Waterbury Democrat., 1901-02-02
The World Against Him By WILL N. HARBEN.
 Copyright. 1900. by AN. Kellogg Newspaper Company.
CHAPTER XIV.

slght of land to a starving, Sh1pWrecke( man, and yet when the sun was up its genial rays failed to disperse the shad ows in his heart; he found that it ached as well by day as by night.
 After breakfast MT. Bedding called to see him.
 "Well, this is pretty howdy y-do!" he exclaimed, in cheery voice, as the iron door changed to after him. ''The sher- if rode out to Kings plantation last night to tell me the news, but couldn't get back till this mornin'. He's benl on gettin' you out O this if he can.''
 T am awfully sorry to have to call on you in such a disagreeable matter,' re- turned Ronald.
 Bedding thoughtfuly pinched his nose between his thumb and foretinger.
 ''Ratclif told me the particulars" he said, frowning little. There is no use cryin' over split milk-or split blood, either. This case will give you a chance to practice little on your own hook. The main thing is to keep stiff upper lip and take cheerful view"
 T am afraid take a dejected view of it, said Ronald. You will find me hopeless sort of client. feel so awfully knocked out over taking a human life that even the prospect of being publicly justified does rot brighten my hor- izon."
 ''I can sympathize with you, my boy" the voice of the lawyer softened and he pin ched his nose again. 'I once told tou-or rather I hinted at great sor- sow in my ife-a big drawback to my energies. we'll" Bedding broke off and waved his hand, as he sometimes did when expression failed him.
 q remember you hinted at some dis agreeable occurrence; but as you were unma rried-"
 'My trouble didn't wear petticoats," interrupted the lawyer, forcing little smile, and as he went on his face grew more serious than it had ever appeared to Ronald. Ut took place right down thar in front of the courthouse door just after the close of the war. I never pass in or out of the building without stepping over his body. People don't mention it to me now; I sometimes wish they would rank it with other events in my career; it's their danged silence that hurts.
 ''Me'n him was candidates for the leg islature; it was a sort of duel. 1 was ready for 'im-certainly was loaded for bear; l had three revolvers an ax- handle. I proved, without much trou- ble, that he pulled down on me fust. A fener come to my counsel an said he would swear Le Roy had said he was goin' to kill me on sight. His testi- mony cleared me, but the same skunk come to me after it was all over an wanted ten dollars. I can't forget the hell in his eye. I knew he had perjured himself, but was afraid to refuse him the money. Then thar was the young widow. It left her as pore as Jobs turkey. She let me supply her an the boy, that had his daddy's eyes, with the necessaries of life, an then she began to make eyes at me. Somehow I took a fool notion that ought to marry Ter. an the thought weighed on me till I nearly got off my nut. Jest about then Judge Bates began 10 see whar the wind was blowin' her bangs an said one day: Looky heer, Reddin' let that slide-it never will mend matters bit; you'll always feel as if you killed i'm to get his wife, She married another fellow. Oh, yes," Bedding broke off with q deep drawn breath, II know all about it, an that's why didn't sleep much last night. The worst feature in yore case is the evidence Thad Will Hams threatens to give. As far as I know, his oath would be valid. Do you think that the dead man told him you attacked him first?' Q
 If he did he was out of his mind,'' T Hams told me that to frighten me-
 "But Ratcliff says you actually heard the two talking together just before Syd died"
 Ronald nodded. 'That is a fact, I was not near enough, however, to over- hear what was said"
 Redding unused moment and then he looked up suddenly.
 'I must see him at once, my boy, be- fore the prosecution gets i'm to commit imself to the'r side. l shall try to show up the consequences of perjury in a strong light, and frighten him off O that line. He's a good natnred sort of feller if you strike him right. never shall forget" (Redding seemed bent on cheering up his friendly s'Thad was captured about five years ago as moonshiner, an Jim Lowe who was in the employ O the government, an' no better n Thad, started with i'm te Att lanta for trial. They made a sort of picnic of it an got drunk together, an postpoced their trip till that night. They was waitin' in the office of the hotel to ketch train, an Jim had gone in to his supper, leavin' Thad smokin' at the stove. Then amongst us we got up a joke on, Jim an went to his prisoner an told i'm if he wanted to, he could git away as easy as shellin. peas. But Thad shook his head an helt out his hands to the fire. Men Lowe is sorter chums.' he said, 'an' if you will have the truth. I never have had much of ride on the cyars in my life, an sorter lowed I'd like the trip Then we pro posed a compromise. We told him he could ride within few miles of Atlanta and jump of while Jim was not lookin', and in that way he could get his ride and liberty also. You ought to have heard i'm laugh. Don't you give me