The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1893-09-20

the portals of her happiness Patty
knew it, and great sob swelled in her
heart and hardened into a resolution.
In this moment of extremity, when
human and Divine powers had
coalesced against him, she would be by
her old playmate's side to comfort, to
sustain, TO bless She looked at her
grandmother. That expectant gaze
had not yet changed into triumph.
81 will go little closer, so that 1 can
find out, she said, and the old lady
nodded an eager approval.
Down the narrow iron stairway along
the wall came the iury-swaggerin
hesitating, suffering. Patty leaned
against the little door of the railing
which divided the courtroom, thus
separating the goats of spectators from
the sheep of the bar, and studied the
faces as they passed. Stolid, i'm
movable for the most part but there
were two that seemed worried and
dubious, and they were the faces of the
two men in whom she had put her
trust. Oh, towards Why had they
not preserved the courage of their
convictions or why had they put them
selves in u position where faint
heartedness is a crime?
The jury took their seats, these two
men in the places which they had
occupied during the trial, Nos. and 8
in the rear row, directly behind the
foreman. From the anteroom came
Tommy, and sat by his lawyer along
side of the table in front of the Judges
bench. How pale he was, but how
quiet, how stern! Was it possible
that those lips which had ever curled
in smiles could be 80 firm? Why one
might be afraid of him, that is, one
who didn't love him as she did ! Patty
brushed a tear from her cheek as she
gazed it seemed as if he were already
dead, and that it was his cold gray
shade that now appeared.
"Call the roll, Mr.. Clerk" said
Judge Greengoods, and, as that func-
tionary obeyed, each iuryman answered
''Present" "-complacently 80, too, ex-
cepting Nos. and 8, who looked as if
they wished very much they were else
where. No. was tall, slender, bent
young man, awkward and bashful, who
was perpetually blushing, either be-
cause people were looking at him or
because he imagined they were. He
also stammered. No. was a short,
thick-set, aggressive-appearing old
gentleman, very deliberate in action,
slightly deaf, but ever ready to slay
any one who imputed such defect to
him. Consequently, No. 7 dropped
into a pool of suffering, where he
hopelessly foundered, and No. 7
shouted "Here" some time after the
clerk had noted the attendance.
"Stand up" said the clerk to the
prisoner. And Tommy arose and stood
with folded arms, fragile yet in
trepid Ajax defying the lightning.
But, oh, it was dark about him; if
there might be but single ray of sym.
pathy, then he could endure. The
court officer at the little gate was nat
urally more interested in the proceed
ings than in his duty. He moved for
ward, and Patty slipped within the
rail
'Let the prisoner look upon the
jury; let the jury look upon the pris-
oner," continued the clerk. Gen
tlemen of the jury, have you agreed
upon )ur verdict?"
The foreman dropped his hat and
folded his overcoat ard struggled to
his feet. In that silent instant of
suspense there was huttering sound,
and Patty flew to her old playmate's
side. She threw one arm about his
neck, and stood with the other ex-
tended toward the jury box like
guardian angel performing her mission.
She appraised her face glowing with
with light of love, and Tommy bent
his head and kissed her tremulods lips
"We have" answered the foreman.
'We find the prisoner but here arose
confusion. From the touching tableau
Nos. 7 and sprang forward on either
side, both noisy, incoherent, and in
dignant. From the spectators space
an ancient fury with blazing eyes and
twitching fingers was menacingly ad-
yancing.
"Silencel Orderl" cried Judge
Greengoods, rapping sharply, and the
crier reiterated his command. The
bailiffs rushed to their posts, One
caught the grandmother at the little
gate and forced her back; another
gently placed Patty in chair, but she
leaned against the prisoner and
clung to his hand and annointed it
with her tears. Once more the silence
OF suspense prevailed.
"We find him guilty, your Honor,
blurted the foreman. "Or at least l
thought we did, but these two gentle
men seem to object.
Then again there was confusion. The
District Attorney, his assistant, the
defendants counsel were on their feet
together and talking ut once
sit down !" thundered Judge Green
goods. "Mr. Clerk, poll that jury"
Guilty" answered the foreman in
response to his name, and "guilty"
answered the succeeding five. Then
came No. rs turn. Hesprang forward,
npoplectic with determination to ex-
press himself and for once unconscious
Of his own personality. mot guilty"
he screamed, "and I've been trying to |
say so ever since we retired.
Then No. s deliberately set each foot |
in place and arose. "Your Honor" " |
he said, II am thoroughly convinced of |
the defendants innocence, and un-