Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1856-12-04
CHATTER III.

CHATTER III.
The course of retributivc Justice, rs admins
tered here on earth has more different PAGES
than RoSalind has attributed to time but.
. those with whom it lags withal," are not of
ten the poor and fricndless. A few DAYS only
elapsed before was summoned as Il witness
To attend the trial of A lice Sumner In the
meantime, both Mr.. Bullion and myself made
great, but fruitlcss efforts, to obtain further
Insight into the true facts of the case The
prisoner herself made no confession. but CON
Stantiy asserted her innocence. to The great
discontinue of the broker, and the unutterabc
perpleXity Of myself sought in vain for a
flaw in the chain of evidence against her. or a
chance to establish her innocence by other
facts Even the general testimony of good
character, the last fraiI reed on which she leant,
seemed to bend beneath her. She and her
mother had but lately come to the CITY, and to
all our inquiries, as to their former home and
friends, we received only courteous, but eva
sive answers 1t was evident that some dark
cloud of sorrow, if not of crime, hung over
their past history !; and this, while it did not
diminish the interest felt in her, sadly weak
cncd my confidence in her defense.
1t was the day before the trial, and sat in
my Office mlsing painfully on the dark features
OF the case, when a stranger entered The first
glance assured me, that he was one of class
of clients with which most of our city LAWYERS
are familiar y scedy, decrept old man, hum
bic yet querulous detected, and vet visionary.
bearing about tattered aud worn collection
of papers, and litifulIy urging his tale of wrong
and suffering, from which the patient listener
CLEANS at the same time. n belief that the sad
tale is true, and melancholy conviction that
knavcry has 50 cunningy hidden, or time SC
long obtcratcd the evidences of the wrong
that no court save that of the OmniScient, can
ever set it right
| turned ircm the man more pettishly than
] should have done but for the subject that en-.
crossed my thoughts The poor old mans
spirits We're too much broken to take oiensC
at my rudeness. BescCChingly he added -
did not mean to give you trouble for
nothing, sir. | have but little to offer YOU
now, but | will pay you liberaily when ! gain
my case i on shall liayc--vou see mean to
be gcuerous--let me scc-I cannot recover leSe
than twenty Thousand dollars-it rlay be thir
ty, or even forty--and you shall have II quar-
ter of it all Think of that, sir Ten thou
sand dollars for one case !" And my client
thouSandth time, poor fellow that his trouble
were almost over, and the phantom, in pursuit
of which his life had been wasted, at least
within his grasp. No doubt in his blisSfnI Wis
ion, he already began to look On me as a re
cipient of his bounty and to wonder at the cool
ness with which regarded the glittcring prize
before me. But had been dazzed more than
once III the same way.
How much can you afford me as q retain
er 2"
Now 7" He seemed to be engaged in an
abstruse calculation as il over the resources OF
nation. Ten thousand dollars when the
case is finished say, six months or II year hence
Suppose we say five dollars, sir, on account
There was something so painfully eager in
the look that accompanied these words, that
suppressed the smile which had been prompt
ed by the pathos in his offer, and Siguiied my
acceptance. My client drew from his pocket
a lank purse, and from the purse a solitary
coin. Poor dreamer he was paying his al
for this one more ticket in the lottery.
had opened my lips to bid him leave his pa
pers and take back the coin when my eye feI
on it. One scruliuizing glance, and junpcG