Janie saw her life like a great tree in leaf with the things suffered

237/260“The defense rests,” her lawyer said. Then he and Prescottwhispered together and both of them talked to the judge in secret uphigh there where he sat. Then they both sat down.“Gentlemen of the jury, it is for you to decide whether the defendanthas committed a cold blooded murder or whether she is a poorbroken creature, a devoted wife trapped by unfortunate circumstanceswho really in firing a rifle bullet into the heart of her late husband dida great act of mercy. If you find her a wanton killer you must bring in averdict of first degree murder. If the evidence does not justify thatthen you must set her free. There is no middle course.”The jury filed out and the courtroom began to drone with talk, afew people got up and moved about. And Janie sat like a lump andwaited. It was not death she feared. It was misunderstanding. If theymade a verdict that she didn’t want Tea Cake and wanted him dead,then that was a real sin and a shame. It was worse than murder. Thenthe jury was back again. Out five minutes by the courthouse clock.“We find the death of Vergible Woods to be entirely accidental andjustifiable, and that no blame should rest upon the defendant JanieWoods.”So she was free and the judge and everybody up there smiled withher and shook her hand. And the white women cried and stood aroundher like a protecting wall and the Negroes, with heads hung down,shuffled out and away. The sun was almost down and Janie had seenthe sun rise on her troubled love and then she had shot Tea Cake andhad been in jail and had been tried for her life and now she was free.Nothing to do with the little that was left of the day but to visit thekind white friends who had realized her feelings and thank them. Sothe sun went down.