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Cowperwood's attitude toward his mother in this final hour was about as tender and sympathetic
as any he could maintain in this world. He understood quite clearly the ramifications of her
interests, and how she was suffering for him and all the others concerned. He had not forgotten
her sympathetic care of him in his youth; and if he could have done anything to have spared her
this unhappy breakdown of her fortunes in her old age, he would have done so. There was no
use crying over spilled milk. It was impossible at times for him not to feel intensely in moments
of success or failure; but the proper thing to do was to bear up, not to show it, to talk little and
go your way with an air not so much of resignation as of self-sufficiency, to whatever was
awaiting you. That was his attitude on this morning, and that was what he expected from those
around him--almost compelled, in fact, by his own attitude.
"Well, mother," he said, genially, at the last moment--he would not let her nor his wife nor his
sister come to court, maintaining that it would make not the least difference to him and would
only harrow their own feelings uselessly--"I'm going now. Don't worry. Keep up your spirits."
He slipped his arm around his mother's waist, and she gave him a long, unrestrained,
despairing embrace and kiss.
"Go on, Frank," she said, choking, when she let him go. "God bless you. I'll pray for you." He
paid no further attention to her. He didn't dare.
"Good-by, Lillian," he said to his wife, pleasantly, kindly. "I'll be back in a few days, I think. I'll be
coming out to attend some of these court proceedings."
To his sister he said: "Good-by, Anna. Don't let the others get too down-hearted."
"I'll see you three afterward," he said to his father and brothers; and so, dressed in the very best
fashion of the time, he hurried down into the reception-hall, where Steger was waiting, and was
off. His family, hearing the door close on him, suffered a poignant sense of desolation. They
stood there for a moment, his mother crying, his father looking as though he had lost his last
friend but making a great effort to seem self-contained and equal to his troubles, Anna telling
Lillian not to mind, and the latter staring dumbly into the future, not knowing what to think.
Surely a brilliant sun had set on their local scene, and in a very pathetic way.
Chapter LII
When Cowperwood reached the jail, Jaspers was there, glad to see him but principally relieved
to feel that nothing had happened to mar his own reputation as a sheriff. Because of the
urgency of court matters generally, it was decided to depart for the courtroom at nine o'clock.
Eddie Zanders was once more delegated to see that Cowperwood was brought safely before
Judge Payderson and afterward taken to the penitentiary. All of the papers in the case were put
in his care to be delivered to the warden.
"I suppose you know," confided Sheriff Jaspers to Steger, "that Stener is here. He ain't got no
money now, but I gave him a private room just the same. I didn't want to put a man like him in
no cell." Sheriff Jaspers sympathized with Stener.
"That's right. I'm glad to hear that," replied Steger, smiling to himself.
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