The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-23

After all, az Coke says law ls nothing else
but reason
Il will apply the reason, replied CURLY;
"but this Jabez Quine was positive that their
You mustn't mind him. Judge. Ever
wakeful and watc!ful suspicion Is the pen
atty of being the best -hated man in the
| county. IL Wa Quine's houses and barns,
| remember, that were burned by the mob
| Of which Abe l.i,tel is accused Of being
! the leader. Sympathes; undoubtedly,
| they are chock full Of them; but they are
magistrates first before they are men
Who are the Riders and what did he
m IAN by saying that | re-ernbled them"
Again Mr.. Sprole laugh d unpleasantly.
You ought 20 take that az a compliment.
Judge" he replied. "One Of the hand
| soonest a. well as best-inown families in
| the county; tall and straight with fine,
SORT Of a Roman type. you really have that
| same cameo-like elect Didn't you notice
that young woman talking n court with
! Abe I.ittcll? Well, that's Nellie Rider.
Sle's engaged to him. and. now think Of
| IT, she does look enough like you TO be
yrur sister But what of III It's only n
| chance resemblance, certain 10 make you
all the more popular with or people.
have said twice that Mr., Sprolo's smile
was unpleasant, and 40 i was; because II
| gave the impression of falsty Thoroughly
| @ ,ucated and well trained IN his profession,
| trere was yet that about him that aroused
d is, rust
/, seemed to me, rs I thought Of him
afterward, that just 80 far as he had pro-
z r-sed from his people in attainment lie
al refrigerated from their simple virtues.
know felt more lonely and more n 81 ran ger
IA a host lie land that night for his visit.
And vet rothirg could be more competent
and thorough than the way he took hold
of the case Oh Mon lay. IL was business
Ike. IL was admirable,
Wasting no time with trivial technicalities
he Yet never lost siglt of a possible ad
vantage, nor ever rested until II was his
own. In Mr. Braze. the defendants attor-
ney, he lad a fOeman worthy of his steel o.
bold, skilful. adroit. Between them they
tried the case for all II was worth, with a
discretion. comprehension and learning
which are never shown except in a rural
county 10y leaders of country bar.
During the monotonous examination Of
talesmen had ample chance to scan the
crowded room. The scene was imposing In
Its Solidity.
One type of humanity prsvailed-the
beef and Drawn of which my colleagues on
the bench might be taken as composite
photographs. Here was no emotion, no
NERVOUSNESS vet IN the very stolidity there
was an intense power. l felt IL, a. one
feels the force of a gale against which he
presses his onward way, universal oppo-
stiou to, a universal condemnation of,
myself and my mission
about her, sat Nellie Rider, a chief person
age by common consent Her black dress
was unrelieved save by cherry bow.
lmpassive. motionless, she watched the
course of events, a. If each one might he
the grain that would turn her scale Of
happiness.
Once and again she scrutini7ed me closely,
studying, il seemed. my every character
istic-the pose of my head, my posture,
the turn Of my hand as | wrote. II was as
ii she took my measure for some mental
| tribunal, and | could not keep from Won
| dering what were the thoughts surging
behind her beautiful mask. Might 'hev not
he as desperate, a. fatal. as those that ami
| mated the cold, still women who had calmly
knitted while the tumhIe's rolled up with
| the vict inns of their hate
Az the trial progressed. my apprehen-
sions regarding the Justices Of the Sessions
| faded away. They we're, il possible, even
| more stupid and stolid than ever. In the
| first days l tried them frequently by con-
sulting over some mootcd point, with the
| invariable result
You know best, your Honor mumbed
| Squire Jim.
ITS your funeral, Judge muttered
| Squire Joe.
And then the tobacco box was passed
behind my back, and again my colleagues
We're as blind deaf and dumb as Just ice
herself
We made rapid progress urder the pre-
Naihng long hours, sitting from until
noon in the morning, from until 5 ia the
afternoon and from half past until 10 in
the evening The lawyer. jury and spec
tators seemed TO thrive ON this ordeal. and, ,
Of course, my associates were in continual
| process Of sweet restoration by balmy
sleep.
Blu, for me, fresh from the brief work of
! city, the strain was very exhausting.
| formed the habit, accordingly, of not go
| ing up TO the hotel for supper, but after a
| hasty bite with the janitor in the base
ment, Of taking an hours nap On the com
| Portable, old-fashionCd lounge ia my retir-
| ing room Had i, not been for this grai eful
and refreshing rest, | doubt whether |
could have endured the two weeks Of grind
ing excitement that elapsed before the evil
dence was all submitted.
j, was prettycase, truly; we'll presented
we'll contested could not but feel asham, d
as l recalled my doubts Of the District
Attorneys sincerity. while for MIR. Braze !
felt frank and open admiration. Verify,
the best law schools are situated far from
the madding crowd.
A. ! marshalled the facts in my mind
however they drove before them every
possibility Of innocence. Abe l.ittell was
clearly guilty: mine now was the task TO
see that justice did not miscarry,
Would ! he equal TO II. against the odds
of a public sentiment, pervading, Passion
ate? Yes. Of this felt assured, In
fortnights time Judge gets to know his
jury, as the musician knows the instrument
on which he plays.
They were good men and true, mindful
of their oaths, made Of the sturdy stun q
martyrs. Let me once show them the
lead, they would follow, never fear.
knew il and they knew it and so, judging
from the grim countenances, the hard
hostile eyes that confronted me, did every
soul in the audience,
The last day came a day OF stormy ora
tory. of frequent applause sternly sup
pressed, Of incessant, multituCilous OBJ
jcctions rulings, exceptions No wonder
that when the evening recess was called
bv tho crier | gave hearty sigh Of relief
thar il was now all over, save the charge
TO the Jury, az clearly arranged. para
graphed and set up in my mind a. IL the
las, page proof OF il had been corrected.
No wonder that fastened TO throw myself
on the comfortable lounge in the retiring
room for an hours nap, with Squire Jim
and joe sitting side by side in the corner,
the tobacco box between them. to give
me timely warning.
awoke. There the two Justices still
sat. hands crossed on raunches, stolidly
Evidently the recess had not expired,
but vet. but yet something WAS different,
something was wrong Though cold air
was blowing through the open window,
| a sense Of oppression, of sunocation, was
ur0n mo.
A sweet. sickish srell filed my nostrl
aud fingered pungcntly on my lips. ]
sprang To NY feet
| As I did so, there came the sound Of
cheering from Without cheering, in which
/ i 1., Ill