within the law-第1部分

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Within　the　Law

by　Marvin　Dana

From　the　play　of　Bayard　Veiller





CONTENTS。

CHAPTER
I。　　　　　The　Panel　of　Light
II。　　　　A　Cheerful　Prodigal
III。　　　Only　Three　Years
IV。　　　　Kisses　and　Kleptomania
V。　　　　　The　Victim　of　the　Law　
VI。　　　　Inferno
VII。　　　Within　the　Law
VIII。　　A　Tip　from　Headquarters　
X。　　　　　A　Legal　Document
X。　　　　　Marked　Money
XI。　　　　The　Thief
XII。　　　A　Bridegroom　Spurned
XIII。　　The　Advent　of　Griggs
XIV。　　　A　Wedding　Announcement
XV。　　　　Aftermath　of　Tragedy
XVI。　　　Burke　Plots
XVII。　　Outside　the　Law　
XVIII。　The　Noiseless　Death　
XIX。　　　Within　the　Toils
XX。　　　　Who　Shot　Griggs？
XXI。　　　Aggie　at　Bay
XXII。　　The　Trap　That　Failed
XXIII。　The　Confession
XXIV。　　Anguish　and　Bliss



CHAPTER　I。　THE　PANEL　OF　LIGHT　

The　lids　of　the　girl's　eyes　lifted　slowly；　and　she　stared　at　the　panel　of　light　in　the　wall。　　Just　at　the　outset；　the　act　of　seeing　made　not　the　least　impression　on　her　numbed　brain。　　For　a　long　time　she　continued　to　regard　the　dim　illumination　in　the　wall　with　the　same　passive　fixity　of　gaze。　　Apathy　still　lay　upon　her　crushed　spirit。　　In　a　vague　way；　she　realized　her　own　inertness；　and　rested　in　it　gratefully；　subtly　fearful　lest　she　again　arouse　to　the　full　horror　of　her　plight。　　In　a　curious　subconscious　fashion；　she　was　striving　to　hold　on　to　this　deadness　of　sensation；　thus　to　win　a　little　respite　from　the　torture　that　had　exhausted　her　soul。

Of　a　sudden；　her　eyes　noted　the　black　lines　that　lay　across　the　panel　of　light。　　And；　in　that　instant；　her　spirit　was　quickened　once　again。　　The　clouds　lifted　from　her　brain。　　Vision　was　clear　now。　　Understanding　seized　the　full　import　of　this　hideous　thing　on　which　she　looked。。。。　For　the　panel　of　light　was　a　window；　set　high　within　a　wall　of　stone。　　The　rigid　lines　of　black　that　crossed　it　were　barsprison　bars。　　It　was　still　true；　then：　She　was　in　a　cell　of　the　Tombs。

The　girl；　crouching　miserably　on　the　narrow　bed；　maintained　her　fixed　watching　of　the　windowthat　window　which　was　a　symbol　of　her　utter　despair。　　Again；　agony　wrenched　within　her。　　She　did　not　weep：　long　ago　she　had　exhausted　the　relief　of　tears。　　She　did　not　pace　to　and　fro　in　the　comfort　of　physical　movement　with　which　the　caged　beast　finds　a　mocking　imitation　of　liberty：　long　ago；　her　physical　vigors　had　been　drained　under　stress　of　anguish。　　Now；　she　was　well…nigh　incapable　of　any　bodily　activity。　　There　came　not　even　so　much　as　the　feeblest　moan　from　her　lips。　　The　torment　was　far　too　racking　for　such　futile　fashion　of　lamentation。　　She　merely　sat　there　in　a　posture　of　collapse。　To　all　outward　seeming；　nerveless；　emotionless；　an　abject　creature。　　Even　the　eyes；　which　held　so　fixedly　their　gaze　on　the　window；　were　quite　expressionless。　Over　them　lay　a　film；　like　that　which　veils　the　eyes　of　some　dead　thing。　　Only　an　occasional　languid　motion　of　the　lids　revealed　the　life　that　remained。

So　still　the　body。　　Within　the　soul；　fury　raged　uncontrolled。　　For　all　the　desolate　calm　of　outer　seeming；　the　tragedy　of　her　fate　was　being　acted　with　frightful　vividness　there　in　memory。　　In　that　dreadful　remembrance；　her　spirit　was　rent　asunder　anew　by　realization　of　that　which　had　become　her　portion。。。。　It　was　then；　as　once　again　the　horrible　injustice　of　her　fate　racked　consciousness　with　its　tortures；　that　the　seeds　of　revolt　were　implanted　in　her　heart。　　The　thought　of　revenge　gave　to　her　the　first　meager　gleam　of　comfort　that　had　lightened　her　moods　through　many　miserable　days　and　nights。　　Those　seeds　of　revolt　were　to　be　nourished　well；　were　to　grow　into　their　flowera　poison　flower；　developed　through　the　three　years　of　convict　life　to　which　the　judge　had　sentenced　her。

The　girl　was　appalled　by　the　mercilessness　of　a　destiny　that　had　so　outraged　right。　　She　was　wholly　innocent　of　having　done　any　wrong。　　She　had　struggled　through　years　of　privation　to　keep　herself　clean　and　wholesome；　worthy　of　those　gentlefolk　from　whom　she　drew　her　blood。　　And　earnest　effort　had　ended　at　last　under　an　overwhelming　accusationfalse；　yet　none　the　less　fatal　to　her。　　This　accusation；　after　soul…wearying　delays；　had　culminated　to…day　in　conviction。　　The　sentence　of　the　court　had　been　imposed　upon　her：　that　for　three　years　she　should　be　imprisoned。。。。　This；　despite　her　innocence。　　She　had　endured　muchmiserably　much！for　honesty's　sake。　　There　wrought　the　irony　of　fate。　　She　had　endured　bravely　for　honesty's　sake。　　And　the　end　of　it　all　was　shame　unutterable。　There　was　nought　left　her　save　a　wild　dream　of　revenge　against　the　world　that　had　martyrized　her。　　〃Vengeance　is　mine。　　I　will　repay；　saith　the　Lord。〃。。。　The　admonition　could　not　touch　her　now。　　Why　should　she　care　for　the　decrees　of　a　God　who　had　abandoned　her！

There　had　been　nothing　in　the　life　of　Mary　Turner；　before　the　catastrophe　came；　to　distinguish　it　from　many　another。　　Its　most　significant　details　were　of　a　sordid　kind；　familiar　to　poverty。　　Her　father　had　been　an　unsuccessful　man；　as　success　is　esteemed　by　this　generation　of　Mammon…worshipers。　　He　was　a　gentleman；　but　the　trivial　fact　is　of　small　avail　to…day。　　He　was　of　good　birth；　and　he　was　the　possessor　of　an　inherited　competence。　　He　had；　as　well；　intelligence；　but　it　was　not　of　a　financial　sort。

So；　little　by　little；　his　fortune　became　shrunken　toward　nothingness；　by　reason　of　injudicious　investments。　　He　married　a　charming　woman；　who；　after　a　brief　period　of　wedded　happiness；　gave　her　life　to　the　birth　of　the　single　child　of　the　union；　Mary。　Afterward；　in　his　distress　over　this　loss；　Ray　Turner　seemed　even　more　incompetent　for　the　management　of　business　affairs。　　As　the　years　passed；　the　daughter　grew　toward　maturity　in　an　experience　of　ever…increasing　penury。　　Nevertheless；　there　was　no　actual　want　of　the　necessities　of　life；　though　always　a　woful　lack　of　its　elegancies。　　The　girl　was　in　the　high…school；　when　her　father　finally　gave　over　his　rather　feeble　effort　of　living。　Between　parent　and　child；　the　intimacy　had　been　unusually　close。　　At　his　death；　the　father　left　her　a　character　well　instructed　in　the　excellent　principles　that　had　been　his　own。　　That　was　his　sole　legacy　to　her。　　Of　worldly　goods；　not　the　value　of　a　pin。

Yet；　measured　according　to　the　stern　standards　of　adversity；　Mary　was　fortunate。　　Almost　at　once；　she　procured　a　humble　employment　in　the　Emporium；　the　great　department　store　owned　by　Edward　Gilder。　　To　be　sure；　the　wage　was　infinitesimal；　while　the　toil　was　body…breaking　soul…breaking。　　Still；　the　pittance　could　be　made　to　sustain　life；　and　Mary　was　blessed　with　both　soul　and　body　to　sustain　much。　　So　she　merged　herself　in　the　army　of　workersin　the　vast　battalion　of　those　that　give　their　entire　selves　to　a　labor　most　stern　and　unremitting；　and　most　ill　rewarded。

Mary；　nevertheless；　avoided　the　worst　perils　of　her　lot。　　She　did　not　flinch　under　privation；　but　went　her　way　through　it；　if　not　serenely；　at　least　without　ever　a　thought　of　yielding　to　those　temptations　that　beset　a　girl　who　is　at　once　poor　and　charming。　　Fortunately　for　her；　those　in　closest　authority　over　her　were　not　so　deeply　smitten　as　to　make　obligatory　on　her　a　choice　between　complaisance　and　loss　of　position。　　She　knew　of　situations　like　that；　the　cul…de…sac　of　chastity；　worse　than　any　devised　by　a　Javert。　　In　the　store；　such　things　were　matters　of　course。　　There　is　little　innocence　for　the　girl　in　the　modern　city。　　There　can　be　none　for　the　worker　thrown　into　the　storm…center　of　a　great　commercial　activity；　humming　with　vicious　gossip；　all　alive　with　quips　from　the　worldly　wise。　　At　the　very　outset　of　her　employment；　the　sixteen…year…old　girl　learned　that　she　might　eke　out　the　six　dollars　weekly　by　trading　on　her　personal　attractiveness　to　those　of　the　opposite　sex。　　The　idea　was　repugnant　to　her；　not　only　from　the　maidenly　instinct　of　purity；　but　also　from　the　moral　principles　woven　into　her　character　by　the　teachings　of　a　father　wise　in　most　things；　though　a　fool　in　finance。　Thus；　she　remained　unsmirched；　though　well　informed　as　to　the　verities　of　life。　　She　preferred　purity　and　penury；　rather　than　a　slight　pampering　of　the　body　to　be　bought　by　its　degradation。　　Among　her　fellows　were　some　like　herself；　others；　unlike。　　Of　her　own　sort；　in　this　single　particular；　were　the　two　girls　with　whom　she　shared　a　cheap　room。　　Their　common　decency　in　attitude　toward　the　other　sex　was　the　unique　bond　of　union。　In　their　association；　she　found　no　real　companionship。　Nevertheless；　they　were　wholesome　enough。　　Otherwise　they　were　illiterate；　altogether　uncongenial。

In　such　wise；　through　five　dreary　years；　Mary　Turner　lived。　　Nine　hours　daily；　she　stood　behind　a　counter。　She　spent　her　other　waking　hours　in　obligatory　menial　labors：　cooking　her　own　scant　meals　over　the　gas；　washing　and　ironing；　for　the　sake　of　that　neat　appearance　which　was　required　of　her　by　those　in　authority　at　the　Emporiumyet；　more　especially；　necessary　for　her　own　self…respect。　　With　a　mind　keen　and　earnest；　she　contrived　some　solace　from　reading　and　studying；　since　the　free　library　gave　her　this　opportunity。　　So；　though　engaged　in　stultifying　occupation　through　most　of　her　hours；　she　was　able　to　find　food　for　mental　growth。　Even；　in　the　last　year；　she　had　reached　a　point　of　development　whereat　she　began　to　study　se