The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1901-12-05

Jewett? You are perfectly welcome to
come inside.' Pratjean assumed his
most suave manner and licked his un-
quiet lips.
mo; have but word to say and
prefer to say it here in the OPEN" And
as Pratjean approached him Jewett
continued: II hear there is good deal
of devilish fool talk going on among
these absinth soakers in the coffee
houses. Now, just want to give you
q DIT OF information, and you may
make use Of it as you see fit It is
this: OakfelPs friends have come here
prepared for anything that may hap
pen. If gun cracks, they are not 60
ing to pay any attention to- those prai-
RE rabbits over there, but will fill
Quillebert's body so full of lead that
he would furnish shot for all their
papabote hunting next summer
M. JeWett," said Pratjean, erecting
his head with an air of offended dig
nifty, "do you mean''-
II mean just what I have said, Pratt
Jean, and you understand me perfectly
we'll" And Jewett stalked back to
Oakfelps Office in his customary delib.
crate gait.
AS Pratjean was turning to re-enter
the Office his name was again called,
and, looking around, he saw Dede bur-
rying to him.
"Listen, Tibource," said the latter,
painting. .''Valsin Mouillot went to
Totorin's cabaret this minute and told
him if there was any trouble today he
and six others would shoot at you and
nobody else until you We're used up"
II will attend to him LATER" mutter-
ed Pratjean, the fright of this CON-
munication setting his lips to humping
violently. "Come in, Dede''
Shortly Dede and one other left the
office and circulated among Quillebert's
adherents, and thereafter a pent hush
settled upon them.
Three women also had journeyed in
from the lowlands-Mrs. Wyley, in
charge Of her son, to testify in behalf
of Icons freedom; Estelle Latiolais,
pale and anxious, accompanying her
grandfather, who had been summoned
as witness on the part of Quillebert,
and Laure Juneau, with the mammoth
buggy and giant mule, who, with
steady look and bold speech, explained
her presence to be only as a partisan
of Quillebert. Mrs. Wyley and Estelle
were the guests of good old Nine. No.
reau, mother Of the clerk of court, who
lived not quite a street away from the
| courthouse, and, nearer still, Laure
fguratively flung her banner to the
! breeze from the '"Toilette de la Cas-
coigne," the little millinery shop Of the
petite and ancient Mile. Bereaud,
where she received marked respect
from the many who deferred to her as
granddaughter of the doctress and to
whom she sought to impart some Of
her own courage and energy.
Among the throng were a half dozen
If. m. c.'s," as the free men Of color
were in those days designated, who
fingered silent upon the skirts of the
groups, fearing to be spoken to, yet
held by intensest interest within hear
ing of all that was going forward.
The one person who appeared unmov-
ed by-indeed Unconscious of-the pas
sion which surged about him was Ho-
more Victor Tailleur, judge Of the dis
trict court now and for % years past.
Only twice had his denomination been
contested and then with results most
discouraging to the competitors. He
was OF Gascon descent and poor
through disastrous speculations of his
father and elder brother. His age was
81. Thirty-five years he had been a
widower, his wife, the beautiful and
p!ous Ernestine Lafon Of Pointe Coupe,
having died of yellow fever in their
honeymoon. In commemoration of her
he had ever since paid for pew in the
church at Marksyille, but had never
sat in it. He gave it's use to poor wom-
en- who could not rent pews. And her
grave in the cemetery behind the
church he visited daily, standing above
it brief moment with his head bowed
in reyerent meditation. His life was
| simple and studious. He read and re-
read Rousseau and Paine, adOred the
Corpus Juris Civilis" and "Code Ma
poleon" and recognized only Martin,
Kent and Marshall as doctors of Amer
lean law. Gentle, just and brave, he
had long held the chief place in the
hearts of his people. His grave is
somewhere on the battlefield of Perry
vile, in Kentucky. in an apple orchard,
it is said, but no one has ever found it.
| AS the judges tall form and dark
face. with kindly eyes and waving hair
OF iron gray, were seen moving toward
the courthouse the throng gathered
about him, returning his friendly greet
ing, and followed him, or as many as
could gain entrance, into the court
room. the raised benches Of which and
the aisle between being Immediately
occupied. 1t was noticed that the high
land men appropriated those on the
left facing the judge, the lowland men
those on the right. Fifty or more, un-
able to get within, stood on the veran-
da on which the door of the apartment
opened. Hundreds sat and squatted in