The Opelousas courier., 1899-05-13
Several "ayes."
"Contrary, no."
Several

"COntrary no. =,
Several "~noes."
The foreman and an officer of the
court looked.around the table.
"He may Or may not have thought
the sale legitimate, said one.
"Oughtn't he to have the benefit Of
the doubta" asked another. sit il
getting very easy to accuse men Of
SAN official like a postmaster" said
. third, ''should be above suspicion"
49, "Rather unfair to make his wish to
be married the cause of his rascality,"
said the youngest juryman.
"And - blame him for his ambil
ton in trying to raise his Office, said
a kind voice.
"Gentleman," said the court officer,
"a majority Of one is sufficient to
make out q true bill, and a like,ma Ia
jority Of one may ignore q bill: TIase
in favor of q true bill willplease risefs.
The nan next to Joyce sprang up
to his feet. Another got up. Joyce
counted three, four, five.
eff be knew that the bare sale Of
the stamps did not subssantiate his
claim, that would make a true bill
against him." said a juror. Another
man stood up, still another.
"0nly seven. All, eight, nine, ten,
eleven.
The juror on the other side of Joyce
rose.
"Twelve."
Joyce, with a feeling of %exultation
that his revenge was to be even greater
than he had hoped-when he could
give the casting vote which would de-
eide the case against Alroy-straight-
ened out his knees to rise and form
the majority Of one. At that moment
he heard a low, tremulous voice; IT
proposed the fraud. Love for him
made me do as I have done; love for
him made me do the rest. He
glanced furtively around, almost ex-
pecting to see the owner of that voice
the woman he loved, the woman who
had treated him so badly-the woman
who had gagged his honor and love.
c"Your duty as a good and loyal
MANY
"No majority sang out the court
officer. "A tie. Let me try again
another way. Those in favor of ignor.
ing the bill please to RISE"
("Your duty as a good and loyal
MANY
Twelve men were standing up.
Chow is this, gentlemen" said the
court officer. "Still a tie"
("I proposed the fraud" came that
low, tremnlous voice. Glove for him
made me do as I have done.")
Love! Did Joyce know what love
was? Did he know the power Mary's
love must have exercised over the man
she loved-the man she had ruined?
Did he know her suffering now that
she realized what she had done? And
did he think of Alroy's love for her, OF
his striving after happiness with her
even at the price of that which men
hold to be the first principle of man.
hood-honor? Was there not yet a
chance for retrieving a chance for Their
peace, made purer by their mistake
and suffering? Was there nothing
higher'than mere duty? Was it duty
to irretrievably ruin two lives which
might yet be made better? Mary would
never be sur of the part her discarded
lover played in this case, despite her
guessing, and-oh, his honor, and,
oh, his pain, his hopeless love!
"still a tie" impatiently said the
court officer.
sob, his honor, and, oh, his pain,
his hopeless love! But, oh, Mary's
happiness!
Joyce, the thirteenth juror, sud.
shot up on his feet, making the
majority of one.
"Majority!" proclaimed the court
officer. "The bill is ignored"
The thirteenth juror fell into a heap
Oh the foor.-BuffaIo Times.