rather liked the attitude in which he stood. It seemed as if he were
the incarnation of outraged justice attempting to hold its own at
the floodgates of emotion. He liked to think he was looking far
beyond the present and the specific and acting as guardian of the
future--and the whole. In summing it up that night the reporters
would tell in highly wrought fashion of the moving appeal made by
Senator Dorman, and then they would speak dispassionately of the
logical argument of the leader of the opposition. There was more
satisfaction to self in logic than in mere eloquence. He was even a
little proud of his unpopularity. It seemed sacrificial.

He wondered why it was Senator Dorman had thrown himself into it so
whole-heartedly. All during the session the Senator from Maxwell had
neglected personal interests in behalf of this boy, who was nothing
to him in the world. He supposed it was as a sociological and
psychological experiment. Senator Dorman had promised the Governor
to assume guardianship of the boy if he were let out. The Senator
from Johnson inferred that as a student of social science his
eloquent colleague wanted to see what he could make of him. To
suppose the interest merely personal and sympathetic would seem
discreditable.

"I need not dwell upon the story," the Senator from Maxwell was
saying, "for you all are familiar with it already. It is said to
have been the most awful crime ever committed in the State. I grant
you that it was, and then I ask you to look for a minute into the
conditions leading up to it.

"When the boy was born, his mother was instituting divorce
proceedings against his father. She obtained the divorce, and