Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-01-29

y. Cd attention, and was hope 1.
8, had made favorable impresa
Is then cross-examined me as follows {: Y
g. "Where is your father 2" ~
"He is in Rhode Island"
"When did he got"
+" "Day before yesterday"
"Does he approve Of boys of yoa
If age using firearms9"
N Il" Yes, sir, IL carefully handled, "
boldly replied.
E "How happened It that you were q
o hunting, instead Of being in school
The judges eyes were fixed penetrs,
h ingly on me.
o "Mr. Lowe excused me-" answered.
~ either Of your parents request
"Did your father see Mr.. Lowe, ali
b request leave of absence for you o.
v "No, SIR"
Q elbow did Mr.. Lowe know of
/ wishes2"
9 81 took note"
"From your father? 2"
: Yes-sir," hesitatingly.
"Did he write the note ?"
: At this question my heart began tt
beat violently, and the blood mounted
3 higher and higher, till I knew that my
face must be bright scarlet.
"Did your father write the note p
questioned Esquire Hammond, authori
, tatively.
"Yes-I believe so-yes-I-saw
him."
Where were you when he wrote it2'
chin the library" I faltered out,
hardly conscious of what I was saying.
Esquire Hammond put his hand in
his pocket, and drew out folded paper
and opened it. recognized it at once,
and my knees began to knock one
against the other, for it was the note I
had presented to Mr.. Lowe.
els this the note you gave to Mr..
Lowe9" he continued, holding it out to
me.
eyes, sir.
"Mr. Lowe tells me-" continued Es-
quire Hammond, "that he excused you
from attending school because of this
written request from your father. When
did your father write it9"
"Just before I went to school yester-
day morning." I faltered, beginning to
forget what I was about.
"You say" said Esquire Hammond,
sternly, "that he has been in Rhode
Island since day before yesterday, and
yet you saw him write this yesterday
morning. Now which of these state
ments is true, and which is false p"
made no reply. Ny wits complete
ly deserted me. I had condemned my
self.
Esquire Hammond read the note
aloud, and long and hearty laugh, as
he endeu with "Hon. Asa Cooper"
burst from the people who were present.
l burst into tears. The wrong act l
had committed in counterfeiting fathers
writing, was a strong witness against
me, and had destroyed all confidence in
my statements. read in Esquire Ham
mond's face that hard verdict would
come from his lips, and the horrors of
shuddering fear, I thought of my pa
disgrace would cause them. Perhaps it
would be the death of my sick mother.
I stood overcome with grief and de-
spair.
Just then a loud, prolonged whistle
announced the approach of the incoming
train. Father was doubtless passenger
in it. 1 cast an imploring glance at Ma
than. He hurried out, and 1 knew he
would speedily return with him.
At that instant Jonathan Morris, one
of our neighbors, entered the office.
His face was flushed, and his breath
came deep and quick, as if he had been
running.
He fixed his eyes for minute encour-
agingly upon me, and then asked per
mission of Esquire Hammond to speak.
Then he said, in loud voice:
chatham Bagley has just told me that
Jasper Cooper's trial is going on, and I
am here to testify that he did not know
his gun was loaded"
How my heart bounded at these words
of hope.
81 saw fox" continued Jonathan,
"prowling about my turkey pen. ran
over and borrowed Jasper's gun of Mar
garet Connor. Before could get back
and load it, the fox was gone, but when
I carried the gun home, the ball was
still in it,.
Jonathan Morris was highly respect.
ed man in the town, and his testimony
saved me from being tried for capital
crime. The stern features of Mr.. Ham
mond relaxed, and the opinions of all
who had listened to him were percepti-
bly, changed. I was undoubtedly bad
boy, but not so bad as 1 had seemed.
After few more questions, and a lit
tie deliberation, Esquire Hammond gave
his verdict as follows:
For the crime of wantonly frighten-
ing Mrs. Lucy Robinson, Jasper Cooper
is required to pay fine of fifteen dol
lars and the costs of this trial.
Father and Nathan had come in while
he was speaking, and in time to hear
his concluding words. Father took out
his pocketbook and promptly paid the ;
fine. You may be sure that was thor :. .
oughly punished and penitent. -.
AS we walked home, I confessed, with ,,
out the slightest concealment, all the :
wrong had done in forging his writing
to obtain leave of absence from :,
school, and then in a moment of resent ;;
full mischief, pointing my gun at an old ,,
and threatening her with the !
disastrous result now so well known.
"My son." said he, very seriously, !
GO you now see the value of good name. i.
You prejudiced old Lucy Robinson /,
against you by teasing her. You for /,
feited Esquire Hammond's confidence =
by robbing his pear tree and the note =,
you courterfeited destroyed your charac- ,,
Ter for truth. With only your own !
word to help you in this trial, you could :
not have escaped the heavy charge made =
against you. If good name has been :
and the life record is right, !
you may defy suspicion and conquer =
alse charges but with bad reputation, :,
t is often impossible for even the inno- :,
,ent to get justice" =
I have never forgotten the lesson of b
hat day. 1t taught me to shun dissimu.
alton and artifice, and since then I have
lever wilfully told lie. I sought by
very means in my power to repair the y
wrong had done Lucy Robinson. Her !
oundhealedin time, and as fatherpresent- I
ID her with a handsome sum of money, U
besides fixing her house, her bitter feel G