The Florida agriculturist., 1889-07-31

like that is not likely to steal a lady's
pocket book in face of the absolute GER
tainty of being suspected of it. The
game wasn't worth the candle"
Il quite agree with you, replied the
judge; ''still there was a possibility that
the verdict might go against him: and
you can understand that conviction
would be as good as death to him."
Even then, if we were innocent, the
guilty party would be sure to turn up
sooner or later and he would be vindi-
Gated. could make guess, even now,
as to who the thief really is; but he has
not committed himself yet, and as the
money stolen was in bank notes of course
it is more difficult to trace than jewels
or any kind of personal property would
be. But that is not the point | was going
to make. If he had appeared in court
today he would have been a free man
ever after"
''How can you know that?"
''In this way. You have heard all
about that affair of his with the wife of
the plaintiff No actual harm had been
done, but she was compromised and her
husband had heard of it; they had had
some words about it probably; and when
he found Nolen in such an awkward pre-
dicament, he naturally was not going to
lose the opportunity of jumping on him.
So he pressed the charge. as we saw.
But his wife did what he had not antici-
pated-she joined him in the accusation,
and thereby ranged herself definitely on
his side. OF course that took the wind
out of his sails; it proved that she hated
Percy as much as he did, and therefore
removed his own chief reason for hating
him"
II understand; butt
very well. Having no longer any
especial reason for revenging himself
upon Percy, and probably not believing,
on sober second thought, that he had
committed the crime. he would begin to
ask himself how the public trial would
affect his wife and himself And the
first thing he would see would be that it
would involve letting out the whole
story Of the filtration. Now, if his wife
had persisted in her folly, instead of act
ing the part Of virtuolls cur. as she did,
lie might have been willing to have her
shown up, hut as it was ht, would desire
to hush it up as securely as possible.
There was only one way to do that, and
that was -
"Ahl see. The plaintiff would de-
cline to prosecute?
Exactly. and that Gas | have the best
reason for knowingly is just what he has
done His counsel are instructed to
withdraw the charge; and OF course,
under the circumstances, the judge
would allow him to do so. But when
they see that the prisoner is not on hand,
it may cause them to modify this course,
They might profess themselves ready to
90 on with the case, and as the prisoner
is absent Judgment would issue against
him"
''It is that result that hoped to avoid.
1t would be sad thing for an honorable
family to be dragged through the dust in
this way for crime for which the ac-
cused is not responsible"
He should have had the manliness to
face his accusers," repeated the inspec-
tor. mo one knows better than you,
Judge, that in this world man must de-
fend himself. He cannot expect other
people to find excuses for him. But, as
say. he may live it down; he is a young
fellow yet, and"-
Have you seen this mornings paper2"
interposed the judge.
Il have looked through it, Is there
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