The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1874-11-04

4 LOOK tnefn III StuD5iSSSSe nnss,u utSo es'o :. =
groups he took them loo king up ant
Hooking down; making gestures q
sitting still; he took them as they
stood in windows, and IS they walk
cd before him, orr rode past: :sir ecaY
riages. Many. Of the prof. rapsrs
were clear andfgood, but stliH shs san
tie finish was wanting Dans eouIo
not realize his dream. 3
Finally his mother begged hinf to
stop his amusement Gus sh0ealled ~,
and 60 into store or son1c business
where he might support himself. AZ
Dan shook his heads
"Can't, mother" d
"But, Dan, / can't afford to give
much more money for the acids.sy ou
want"
."Ah p said Dan. he shook .his
head once more, and looked very sdee.
jected.
lie was at his wits end. He be.
lievcd he was on tho very verge ol
an important discovery. uo only
wanted little more time and q litth
more money. Where should the
money come from2 80 &; sts.. - &
This was a trying question. He
could not imagine that any one would
ever loan him enough cash TO carry
out his projects aud he did not seem
to think Of any way TO earn O sutii.
cient sum. He went up TO his 'den,'
and sat down in the midst of his bot.
ties and rubbish, feeling uncommonly
blue. There was his camera upou its
three long legs, with it's black muffle,
drawn carefully over it, and with itt
brass nose pointed out into the colo
air. zsas
The boy's thoughts pointed the
same way. He must 60 out in the
cold and find something TO do, OF
some day he might have to stay out
!. in the cold. He descended into the
. street, and Wandered about the town
moody and distressed.
About this time trial was in pro
gress at tho court. A man was
charged with passing forged check
at the bank. The teller who paid the
money fully identified the prisoner
described his movements, and related
what was said between them at the
time with the greatest minuteness.
On the other hand, the accused in.
dignanlly denied the charge, and pro.
tested that he was not in or near the
bank at the time alleged, but in the
Office of q friend on B.street. Ho re-
membered his whereabouts, for his
arrest was not so long after the pre-.
sentation of the check but that all
his movements on that day remained
distinctly in his mind. From the
first he had continued to assert his in,
noccncc, and declared that the teller
had mistaken him for some other
man.
| Unfortunately for him, he was
Obliged to admit that he was alono in
his friends Office at the hour in ques-
ton, and he failed to produce any
witness besides himself to prove de6n-
Iitely where he was, though he had
made every effort to do so. 1t was a
question of voracity, man against
man, but tho clear and very positive
statement of the teller against the ac.
cuscd, and the possibility of some mo-
tjvespresume1 to exist in the mans
financial circumstances, had decided
the bank directors, considering the
Interests at stake, to hold him to an:
swer at the next session of the court
And now the day Of his trial had
come.
Everybody was extremely interest
cd in this trial, for the prisoner was
we'll known in tho town, and had al.
ways been supposed to be hon
est. The anxiety was intense to
know whether he would really be
proved criminal. a
The case seemed to be going
against the accused, ior ono or TIVE
/ other people had been summoned
who testified that, "to the best Of
their knowledge and belief" they had
seen this man in or about the bank
at ono o'clock on tho day when the
check was passed.
The prisoner sat in the courtroom
tpale, but with o certain fearless firm
I ness on his features that scarcely
seemed like guilt.
i All the known evidence was in, apo
to the last, save the statements OF {
few friends as to his previous gooo
character, nothing in his behalf be
yond his own unsupported word mac
been brought forward.
i The prosecuting attorney rose anc
formally recounted the strong points
lin the case, dwelling especially on tho
failure of tho prisoner to prove ar
alibi, i. c., to show to the satisfaction
of the court that he was elsewhere
than in the bank at the moment D,
the crime, when suddenly, TO the un
speakablc astonishment of all pre-
sent, q queer voice from Il distant
part of the room exclaimed -
"But can tell where he was"
Everybody turned to look at tho
speaker, who was mono other thar
our friend Dan. Hc stood with his
mouth wide open, clutching his car
with one hand. and with the Other
nervously poking his tousled hair
Everybody laughed.
"Silrncc p roared the crier in q
fierce, and then, assuming that the
boy intended to mako sport, he order
ed him to sit down.
I "No," drawled Dan, II guess !
won't"
OF course that set the crowd into a
still louder uproar Of laughter. The
| A. -, op,,,f n Of ba