Arizona republican., 1898-09-29
CHAPTER K

dOcketed for the opening Of court in the mOr1ing; but unfinished business brought over from the day before prom ised some delay. not little to the re- lief of Donald Bartels, whose client was unaccountably missing at the appoint ed hour. Brigham had also failed to appear. us well as the other witnesses whom Neil had promised; but this, veNatious as it was, could not rouse the same degree of surprise and concern as did the, defection of Neil himself. An ugly suspicion had crept into the lawyers mind, to be dismissed at first as hardly tenable, but insidiously grow ing into conviction as he furtively eyed , the Grubstake people grouped together at the other side of the room. Did Neil's nonappearance, no less than that of the others, mean some deviltry of their contriving?
 Col. Meredith sat unconcernedly read ing morning paper, his chair some what withdrawn from his neighbors. The colonel generally was distinguished by this little air of aloofness; rarely was he to be seen in any attitude of friendly hobnobbing with anybody. It seemed part Of his natural reserve of character, TO less than the outgrowth of his profound indifference toward all humankind. that for his comfort he must demand the widest possible al lotment of elbow room. At a respect l full distance from his employer. whose ilnpassive nonchalance he seemed un- successfully trying to initiate. sat the manager of the mine, at intervals ad- dressing whispered remarks to the at torney who had come up from Den | yer to appear for the defendant in the case. This last gentleman, eminent for | his skill in handling criminal cases Of more or less shady character, enjoyed almost a greater measure of fame in certain circles for his zeal in the work | of the Sunday school. Donald Bartels regarded him as an arrant sneak and hypoerite, despising him no more for the shyster methods he felt warranted in crediting to him than for the cloak of sanctiInony lie assumed for their dis | guisc. Keen dislike for the man and desire to down him on general prin- 1 ciples had added peculiar zest to tho present encounter, which proportionate- l finding himself thus handicapped at the outset by lack of both client and wit nesses.
 The great clock high up on the wall | at one side of the room marked the hour of ten, and Harvey Neil was still 1 derelict. The case before the court was l plainly drawing to close. The witness | in the chair was the last to be heard, and the judge was furtively lingering the notes on his desk, preparatory to de livering his charge to the jury. It hap pened that Carlton, Bartels' partner, was attorney for the defendant in that case, and before this the unhappy attor- i ney had hastily scribbled note eX- blaming his plight, and begging that , Carlton would consume all the time possible in his closing speech to the jury. Their only hope now lay in de i laying the hearing of the Mascot-Grub- stake case until the plaintiff should be l heard from.
 1 X clerk, who had been below anxious ! ly looking out for the absentees, slipped i into the chair at Bartels' side. Looks mighty queer," he superfluously ob- 1 all up; but there's hardly a chance Ill q , thousand of getting them here on time | now. should say. Whats to be done?"
 "We must demand a continuance, I suppose; though Heaven knows what good it will do,'' returned Barrels, i'm patiently. Who went after Neil?'
 Martin, from Young's corral. You | know how he can ride, and 1 told him he must just hit the high places this time. | But what on earth can it mean?"
 MT. Criley, the Denver attorney, was crossing the room with q deprecating, tiptoe tread. stopping little, as though i in excess of meekness. He had given Bartels ceremonious greeting earlier in the day; but now he came with more scciable intention, the smile that twisted his thin lips producing a curi- ous effect of whining uglincss upon his cadaeerous, smoothly-shaven face.
 'It rather looks as though there might be a chance for us presently" he observed, clasping his bloodless hands together in a gesture, which, for some reason not altogether clear, seems to be rather commonly cultivated by orators
 
 Sunday school audiences. You fel- lows up here in the country are in great luck, let me tell you," he went on in q whining whisper. 'In all our Denver courts we are away behind with our cases and losing all the time. It is rather the worst in La Ruc's just now;
 he has been hearing divorce cases right along, and where a woman is concerned well, you know La Rue. Your Bonnet here is made of sterner stuff. An, what is that he says?" pausing as the judge addressed few terse sentences to the attorneys in the case before him. lie limits them to five minutes apiece for tbeir closing arguments.-that's busi- nessl" in tone of cordial approval. No shilly-shally nonsense about him. I believe there is not a judge on the bench in Colorado who is his equal in all-arourd ah'ity. He ought to be made