Morning journal and courier., 1890-03-25

abused his advantages. Four childre1 formed just the regulation number to excit, sympathy.
 One thing alone trife weakened Lawyer parable case had fallen into the hands of hil confrers, Lawyer Cardevols, an advooats without weight, without talsnt-a botoh Fortunately, with such @ defender, the ac cused was sure to get five years at least That was consolation. Lawyer Cardevoil talked drearily when he should excite emo. peaks of the pathetic. The animal, thought Lawyer Peguillou, he will not even know how to take advantage of the four children
 And, shrugging his shoulders at the thought of what his confrere would say Lawyer Peguillou ruminated about whai could be said. This pleading haunted him like nightmare. He felt it take possession of him; he vibrated internally with 1t.
 But, as an ironical contrast to this wind fall which he saw, he was reduced to answer dent of the court, who said to him in ( drawling voice:
 "Tell what you know"
 What he knew! An! parbleu, that waf very little and did not take much time. In few words he told his tale.
 On the bench of the defense Lawyer CaE- devois took notes with an air of wisdom, and behind, seated between two gendarmes, the accused sobbed in his handkerchief.
 But the president persisted, wanted de. tails.
 "About three o'clock, yes, Monsieur the president" l
 "Did the accused get into your house with jimmy or false keysa"
 'I don't know"
 "You say he was about to force open your desk9"
 tPerhaps was mistaken"
 "But you surprised him just at the mo- ment when the drawer yielded"
 ''So 1t seemed to me. I was not fully awake"
 Lawyer Peguillou felt his position becom. ing more and more embarrassing. He wished he was hundred leagues away. He grew additionally reticent and strove to hold out the pole of safety to the accused. The president continued imperturbsbly: "Your original declaration leaves not thl slightest doubt in that regard" "An error is easily made, monsieur tht president, and one becomes less positive when he thinks that the fate of an unfortu. nate man may be decided by an imprudent word"
 "Well, at least the housebreaking is mani fest"
 "What is manifest, monsieur the presi-
 
 father of family up to that time without reproach. What is manifest Is that he hal four children of tender years, of whom h. | is the sole support" Lawyer Peguillou's voice warmed up anG had that quiver which preceded his grand flights of eloquence; he could no longer con trol himself.
 "And do you know, Messieurs," he con. tinued in an explosion, "do you know what sA L., o1, -ff hunger, four poor little creatures with pale faces, with cheeks hollowed by fevera Dc you realize the terrible torture of this father | who pressed them to his bosom, wild, des' perete, almost crazed, not oven possessing like the sea bird of which the poet speaks the supreme resource of giving them his owr flesh and blood for foods' Borne away by the professional demon Lawyer Peguillon entirely lost sight of hi role of witness. The reality vanished; h. believed himself on the bench of the dc fence, and, turning to the jury, with move | ment which was habitual with him, attempt 1 ed to roll up over his arms the absent aleeve | of his advocates robe, which, of course, b 1 was not then wearing. l He was admirable, sublime. For three l quarters of an hour he held the spectator spell bound, hanging to his lips. When h addressed the accused, breathlessly exclaim l Auk. 0GuAu uPs uuAoAtuA0pO AoshoA, onooS CT your face where anguish and despair hay ploughed furrows which are filled wit scaldiDg tears! Arise before those who ar
 to be your judges, in order that they ma see if it is the face of 8 guilty wretch wh should be punished or of martyr who shal be pitisd" an indescribable emotion ral l from one end of the court room to the other It was the unanimous opinion that never hal | Lawyer Peguillou scared to such height. The government prosecuting official, dis 1 concerted, made but weak speech and die not oppose the admission of mitigating cir l cumstances.
 When it was the turn of the counsel fo
 the defense, the expression of whose coun tenance it IS impossible to depict, Lawye Cardevois limited himself to saying, in
 voice broken by anger: "Since my eminen confrere has deigned to seize upon a GAS which was intrusted to me, it only remain for me to sit down again, alter having ex pressed to him my humble and profoun' surprise!"
 The jury acquitted the accused withou 1 leaving the court room, but it was an acquit tai for which Lawyer Cardevois will neve | forgive his "eminent confrere."