As the judge pronounced the sentence, a great cheer went up. Mr. Cowdrick’s counsel paid the fine at once, and Mr. Cowdrick, after shaking hands with the lawyers and receiving the apology of the prosecuting attorney for pushing him so hard, took his hat and walked out of the court-room a free and happy man.
Then a new jury was called to try a book-keeper, who, because his salary was insufficient for the support of his family, had stolen three hundred dollars from his employer.
The prosecuting attorney was unable to perceive anything of a pathetic nature in the case, and when the jury promptly brought in a verdict of guilty, the judge, with a perfectly dry eye, sentenced the prisoner to incarceration at hard labor for ten years.
Although the Goddess of Justice is blindfolded, she has sometimes a very discriminating sense of the relative importance of sinners who come to her for judgment.
CONGRATULATIONS.--RECONCILIATION.--TRUE LOVE TRIUMPHANT.--THE WEDDING.--THE END.
One of the first of Mr. Cowdrick’s friends who called to congratulate him upon the result of the painful ordeal to which he had been subjected was Father Tunicle.
“It must have been,” said the faithful pastor, “a terrible strain upon a man of delicate sensibility to sit there, uncertain what your fate would be. I sympathize with you heartily, and rejoice that the end was not worse.”
“You are very kind,” said Mr. Cowdrick, smiling. “Life is full of sorrows and afflictions for all of us; and of course I cannot expect to escape bearing my share of them.”
“No; and it is a comfort to reflect that these troubles are sent to us for our good. I shall expect you now to be a more efficient worker than ever at St. Cadmus’s.”
“I don’t know,” replied Mr. Cowdrick reflectively. “Possibly it might be better, all things considered, if I should not resume my official position in the church.”
“But, really, you must,” answered Father Tunicle. “You are still a member of the vestry, and matters will move more smoothly now, for Yetts has resigned. He was the thorn in my side.”
“I believe he has taken a pew at St. Sepulchre’s, which, you know, is extremely Low Church. Poor Yetts! He has fallen very far! Do you know that the rector of St. Sepulchre’s positively will not use a red altar-cloth on martyrs’ days; and that he walks to church with an umbrella upon the Festival of St. Swithin,--a positive insult to the memory of the saint.”
