Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-03-12
CHAPTER MI,

twenty minutes ldltT IutN were IN
the shcriff's buggy. on the way to
Danube. Katclitf had put u cheap cigar
between his teeth, but he was not GO
ing to light it till they were entering
the town.
"Thar's one dsagreeable feature he
remarked. AT first, my idea was to
hurry up an git it over, so you wouldn't
huvc to go to jail at all; but it has
Just struck me that this is Saturday,
an it is sometimes awkward work to
have a trial the last day o. the week.
You see the prosecution will want to
summon Thad Williams, an that will
take time. Then, as tomorrow is Sun
day, you may have obleegcd TO wait
over till Monday"
Ronald told him that it would make
little difference to him whether he
spent the time in jail or out.
You feel that away now" comment
: cd the sheriff, but you will feel diff
ferent when you git in thar, at least
that's my experience with prisoners.
4 jail house is like womans bonnet;
it has better look from the outside
than the inside"
just before driving into the public
square EatcliiT struck match and APP
Piled the fame to his cigar. then he
drew himself up more erectly and
Grove on to The Office of Judge Richard
son, the magistrate. a man coming
cut told RatcliI that the judge had
gone OUT 10 MS lar'i 10 Hpehd SUNDAY
on sec, sald l'atrIlif' AS he puiied'
and seemed to view himself from the
standpoint OF group OF citi|cns VINO
/ hhd gathered on t"e s'dewalk ana
whose eyes were asking wat mao nap
pened. One OF the CROWD stepped OUT
10 the buggy ana ASKED II houald was
under arrest put lie received only a
nonFommhtal grin ana Shru" as
h&tcHH turned MS morse 'oWarCN the
jail, a modern red brick structure ad-
joining the courteous" III the center
Of the town. When ,hey arrived the
jalcr. a short, thichset man, with a
bald spot on his head. was playing
checkers in the yard with the ord binary
Of the county. The ja;lcr answered to
/ his name reluctantly. without looking
up from the board.
"lou'd better git NJ from thar"
called out Eatc,iff, iocu,arly. THE
taxpayers say they are tired o payin'
YOU fellers wages to draw flies like
sleepin' nigeers in the courthouse
square"
The iailer crowned king and got
up from the grass with lingering
backward glance at the hand Of his
opponent. "What's wanted?" he
asked as he drew near the buggy.
mfr. Henderson. YOU remember Mr..
Fanshaw. OF IIoneycut fDestrict,' re-
minded Ratcliff. He's the Teller that
helped nc ont last summer with that
lynchin' crowd over our way. Well,
he's settled Svd Harris hash to-day
an VIII have to register at yore She
hang till Monday. reckon. ! want you
10 make i'm comfortable, jeff; he's a
friend O. mine"
"I'll do the best can" promised the
taller; "but you know all the cells are
alike"
They followed him into the jail and
up the stone steps to a heavy iron door
at the head Of the stairs. The room
was too large to be called a cell. 1t
was light, having four windows, which
were heavily barred, and bed that
was faultlessly clean. AS Ratclifr and
the jailer were leaving the sheriff asked
Ronald if he could do anything for
him.
Ronald told him he could think of
nothing; indeed. he could think of moth
inc at the moment but Syd Hart's eyes
-Svd Harris blood.
"You'u have to have a LAWYER" sug-
gcsted Ratclifr.
"Then send Mr.. Redding to me-" said
the prisoner.
When they had left him. Ronald
fbrow himself on the bed and stared
IN at the ceiling. lIart's corpse had
n way of coming before him with new