Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-06-12

would rather win ease'n to eat cake.
] II he gets hold of Williams fust, he'll
drill i'm SO as nobody alive could
catch him in cross-questionin'. By the
way, Mr.. Reddin' told me to say to
you that he'd be too busy to see YOU
fore the trial. I'll come up to fetch
you down to the courtroom in plenty
o. time" {.
A few minutes before two o'clock
the sheriff came after our hero. He
had little to say, and his very reti-
cence confirmed Ronald's fear that no
new thing in his favor had turned up
since morning. The courtroom was
crowded to the doors. The first face
that fell under the notice of the dis
spirited prisoner was the sinister one
Of Capt. Wrinkle, who sat suspiciously
near Squire Richardson's elbow; the
next was the round, good-natured one
OF Col. Hasbrooke; but Ronald had
never seen it look quite so pale and
downcast. The thought ran through
his mind that Wrinkle had reported
the fact of his having been driven to
Ratcliif's by Evelyn. Yes, he was sure
OF it now, for nothing but the dis
coyery of his daughters secret would
nave induced man of Hasbrooke's
stay-at-home habits to attend court.
Ronald felt thrill almost of horror
passover him as he thought that per-
haps the colonel had come with the
sole hope that the trial would perma-
nently remove him from the path OF
his daughter. The next moment he
felt his arm nervously clutched BY
Redding.
Come inside the railin'. an set by
me, !" the lawyer whispered, his breath
On his clients cheek. "I'll want wore
suggestions as the case proceeds.
Damn it," he added, as if to himself,
IN want anything I can lay hold Of;
them fellers have got the best show
in they ever had ag'in an innocent
man. AS he spoke he waved his
hand towards Mr.. Webb, the state So
llcltor, handsome man OF 40, with
bushy mustache and massive hair.
who sat only few feet away
with his head close to that Of Thad
Williams. They seemed to be talk-
ing of the case, for the solicitor was
making notes with q pencil and nod
ding and smiling with evident salts
factibs,.
:. Its but fair to you, my boy" Red
ding continued, as bailiff gave them
seats on the left of the judges table,
"to tell you at the outset that they
have the advantage SO far. Don't un-.
4 derstand me to say that you will be
found guilty in the supreme court,
{ but my hope fur bail is gettin' awful
slim. | mighty nigh run myself to
death to ketch up with Williams, but
1 Webb suspicioned what i was up to
an Kept i'm hid out. Then ~ the:
speaker glanced towards the judge,
I'm powerful afraid Richardson IS
we'll. unsympathetic, to say the least.
/ / know men dad drat em) you don't
4 have to belt me over the head With q
fstcckin' G sand to open my eyes. The
i truth is, Richardson is rs cold towards
A our side as Il wet rock. He didn't
4 want TO talk to me jest now. / tried
] to hint that Thads oath wasn't with
much more'n the rayelins of rotten
1 wool sock, but he said that was
serious charge to bring ag'in any cit-
izen unless / was ready to prove it.
IT wouldn't surprise me if dozen O.
sgd Harris gang amt ready to swear
you've made threats ag'in i'm. Men
O. Their stripe will swear off arm or
a leg fur IL dram o. rotgut, or to-
avenge dead rascal. If they refuse
you bail, my boy, You must try to
put up with it,
Il am prepared for anything said
Ronald. quite calmly. As he spoke he
caught Col. Hasbrooke's eye and held
it for minute He noticed that the
old mans glance was stern and unfor.
giving. Further back in the row of
faces Ronald saw Dawes, full to his
great staring eyes with tender awed
concern. Some feature of Hasbrooke's
reminded him of Evelyn, and he fell to
plying her with his whole heart. He
told himself she would hear the adj
verse news on her fathers. return
home-the news that he was to be a
common prisoner in the county jail
until the spring. He fancied he saw
her white face full of despair.
4 Redding was turning the leaves Of
a big tome on his knees and as he took
no notice of his client the latter sank
SO deep into his ooze of dependency
that he did not hear the preliminary
proceedings of the court. He came to
himself only when DR.. Sloan had be-.
gun speaking. The physician was.
saying that, owing to the critical cons
dition of patient, he hoped that it
would be admissible for him to testify
without delay. After a little discus
sion his request was granted, and the
doctor took the stand and kissed the
edge of a worn Testament. 1t was his
opinion, he said, briefly, that Harris
death had resulted from wound in
the lungs made by the ball for which
he had probed and which he held in
his hand.
Here the solicitor rose.
rs that the ball you found in tho
wound, doctor?" he asked.
| 1T is, sir" responded the witness.
IL m