"They will probably not be necessary," observed the
judge, and he turned to Jurgis. "You admit attacking
the plaintiff?" he asked.

"Him?" inquired Jurgis, pointing at the boss.

"Yes," said the judge.

"I hit him, sir," said Jurgis.

"Say 'your Honor,'" said the officer, pinching his arm
hard.

"Your Honor," said Jurgis, obediently.

"You tried to choke him?"

"Yes, sir, your Honor."

"Ever been arrested before?"

"No, sir, your Honor."

"What have you to say for yourself?"

Jurgis hesitated. What had he to say? In two years
and a half he had learned to speak English for practical
purposes, but these had never included the statement that
someone had intimidated and seduced his wife. He tried
once or twice, stammering and balking, to the annoyance of
the judge, who was gasping from the odor of fertilizer.
Finally, the prisoner made it understood that his vocabu~
lary was inadequate, and there stepped up a dapper young
man with waxed mustaches, bidding him speak in any
language he knew.

Jurgis began; supposing that he would be given time,
he explained how the boss had taken advantage of his
wife's position to make advances to her and had threatened
her with the loss of her place. When the interpreter had
translated this, the judge, whose calendar was crowded,
and whose automobile was ordered for a certain hour,
interrupted with the remark: "Oh, I see. Well, if he
made love to your wife, why didn't she complain to the
superintendent or leave the place?"

Jurgis hesitated, somewhat taken aback; he began to
explain that they were very poor -- that work was hard
to get --

"I see," said Justice Callahan; "so instead you thought
you would knock him down." He turned to the plaintiff,
inquiring, "Is there any truth in this story, Mr. Connor?"

[[199]]

p198 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p199w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p200

v?