The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1880-12-21

20
had done the battle Of words with many
clever hypocrIte, with numberless
comedians.
''ISither this man Is isinnocent,' . thought
the magistrate, ''or Nature has provided
him with energy and intelligence in no
ordinary degree"
"And against You there is not only
the affair of the assault, but something
else to which you have not yet referred"
he went on.
True; and have not yet referred to
1t, because almost Immediately after my
entrance you requested me to wait for
questions being asked me, aud not to
put them myself"
True. Then may ask you how It
happened that you came somewhat re.
Gently to be mixed up in certain gam
bling transactions over cards, at your
club2"
IT was, no doubt, mixed up in that
transaction. A young gentleman from
the country, introduced to my club,
himself proposed to play for high stakes
He was rather shied at, at first, but he
was so we'll recommended, he seemed
desirous of playing, and he appeared to
have 80 much money, that some of us
were tempted into playing with him.
He was not clever, and still he persisted
in playing. Finally, he lost over two
thousand dollars, and being unable to
pay the money, as an alternative, he
declared that cheating had been going
on. This kind of thing happens at the
clubs more than once or twice in the
course of season. A man is bad
player, and is too proud to admit he Is
not good hand at cards, and prefers to
charge his fellow players with roguery
rather than himself with ignorance. BY
these means he may get kicked, but he
justifies the non.payment of his debts of
honor; and society in general, out of
the club, look upon him rather as
victim than slanderer. In the partic-
ular case you refer to, was one of six
or eight gentleman accused by the
young man of cheating-an accusation
he made In a letter to the club commit
tee. The committee examined the
affair, and the result of all was this
that the young man made an apology,
and ultimately paid the money he had
lost"
But by what means could you pos
sibly know L should ask for these
questions ?"
Because had no doubt that where
man has the police about him, every
apparent black point in his character is
picked out with dead certainty. The
affair of the assault was notorious and
as for the card case, although it never
became public, it was much talked
about; and even now it is scandal
which has scarcely died out.
Austin Sivory spoke with so much
ease and GOODNESS, his voice was SO SYM
pathetic, and he sat in his chair with SO
much sell. possession that he appeared
rather to be making mere morning
call, than giving magistrate such a
private examination of his conduct as
should prevent his being. arrested and
publicly examined upon a charge of
murder.
So far, no movement or sound had
betrayed the listening presence of Mar
garet Mayter. AS she promised, she
performed.
Suddenly the magistrate went to the
heart of his inquiry. "Where did you
pass the evening of the Goth of Octo-
Der ?" THE date of the assassination.
"And you ?"
This reply was made rapidly, in a
sharp tone of voice, but the speaker still
appeared to be perfectly calm.
The reply obviously irritated the mag
istrate, amiable as naturally he was.
He rose from his chair, and said, "Sir.
you forget the respect due to justice
itself, and of which I am, at this
moment, the representative. Since my
endeavor to save you from public
examination appears to have failed, 1
must at once give orders--n
$ Sir" interrupted Austin, in firm
voice, but with politeness which could
not fail in calming the magistrates irri-
tation; you have totally miscompre-
hended the sense of my words. Not for
one moment did / contemplate Offend
ing gentleman like you, whose words
and manners, however severe, have
shown how cnnsiderate you can be to a
man under the shadow of an accusation
of murder. / simply wished to point out
by this question, made in opposition to
your own, how dlfilcultit is to answer