The Lake County star., 1877-11-08

!. How stlflingly hot the court-room
was, packed tOifs utmost with an in
tensely excited audience, and still
they came along after Hope was cer-
tain that there Was not room for an
other one. She had never seen so
many people before, and looking
around upon them from her seat In
the upper part OF the room, saw only a
sea of heads. She was conscious OF
but one individual face, that Of her
father, pale, but calm, in front Of the
swaying mass. BY and by the law
yers commenced talking. She felt
faint; it all buzzed and hummed
through her head she could not have
told a word that they were saying.
After what seemed to her long while
the witnesses for the prosecution were
called, and Big Bill took the stand.
He related the quarrel between the
colonel and Squire May at the polls,
enlarging upon 1t and running on In a
way that showed him entirely too
willing a witness. Then the widow
Antoine was sworn. She trembled
violently, and nothing could be got
from her except by questions.
band left.the house ?'
ened gasp, from behind the black
veil.
"How do you know it was 12
o'clock ?"
Because dinner had just been
placed upon the table,"
:" Do you always have dinner at ex-
actly nOOn?"
No, but as he left the door i heard
the whistle at Gatling's saw-milI."
why did he leave the house just
as dinner was ready?"
"He was angry because the boys
were not at home, and said he would
go down to the bridge and call them."
"That is sufficient" and the attorney
next called master Gus Antoine"
Gus came forward reluctantly, with
an appealing glance toward Hope, as
though he were asking her forgiveness
beforehand for what he was about to
say then he looked in the same way
toward Squire May, who answered his
glance by an encouraging nod of the
head.
"Did you attend the picnic at the
house Of the prisoner"
Gus swallowed hard, pulled his
jacket down strongly, and replied,
"Yes, SIR"
"Was the prisoner with you through
out the whole day ?"
"No, !sr."
"At what time did he leave you ?'
"At IL o. clock"
"How do you know 1t was IL
o'clock ?"
81 heard the whistle at Sam Cat
ling's."
"Did you hear anything else re-
markable soon after this and before
the return Of the prisoner?"
The boys face famed scarlet and
white i'm streaks and patches, rs though
he had been struck with q whip of
thongs, but he answered bravely :
"Yes, sir, 1 heard pistol shot"
"HOw do you know that 1t was not a
shot from this carbine?"
shooter makes. Squire May has lent
it to me often to hunt partridges."
"You may sit dowu."
Gus paid no attention to the lawyers
order, but leaning forward, eagerly ad-
dressed the judge and the jury: "May
1t please your honor, and you, gentle
May smiled. '"He gets that from me, -
he said to himself, for they had talked
of law and legal terms on their geolOg-
ical trip. What a fine lawyer he will
make, . he thought,-"and you, gentle
men Of the jury" Gus went on, II
would like to make few further re-
marks"
eff they have anything to do with
facts bearing upon this case" said the
judge, with smile at the boys at
tempt at forensic eloquence, "you may
proceed"
"My mother and I, sir, do not be.
lieve that Squire May shot my father.
We think that the murderer was a
stranger from whom father won q con-
siderable sum of money the night be-
FORE"
"The court has nothing to do" said
the Judge, with what you or your
mother may think or believe. The
question is, can you prove anything"'
down to the Union saloon and found
that father had won the money from a
peddler, that the man who lost 1t was
and no one knew where he had gone,
or what was his name."
"May 1t please your honor" said the
prosecuting attorney, "all this seems
to me utterly irrelevant and useless
consumption of precious time"
"Have you anything further to
state ?" asked the judge, kindly.
"No, sir" said Gus, bursting into
tears, "but If this trial could be put of
though I've never seen the man, l. d
49, - IL. I1DDll,AsrnI 40 hod
to follow him to California" And the
poor boy sat down, covering his face
In an agony of grief.
The discovery was nearer than ht
thought, for messenger pressed
through the crowded room, touched
Gus upon the shoulder, and whispered
that he was wanted. Utterly bewil-
cred, he rose and followed him to Q
low boarding house i'm a disreputablt
part of the town. There, upon Q
wretched bed, a maD lay dying. In
drunken condition he had fallen from
a high bridge and his skull was broken
in several places. Father Murphy
the Catholic priest, had heard his con
fession, and was now committing 1t u
writing. He did not look up or speak
as Gus entered, but went steadily on
with his work. A peddler's pack lay
open upon chair, and Gus Antoine's
sharp eyes detected an object which
made him start forward and seize it
It was the strip of embroidery which
Hope had made. He had found the
man he sought.
Father Murphy, who had signed
and certified the paper, handed 1t al
this instant to Gus. Its purport was
that having been ruined in play by
Col. Antoine, he had waited for and
shot him in Wild Cat Hollow. His
money, which had been taken from
the murdered man, he now left to the
church, and he prayed for the forgive.
ness of those whom he had injured.
Gus turned to grant 1t, but the hand
that had committed the crime had
stiffened upon O crucifix, and with the
word peccavi upon his lips the SOU
had gone.
Then Gus turned to Father Murphy
"Come quick to the court-house,O Inc