiscent enjoyment in his manner. "Thatis, not really!" There was an enormous complacency in his air over theevent. "But, at the outset, when I made the request, the judge justnaturally nearly fell off the bench. Then, I showed him that Detroitcase, to which you had drawn my attention, and the upshot of it allwas that he gave me what I wanted without a whimper. He couldn't helphimself, you know. That's the long and the short of it."

  That mysterious document with the imposing seal, the request for whichhad nearly caused a judge to fall off the bench, reposed safely inMary's bag when she, returned to the apartment after the visit to thelawyer's office.