The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1895-11-30

"And now, dear Walter, if not for
your own yet for your dear mothers
sake, let me hope you will do better"
started as If I had been shot. had
in my hands the other half of the sheet
which had been used in the burned
house. I went back to the rack and
found had taken the paper from Har-
w Dudley's coat. I looked to see if
had been observed; I had not. put
the piece of paper back and took an
other piece from my own coat, which
was hanging near. Then I returned to
the table and sat down. Harry occu-
pied place beside me. He had already
written his opinion and had taken out
knife to sharpen his pencil.
"Let me take your knife for mo-
ment, please" 1 said to him.
Without hesitation he handed it TO
me. 1t was Walter Hoods knife-the
large blade was gone! I Ihad all could
do to restrain myself, but having sharp.
cned my pencil returned the knife to
him with mere thank you. I learned
afterwards that the accident of his hav-
ing that knife in his possession was at
tributable to the fact that he had not
worn that pair of trousers since the
night of the fire, and now used the
knife without remembering the loss il
had sustained doing a very peculiar
piece of work. to the execution of which
it had been made subservient.
After celebrating some ten minutes
or so it was ascertained that eleven OF
the jury were bent upon returning
verdict of guilty, though most were IA
vorable to recommending the prisoner
10 mercy. But Harry was inexorable.
He would extend no mercy.
Presently I started up and pretended
to be faint and asked to be excused for
few minutes. 1 kicked at the door
and the sheriff came. He let me out,
and when we had gained a safe distance
told him what had discovered He
went away and brought back the dis
trict attorney and Walters counsel. ]
told them what 1 had seen and eX-
planned Harvy's conduct in the jury
room, his former connection with the
prisoner and his known character. The
lawyers retired for little while and
came back attended by constable and
a freshly-drawn paper. They desired
me to point out the coat Immediately on
entering the room, and together we
went in.
pointed out the coat, the sheriff TAX
ing it and demanding to know to whom
it belonged. Harry jumped up and
would have seized it, but he was held
back. Word was sent to the judge that
the jury could not agree. We were
summoned and discharged, and then
Harry was searched, the knife being
found in his possession, and his be-
havior at once exposed his guilt. A
new jury was impaneled and Walter
was acquitted.
Shortly afterwards Harry was tried
and it was plainly proved that he had
set fire to the house; that the woman
who kept it was to have been burned
in it, as he had locked her in one of the
looms before setting fire to the place,
because she had incurred his displeas-
ure in some way, and this was his re-
,enge. Not only she, but two of the
girls living with her had suspected him
from the first, but they dared not COM
plain lest he should not be found guilty,
and then would be sure to murder them.
The hardened villain confessed his
guilt after he had been condemned, and
then it was that he told how he hap
pened to get the paper and the knife.
1t was he who had robbed Walter, and
when he took the old letter, which he
had found in Walters pockethook, to
use as torch in setting fire to the place
he did not notice what it was, and even
when the burnt half was produced in
court he had entirely forgotten that he
had put the other half in his pocket, as
he must have done. AS to the knife, he
had also taken that from Walters
pocket and put it in his own, using it
on the night Of the fire to pry open the
window, and then, broken as it was, re-
turned it to his pocket without think
ing anything more about it.
Thus was Walter saved by an acci-
dent and Harry sent to his due punish
ment; and the moral of the storyis that,
while youth can make all the good
resolutions thought can suggest, yet
if he continues on with evil compan-
ionship he is not ssafe.-Banner of Gold.