El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-12-16

wasn't very complimentary to think
that the lady could not be won except
by q row of brass buttons" Scott OBJ
served. unconscious of the irony his
words b. d for the soldier who had lie
tened.
cit seems to me you are making a
long story of this" said Willoughby
"Can't you cut it?"
Better let me COON, guess. Now,
I've told you how the case stood when
Miss Mead came north last year."
| The listener made another move to
protest against the form the narrative
had taken, but realizing that his tor
what he had made up his mind to say,
| Willeughby settled back again.
''Three or four months after we bad
been reading in the newspapers about
your work on that expedition that
| landed the supplies for the Cubans
| there, Harrison was drawn on jury
-" A groan from Willoughby an
nOunced his despair at this new digres-
sion, but Scott went on without 8
pause.
"You will see the connection later.
helped him kill time while he waited
to be called, and when he was finally
drawn I was there as regularly as the
Judge. I have forgotten the title of
the case they put him on: it was the
heirs of somebody against man named
Stevens, who held a lot of property
that was claimed by the heirs under a
will. Stevens claimed under q deed,
and the suit was brought to set aside
the deed on the ground that it WAS OBJ
tanned by fraud.
when the lawyers on each side
went through the form of asking the
jurymen if they knew any of the inter
ested parties to the suit, cav Hsrri-
o<Sv, ho Ia hic hoo ir,o a6 Ia
imagined that his work was going to
ruin, and serving his country in this
particular way was not to his fancy.
To cut this part short, Miss Mead
walked into the court room on the eec-
ond day of the trial. Harrison told me
afterwards that he knew in an instant
that she was interested in the case.
Before he left the box that day he
asked to be allowed to see one of the
exhibits and, reading the caption, he
found that his intuition had been COR
rect. 1 believe Miss Mead had been
made party to the suit after it had
been begun in a lower court, and her
name did not appear in the list from
which the lawyers read when they
polled the jury.
''Of course Miss Mead saw Harrison
and knew that Harrison saw her. They
exchanged no sign of recognition, how
ever; both of the I'm we're too surprised.
We talked the matter over that even
ing and. OF course, I advised the boy to
explain to the court that he had dis
covered since the trial began that be
was acquainted with one of the plain
tiffs in the case. L have not been able
to make up my mind as to why he in
sisted upon going on with the trial. I
explained to him that it was . very
risky thing to do; he always was bull
headed, though, when he made up his |
mind.
"Miss Mead did not come to the court
room again until the last day of the |
trial. The lawyers strung it out for
two weeks. It was very close case; 1 |
could never have decided it either way.
It had been fought by skilled lawyers
from the start and they had succeeded
In keeping everything off the record
that would throw any light on the
questions at issue. There was some
thing like twenty or thirty Thousand
dollars in 1t for each of the heirs under
the will. These heirs were nieces of
the original beneficiary, but that hasn't
anything to do with this story. Miss
Mead is not rich, 1 believe,' the mar
rator added, refectively.
''I'll be through soon now," he went
%. "You can imagine that Harri-
ION was in a troubled state OF mind ur-
ng that trial. He was the most atten-
i've juror that ever sat 10 the box: in
listed upon understanding every an
wer made by the witnesses and was
evidently determined to get at the bot
Knew of q more trying situation; / don't
hink he realized what a difficult posi-
ion he assumed when he determined
O remain on that jury.
"As 1 have told you, Miss Mead was
n hand to hear the lawyers sum up
n the last day of the trial. She took
'ood care not to sit where Harrison
ould see her. but he passed within ten
nches of her when the twelve men
led out to the jury room. It was q
ong, uneasy wait for me while that
lry 'deliberated, as the newspapers ,
sy. Harrison was the foreman, and
'hen he got up to deliver the verdict Z
could feel my heart beating way up
4 my throat ,
go on. Go on" Willoughby urged
5 Scott paused at the recollection of
swell, the jury decided against the Z
eirs at every point. Stevens had sew
raj deeds, and every one was sus-
lined. The heirs didn't get shilling.
[iss Mead had left the room by the
me the jury was discharged"
by Jove," namely remarked the
steiner.
Yes, sir, and Harrison told me he
ad q hard time persuading two of the
lrymen to decide against the-against
err"
But don't quite see," WiilouRhby s.
cyan. "Of course you don't, my brave 6
ldier boy; am coming to that now"
Harrison, mind you, had not seen
ISIS Mead for the two weeks, except
those two days during the trial, and
2 did not hurry calling after the YER 7
ct. l think that 1t was week later
lat we all met at the theater-a great
zee of luck for the boy. [ can't tell
III exactly how they Strengthened the
a tfer allt-narh q ns 1t didn,t mead ann