The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1896-11-28
The Evil CeliQs.
a DOMESTIC STORY.
BY wIlKIE COLLINS.
BEFORE THE STORY.
1.-The Trial.

~ SShtaNtiNiA va INV l"aN IL W
slider their verdict.
Their foreman WAS a person donbly dis
tinguiShed among his colleagues. He had
the clcarest head and the rcadiest tongue.
Fos once the right man was in the right
place.
OF the eleven jurymen tour showed their
characters Oh the surface. They We're:
The hungry juryinan, who wanted his dim
ner.
The inattentive juryman, who drew pict-
ures on his blotting paper.
The nervous juryman, who suffered from
fidgets.
The silent juryman, who decided the YER
dict.
Oft he seven REM. ming members one was
q little drowsy man who gave no trouble;
one was an irritable invalid who served mn
der protest; and five represented that vast
majority of the population-easily governed,
TRANQUILITY happy-wlich has no opinion OF
Its own
The foreman took his place at the head of
the table. His colleagues seated themselves
on either side OF him. Then there fell upon
that assembly of men y silcnce-never known
among an assembly of w%omen-the silence
which proceeds from a general reluctance to
be the person who speaks first.
1t was the folpman's duty, under these
circumstances, to treat his dclibcrative brcth-
rem as we treat our watches when they stop
he wound the jury up and set them going.
"Gentlenen," he began, ''have you formed
any decided opinion on the case thus far!m
Some of them said yes and some of them
said no. The little drowsy man said Moth
ing. The fretful invalid cried go on!' The
nervous juryman suddenly rose. His breth-
rem all looked at him. inspired by the same
fear OF having got an orator among them.
He was an essentially polite man. and he
fastened to relieve their minds. Pray don't
be alarmed, gentlemen; l am not going to
make q speech. | suffer from tidgets. En-
cuse me If l occasionally change my posi-
ton" The hungry jurymm (who dined
early looked Mt his watch. Half past four,''
he said. For heavens sake cut it short"
He was the latest person present; and he
suggested a subject to the inattentive Jury
man who drew pictures on hiss blotting-paper.
Deeply interested in the progress of the like
ness, his neighbors Or either side looked over
his shoulders. The little drowsy man woke
with a start, md begged pardon of every
body. The frctful invalid said to himself;
ID fools, all of 1liem!' The patient
foreman, biding his time, stated the case.
"Thc prisoner waiting our verdict, gentle
men, is the Hon. Roderick Westerield,
younger brother of the present Lord lie
Basque. He is charged with willfully cast
ing away the British bark John Jerininan,
under his command; for the purpose Of fraud
ulently obtaining n share of the insurance
money, and further Of possessing himself of
certain Brazilian diamonds, which formed
part OF the cargo. In plain words, here is a
gentleman bonn in the higher ranks of life
accused of being a thief. Before we attempt
to arrive at a decision, we shall only be doing
him justice if we try to form some general
estimate of his character, based on the evil
dence-and we may fairly begin by inauir-
Ing into his relations with the noble family to
which he belongs. The evidence, so far, is
not altogether creditable to him.. Being at
the time an officer in the royal navy, he ap-
pears to have outraged the feelings of his
family by marrying q barmaid at a public
house."
The drowsy juryman, happening to be
awake at the moment, surprised the foreman
by i%nterpOSing Il statement. Talking of
barmaids,'' he said, II know a curate's
daughter. She's in distressed circumstances,
poor thing; and she's Il barmaid somewhere
in the north of England. Curiously enough
the name of the town has escaped my mem.
DRY. II we had Il map of England"
There he was interrupted, cruelty Interrupt.
ed, by one of his brethren.
"And by what right" cried the greedy
turyman, speaking under the exasperating
influence of hunger--''by what right does
Mr.. Westertield's family dare to suppose that
a barmaid may not be a perfectly virtuous
wOnan"'
Hearing this, the restless gentleman lin
the act of changing his p%Osition) was sudden,
ly inspired with interest in the proceedings.
pardon me for putting myself forward" he
said, with his customary politencss. Speak,
ing as an abstaincr from fermented liquors, !
must really protest against these illusions tc
barmaids."
Speaking as q consumer of fermented
liquors." the invalid remarked, 81 wish !
had q barmaid and a bottle of champagne be
fore me now!'
Superior to interruption the admirable
foreman went on.
whatever you ma think, gentlemen, OF
the prisoners marriage, we have it in eyi
dence that his relatives turned their backs
on him from thai mo~ment-with the one
mercitul exception OF the head of the family
Lord le Basque exerted his influence with
the admiralty, and obtained for his brother
(tien out of employment) an appointment
TO a ship. All the witnesses agree that Mr.
Westertield thoroughly understood his pro.
fesSion. If he could have controlled himself
he might have risen to high rank in the
navy. His temper was his ruin. lie quar-
relied with one of his superior officers"
Under strong proyocation" said a mem
Der of the jury.
"Under strong provocation," the foreman
admitted. "Butprovocation is not an excuse
judged by the rules of discipline. Tho pris
oner challenged the officer on duty to tight {
duel at the first opportunity on shore, and
receiving q contemptuous refusal, struck him
on the quarterback. AS q matter OF course
Mr.. Westeriield was tried by court-martial
and was dismissed the service Lord Il
Basque's patience was not exhausted yet
The merchant service offered n last chance
to the prisoner OF retrieving his position, t.
some extent. at least. He was fit forthe sea
and tit for nothing else. At my lords earn
est request the owners of the John Jerminan
trading between Liverpool and Rio. took Mr.
Westeriield on trial as lirst mate; and, to hi!
credit be it said, he justified his brother.
faith in him. III a tempest off the coast o
Africa the captain was washed overheard
and the first mate succ eded to the command
His seamanship and courage saved the YES
Sel under circumstances of danger whici
?aralyzed the efforts of the other officers. H,
was confirmed, rightly confirmed, in the com
mand of the ship. Aud, so far, we shall Ger
tainly not be wrong il we view his characte
on the favorable side"
There the foreman paused to collect Iii
Ideas.
Certain members OF the assembly-lcd b,
the juryman who wanted his dinner, AM
supported by his inattentive colleague, thel
engaged in drawing a ship i'll a storm and
captain falling acknowledgement the &C
quittal Of the prisoner without further con
siacration. But the fretful invalid criet
"slutfw and the five jurymen WHO had n
opinions of their own, struck b. the admin
able brevity with which he expressed his sen
timents, sang out in chorus: "Hear! hear
hearv' The silent %juryman. hitherto over
looked, now attracted attention. He was
bald-headed person of uncertain age, button
ed up tight In q long frock-coat, and wearing
his gloves all through the proceedings. Whel
the chorus of five cheered he smiled mysteri
ously. Everybody wondered what that smil
meant. The silent juryman kept his opinion
to himself. From that moment lie began t
oxnrol.n n F.,Ss.n sl. . a. So