The true northerner., 1897-07-14

happening in the train of i'll luck that
pursued him. 1T seems to me that the
average jury is simply pack of
asses"
TOO true. But asses may sometimes
be led by the nose, you know"
"And sometimes they are up for sale
TO the highest bidder"
"Oh, as to that, you know the sheriff,
and if you think that Meredith is going
to touch him with any ordinary fig
ures-"
''In the case of Brigham we seem to
have evidence that the colonel is ca
pable of extraordinary figures upon oc-
casion."
well, he can afford TO pay pretty
liberal percentage 10 win, for a fact"
Bartels imperturbably rejoined. "But
you carry n check-book as wei! as he.
To tell the truth, though, the jury is
not troubling me; L am a good deal
more disposed TO be doubtful about the
Judge; although as TO him-well, may
be borrowing trouble"
why, what's the matter with him 2"
And the match which he had lighted was
surprise. II thought Duval was all
right"
well, so he is, probably" returned
the lawyer, with some embarrassment
"Only-well, / accidentally discovered
the other day that he had been mixed
up with the colonel in some mining
deals down in Mexico. / don't know
what it amounts to; don't know that
he would dare go too far anyway;
but"
Cant we get a change of venue ."
demanded Neil, looking worn and sick
'Oh, l don't think it would do to go
as far as that. 1t would prejudice him
against the case; and if he were pre-
disposed against us of course he would
oppose the motion, and Oh, no; it
would hardly pay us to make such a
break as that, all things considered
But l was thinking, if he could be ap-
preached just right"
again the check-book might prove
mightier than pen or sword" eX
claimed Neil, bitterly, as he bent to
scratch a new match against his boot
sole. He relighted his cigar, smoking
for n moment in gloomy silence before
he added: "And this is justice in Colo
rado!"
ut is life; not much worse in Colo
rado than in the rest of these United
States, l fancy. AS Senator ingalls,
Iuts il, Purity in politics is an rides
cent dream He might have gone
further and said that purity in any
thing is dream little likely 10 be real
lied before the millennium. But don't +
take ii all too seriously, Neil. AS l said
before, doubt if Duval would dare go
too far in any case. He is working for
reelection. And our main reliance is
on the jury, anyway, and with them
you certainly have an equal chance with
the other side"
For which / should be lifting my
eyes in thanks to heaven and devoting
myself to burnt offerings and sacrifices,
] suppose" rejoined Neil, hotly. "By
Jove, Bartels, look at it! Can you
imagine greater outrage? Here give
up some of the best years of my life to
toiling and moiling in that mine, labor
ing like a convict, until at last | make q
strike. \ rich strike; but what has it
cost me? Nobody knows who has not
tried it, what it takes out Of a man to
live and work for years like that. He
pays the price of success out Of his
very arteries; he is Just so much the
poorer in actual life-blood; he has
burned out that much of his candle of
life, and IL is gone, never to be regained.
lie is old and all the wealth Of the
world will never give him back his
squandered youth. Itwouid seem, con-
sidering all things, that he should be
entitled TO his paltry wages; but far
from that, every highwayman in the
land is at liberty 10 harass and despoil
him, provided only the methods are
chosen with reference TO the accommo-
dating blindness of the law. CO..
Meredith walks into my mine and steals
my ore; l call upon the courts for re-
dress, and justice, in beautiful impair
TALLY, grants Col. Meredith as we'll as
myself an injunction, shutting me out
of my own ore body until an addlc-
pated jury can decide to whom it really
belongs. If tramp should come along
and steal my coat, / could have him sent
up for sixty days, with hardly the de-
lay Of an hour; but this high-toned
thief can rob me of thousands, and my
only redress seems to be to allow Judge
and jury and witnesses to rob me of
thousands more. 1t is enough to make
n man swear"
We'll, swear, then. 1t may do you
good" laughed the lawyer, but his
glance was sympathetic. "It is tough,
for n fact, Neil But you've gone lit
tie too far over to the pessimistic side
now. 1t might be worse"
That is such n consolation." eiacu-
lated the young man, savagely. They
smoked on in silence for a few moments,
when in a milder tone he went OH TO
say: "And, by the way-of course it
might be worse
You don't mean that there is another
item of troubled" calculated the lawyer,
with laugh of joking dismay. "Wel!,
/ don't wonder you are down."
II should say not. And in this in
stance another fellow is down as well.
The superintendent has inhammatorv