Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-30
XIV.

| court room when we filed into the jury box
on the second morning of the trial and
| Bayne confessed that he had heard ru-
mors of an adjournment the previous
evening Others had heard the same thing,
, and 1t was the general opinion or the
, jurors that the public had received dennite
informa ton of some hitch in the proceed
ings and we would be dismissed Tor the
day as soon as court opened. All DOUBT oi
the matter was dispelled. however, "neh
judge Dudley assembled the bench and
young attorney, whom had not previously
noticed rose and requested an adjourn
ment owing to the sudden illness of MI
Ferris Barstow, counsel for the defense
| was considerably alarmed to find my
self instinctively interpreting TINS excuse
as a cover to hide the defendant collapse,
for it indicated that the events or the
previous evening had had more erect upon
me than l realized and began to rear
was hopelessly biased in my opinion OF lhe
counsel, if not of his cause. Ii | alio"eo
myself to question Barstow's motive In an
unimportant matter of delay, l would soon
find my suspicious Coloring all the tesli-
mony he introduced and end by prejudgng
the case. But If / had been inclined 10
encourage my passing thought, Gilberts
reception of his adversarys request "ouio
have checked me. He not only betrayed
no suspicion of bad faith, but expressed
hearty and sincere regret at the cause
of the delay and joined in requesting
the court to grant the proposed ad-
1ournment. Thereupon Judge Dudley
promptly announced recess until the 1oi-
lowing morning. and discharged us with
the customary caution touching our CONVEX
sation and conduct The words were NO
sooner out of his mouth than nasteheu
from the ROOM and though L heard Bayhe
call out to me / reached the uoor u
pretended not to hear him, for l was anX-
ious to start for Hefryville at the eariiest
possible moment. With this idea | made
straight for the stable, and erected the
proprietor to have my horse and trap sent
to the Melton House at once
If the man heard my request ne was
evidently not impressed with the necessity
for haste for he merely nodded ms head
and continued whiting a stick, as though
l had not spoken l waited moment anu
then impatiently repeated my order.
"IVant EN- now?" he inquired slowly
blinking stupidity I'D at me from the over
turned bucket on which he was seated
Yes Nowi Immediately! AT once! !
"W-a-ll-ain't that too bad!' he NUT
tered thoughtfully, stroking his beard,
whats too bad?" I inquired. impa-
tienJy.
why, that you should be wantin' yure
buggy today" he drawled. Il kinder cal
cuiated you'd hev no sorter use for 1t long
court was settin', and | loaned 1t out TO
Rube Stacey
LOANED my wagon? roared Neli'
words failed me- and I stood glaring in
helpless wrath at the imperturpapie coui-
terance upturned to me.
did you lend the horse, too?' l con-
Guided with forced calmness.
mo, sir. No, stree. I wouldn't think
Of loaning none of the critters in my barn.
No, indeed"
The aggrieved tone of the reply was so
utterly ridiculous that l almost laughed
in spite of myself.
- well, wish you hadn't thought of lend
ing the buggy, either" l retorted. How
7 he grateful Put
the horse to the best wagon you've got
and let me get away. I'm in a hurry"
The countryman tipped his bucket for
ward, picked up a straw, and leaned BACK
against the stable wall.
Amt that too bad!' he drawled.
whats the matter now?" 1 demanded,
sharply.
place, mister, and I don't reckon there's
as much as a go-cart left in town. The
hull outfit was hired last night"
I could have shaken the man In sheer
rage. and for some seconds 1 did not trust
myself to speak. Finally 1 controlled my
voice sufficiently for the last suggestion.
Have you got saddle?' ! inquired
moo. Yes. sir. 1 think likely kin get
you saddle off the Perkins people, If you
II can" 1 answered. TRY the Perkins
people, whoever they are, and hurry up
about it,
The man rose slowly from his perch,
thoughtfully, and at last wandered off in
the direction of the Melton House. Ten
minutes later he reappeared carrying
first-cass English saddle and bride, a pair
of smart riding breeches a hunting crop,
a pair of spurs and an assortment of soft
caps.
"See if any of them II fit ye," he sug
gested, as he dropped the collection on
bench.
Where in the world did you get all that
loot?" / inquired, as he disappeared to-
ward the stable with the saddle and
bride.
'-Over to Perkins" he answered. Help
yourself. There's plenty more truck over
there If them don't suit YER
With some misgiving that l might be ar
rested on sight by the accommodating
Perkins. or whoever owned the outfit, i
made judicious selection, and soon found
myself as comfortably equipped as I would
have been in my own belongings.
Looks as though them things was made
for ye," calculated the stableman, as he
reappeared with my horse. Il thought yer
was about the cut of them Perkins boys"
Not knowing the Perkins boys, l was
doubtful whether this was intended as a
compliment or not, and busted myself read
justing the saddle girths.
THAT ought to be good rdin'- horse,
commented the man, and then as 1 swung
into the saddle he added Reckon this
amt the first time you backed him-eh2'
NO" l answered, shortly.
Learned your ridn' out west, too he
vouchsafed. disinterestedly.
What makes you think SOP I inquired,
somewhat less CURLY.
way you mount he answered. IT was
to Montana for a year onct and l seed they
generally turned more to the tail than the
head of a horse when they backed him.
II learned the little 1 know in Arizona
/ answered
Then 1 guess you know 'nough to keep
from failin' off both sides to onct," he re-
fected. There won't be charge for
keepin' the horse on count of the buggy,
he added. as l started.
With this comforting assurance left the
stableyard and turned at once toward
Hefryville, but 1 had no sooner reached the
main road than my plans were Immediately
changed. A girl on horseback was APP
preaching from the opposite direction, and
though she was using side-saddle she re-
sembled Miss Frayne sufficiently to make
me beat regretful retreat, for 1 dared not
risk another meeting with her just then.
But even as l turned and rode toward the
Melton House I argued the matter with
myself. Was it not my duty to warn her
that she doing her friend more harm
than good by interfering in the Emory