Lady Justice and the Candidate by Robert Thornhill Read Free Book Online Page A

any man I have known.”
        I felt a lump in my throat. I had no idea he felt that way and I knew that I certainly didn’t.
        Pastor Bob picked up his Bible, “Reading from the seventh chapter of Matthew, ‘ Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
        Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
        A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
        Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
    Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
        Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.’
    “The worth of a man is known by the fruits of his labors. Rather than me sermonizing further, which I’m sure would bore Walt to death --- pardon the pun, I think it would be appropriate to hear from some folks whose life he has touched.”
        Pastor Bob took his seat and Ox came to the pulpit.
        “In my twenty-five years on the job, this is the hardest thing that I have ever had to do. Walt was more than my partner --- he was my good friend. More than once he has saved my life and I his, and that forms a bond between men that is difficult for most folks to understand.
        “The motto of our department is ‘to serve and protect’ and that is exactly what Walt did, day in and day out.
        “I was proud to serve with him and I will miss him very much.”
        A tear ran down my cheek as the big man left the pulpit.
        The next person to come forward was Willie.
        “I ain’t much on speakin’, but I wanted folks to know how I felt ‘bout Mr. Walt.
        “Ain’t many men dat would take a black man who had lost his way off de street an’ give him a home an’ a job.
        “Mr. Walt done all dat and even mo’, he be my best friend. I gonna miss him too.”
        Dad was the next to step up.
        “I hate to admit it, but I wasn’t there for Walt when he was growing up. I was a terrible father, but Walt somehow managed without me. Maybe it was because I was such a bad example.
        “A parent isn’t supposed to have to bury his child and today I regret all of those years we could have had together, but as I stand here today, I can say that I’m proud of the man my son became in spite of me.
        “These past two years since he took me into his home have been the happiest of my life and I will treasure them forever.”
        After Mary and the Professor said kind words that brought tears to my eyes, I thought that this part of the service was about over, and I was surprised when a figure rose from among the officers --- Lincoln Murdock!
        Murdock had been my nemesis from my very first day on the job. He resented an old guy carrying a badge and he went out of his way to make my life as miserable as possible.
        It wasn’t until Ox picked the guy up by the collar and slammed him against the wall that he began to back off.
        While we never became buddies, his sarcastic remarks had diminished over the years.
        “I can be a real ass sometimes --- oh, sorry, pastor, --- and I wasn’t very kind to Walt Williams. I thought the department had made a mistake starting the City Retiree Action Patrol. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
        “Walt, Vince and Ed Jacobs, all members of the Patrol, were men I have been proud to serve with and now two of them have given their lives in the line of duty.
        “I just want to publicly apologize to Walt for the way I treated him. I just wish I would have done it while he was alive.”
        Somehow, Murdock’s words meant as much or more than anything that had been said up to that point. It meant that I had been accepted by the worst of my critics and that I had the respect of my