within the law-第5章

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et；　or　to　his　secretary。　Intimate　association　is　hostile　to　hero…worship。　　So；　now；　Sarah　spoke　nonchalantly；　to　the　indignation　of　the　philanthropist：

〃Oh；　yes；　sir。　　Specially　when　you　make　so　much　that　you　don't　miss　it。〃

Gilder's　thick　gray　brows　drew　down　in　a　frown　of　displeasure；　while　his　eyes　opened　slightly　in　sheer　surprise　over　the　secretary's　unexpected　remark。　　He　hesitated　for　only　an　instant　before　replying　with　an　air　of　great　dignity；　in　which　was　a　distinct　note　of　rebuke　for　the　girl's　presumption。

〃The　profits　from　my　store　are　large；　I　admit；　Sarah。　But　I　neither　smuggle　my　goods；　take　rebates　from　railroads；　conspire　against　small　competitors；　nor　do　any　of　the　dishonest　acts　that　disgrace　other　lines　of　business。　So　long　as　I　make　my　profits　honestly；　I　am　honestly　entitled　to　them；　no　matter　how　big　they　are。〃

The　secretary；　being　quite　content　with　the　havoc　she　had　wrought　in　her　employer's　complacency　over　his　charitableness；　nodded；　and　contented　herself　with　a　demure　assent　to　his　outburst。

〃Yes；　sir；〃　she　agreed；　very　meekly。

Gilder　stared　at　her　for　a　few　seconds；　somewhat　indignantly。　　Then；　he　bethought　himself　of　a　subtle　form　of　rebuke　by　emphasizing　his　generosity。

〃Have　the　cashier　send　my　usual　five　hundred　to　the　Charities　Organization　Society；〃　he　ordered。　　With　this　new　evidence　of　his　generous　virtue；　the　frown　passed　from　his　brows。　　If；　for　a　fleeting　moment；　doubt　had　assailed　him　under　the　spur　of　the　secretary's　words；　that　doubt　had　now　vanished　under　his　habitual　conviction　as　to　his　sterling　worth　to　the　world　at　large。

It　was；　therefore；　with　his　accustomed　blandness　of　manner　that　he　presently　acknowledged　the　greeting　of　George　Demarest；　the　chief　of　the　legal　staff　that　looked　after　the　firm's　affairs。　　He　was　aware　without　being　told　that　the　lawyer　had　called　to　acquaint　him　with　the　issue　in　the　trial　of　Mary　Turner。

〃Well；　Demarest？〃　　he　inquired；　as　the　dapper　attorney　advanced　into　the　room　at　a　rapid　pace；　and　came　to　a　halt　facing　the　desk；　after　a　lively　nod　in　the　direction　of　the　secretary。

The　lawyer's　face　sobered；　and　his　tone　as　he　answered　was　tinged　with　constraint。

〃Judge　Lawlor　gave　her　three　years；〃　he　replied；　gravely。　　It　was　plain　from　his　manner　that　he　did　not　altogether　approve。

But　Gilder　was　unaffected　by　the　attorney's　lack　of　satisfaction　over　the　result。　　On　the　contrary；　he　smiled　exultantly。　　His　oritund　voice　took　on　a　deeper　note；　as　he　turned　toward　the　secretary。

〃Good！〃　he　exclaimed。　　〃Take　this；　Sarah。〃　　And　he　continued；　as　the　girl　opened　her　notebook　and　poised　the　pencil：　〃Be　sure　to　have　Smithson　post　a　copy　of　it　conspicuously　in　all　the　girls'　dressing…rooms；　and　in　the　reading…room；　and　in　the　lunch…rooms；　and　in　the　assembly…room。〃　　He　cleared　his　throat　ostentatiously　and　proceeded　to　the　dictation　of　the　notice：

〃Mary　Turner；　formerly　employed　in　this　store；　was　to…day　sentenced　to　prison　for　three　years；　having　been　convicted　for　the　theft　of　goods　valued　at　over　four　hundred　dollars。　　The　management　wishes　again　to　draw　attention　on　the　part　of　its　employees　to　the　fact　that　honesty　is　always　the　best　policy。。。。　Got　that？〃　

〃Yes；　sir。〃　　The　secretary's　voice　was　mechanical；　without　any　trace　of　feeling。　　She　was　not　minded　to　disturb　her　employer　a　second　time　this　morning　by　injudicious　comment。

〃Take　it　to　Smithson；〃　Gilder　continued；　〃and　tell　him　that　I　wish　him　to　attend　to　its　being　posted　according　to　my　directions　at　once。〃

Again；　the　girl　made　her　formal　response　in　the　affirmative；　then　left　the　room。

Gilder　brought　forth　a　box　of　cigars　from　a　drawer　of　the　desk；　opened　it　and　thrust　it　toward　the　waiting　lawyer；　who；　however；　shook　his　head　in　refusal；　and　continued　to　move　about　the　room　rather　restlessly。　Demarest　paid　no　attention　to　the　other's　invitation　to　a　seat；　but　the　courtesy　was　perfunctory　on　Gilder's　part；　and　he　hardly　perceived　the　perturbation　of　his　caller；　for　he　was　occupied　in　selecting　and　lighting　a　cigar　with　the　care　of　a　connoisseur。　　Finally；　he　spoke　again；　and　now　there　was　an　infinite　contentment　in　the　rich　voice。

〃Three　yearsthree　years！　That　ought　to　be　a　warning　to　the　rest　of　the　girls。〃　　He　looked　toward　Demarest　for　acquiescence。

The　lawyer's　brows　were　knit　as　he　faced　the　proprietor　of　the　store。

〃Funny　thing；　this　case！〃　he　ejaculated。　　〃In　some　features；　one　of　the　most　unusual　I　have　seen　since　I　have　been　practicing　law。〃

The　smug　contentment　abode　still　on　Gilder's　face　as　he　puffed　in　leisurely　ease　on　his　cigar　and　uttered　a　trite　condolence。

〃Very　sad！quite　so！　Very　sad　case；　I　call　it。〃　　Demarest　went　on　speaking；　with　a　show　of　feeling：　〃Most　unusual　case；　in　my　estimation。　　You　see；　the　girl　keeps　on　declaring　her　innocence。　　That；　of　course；　is　common　enough　in　a　way。　　But　here；　it's　different。　The　point　is；　somehow；　she　makes　her　protestations　more　convincing　than　they　usually　do。　　They　ring　true；　as　it　seems　to　me。〃

Gilder　smiled　tolerantly。

〃They　didn't　ring　very　true　to　the　jury；　it　would　seem；〃　he　retorted。　　And　his　voice　was　tart　as　he　added：　〃Nor　to　the　judge；　since　he　deemed　it　his　duty　to　give　her　three　years。〃

〃Some　persons　are　not　very　sensitive　to　impressions　in　such　cases；　I　admit；〃　Demarest　returned；　coolly。　　If　he　meant　any　subtlety　of　allusion　to　his　hearer；　it　failed　wholly　to　pierce　the　armor　of　complacency。

〃The　stolen　goods　were　found　in　her　locker；〃　Gilder　declared　in　a　tone　of　finality。　　〃Some　of　them；　I　have　been　given　to　understand；　were　actually　in　the　pocket　of　her　coat。〃

〃Well；〃　the　attorney　said　with　a　smile；　〃that　sort　of　thing　makes　good…enough　circumstantial　evidence；　and　without　circumstantial　evidence　there　would　be　few　convictions　for　crime。　　Yet；　as　a　lawyer；　I'm　free　to　admit　that　circumstantial　evidence　alone　is　never　quite　safe　as　proof　of　guilt。　　Naturally；　she　says　some　one　else　must　have　put　the　stolen　goods　there。　　As　a　matter　of　exact　reasoning；　that　is　quite　within　the　measure　of　possibility。　That　sort　of　thing　has　been　done　countless　times。〃

Gilder　sniffed　indignantly。

〃And　for　what　reason？〃　　he　demanded。　　〃It's　too　absurd　to　think　about。〃

〃In　similar　cases；〃　the　lawyer　answered；　〃those　actually　guilty　of　the　thefts　have　thus　sought　to　throw　suspicion　on　the　innocent　in　order　to　avoid　it　on　themselves　when　the　pursuit　got　too　hot　on　their　trail。　　Sometimes；　too；　such　evidence　has　been　manufactured　merely　to　satisfy　a　spite　against　the　one　unjustly　accused。〃

〃It's　too　absurd　to　think　about；〃　Gilder　repeated；　impatiently。　　〃The　judge　and　the　jury　found　no　fault　with　the　evidence。〃

Demarest　realized　that　this　advocacy　in　behalf　of　the　girl　was　hardly　fitting　on　the　part　of　the　legal　representative　of　the　store　she　was　supposed　to　have　robbed；　so　he　abruptly　changed　his　line　of　argument。

〃She　says　that　her　record　of　five　years　in　your　employ　ought　to　count　something　in　her　favor。〃

Gilder；　however；　was　not　disposed　to　be　sympathetic　as　to　a　matter　so　flagrantly　opposed　to　his　interests。

〃A　court　of　justice　has　decreed　her　guilty；〃　he　asserted　once　again；　in　his　ponderous　manner。　　His　emphasis　indicated　that　there　the　affair　ended。

Demarest　smiled　cynically　as　he　strode　to　and　fro。

〃Nowadays；〃　he　shot　out；　〃we　don't　call　them　courts　of　justice：　we　call　them　courts　of　law。〃

Gilder　yielded　only　a　rather　dubious　smile　over　the　quip。　　This　much　he　felt　that　he　could　afford；　since　those　same　courts　served　his　personal　purposes　well　in　deed。

〃Anyway；〃　he　declared；　becoming　genial　again；　〃it's　out　of　our　hands。　　There's　nothing　we　can　do；　now。〃

〃Why；　as　to　that；〃　the　lawyer　replied；　with　a　hint　of　hesitation；　〃I　am　not　so　sure。　　You　see；　the　fact　of　the　matter　is　that；　though　I　helped　to　prosecute　the　case；　I　am　not　a　little　bit　proud　of　the　verdict。〃

Gilder　raised　his　eyebrows　in　unfeigned　astonishment。　Even　yet；　he　was　quite　without　appreciation　of　the　attorney's　feeling　in　reference　to　the　conduct　of　the　case。

〃Why？〃　　he　questioned；　sharply。

〃Because；〃　the　lawyer　said；　again　halting　directly　before　the　desk；　〃in　spite　of　all　the　evidence　against　her；　I　am　not　sure　that　Mary　Turner　is　guiltyfar　from　it；　i