The San Francisco call., 1907-01-06

acceptance of the Tocsin as the law
and the prophets. There were even
q few who dared to wonder In their
hearts IL there had not been a mistake
about Joe Lot len; and although Mrs
Flitcroft weakened not, tho relatives
OF Squire Buckalew and of Peter Brad
bury began to hold up their heads
a little, after having made home
horrible for those gentlemen and
reproached them with their con-
version the last word OF
senile shame In addition. the coionefs
grandson and Mr. Bradbury's grandson
had both nystifyingly lent counte-
nance to Joe. consorting with him
openly: the former for his own pur-
poses-the latter because he had cum
ningly discovered that it was way
to Miss Tabor's regard. which, since
her gentle rejection of him. he had
grown to believe (good youth) might
be the pleasantest thing that could
ever come to him. IN short, the qucs-
tion had begun 10 thrive: Was il pos
sible that Eskew Arp had not been
insane, after all?
The best of those who gathered
ominously about the courthouse and its
purlieus were the young farmers and
field-hands, artisans and clerks: one
of the latter being a pimply faced
young man Qately from the. doctors
handy, who limped. and would limp
for the rest OF his life, he who. of all
men. held the memory of Eskew Arp
in least respect, and was burningly
desirous to revenge himself upon the
living.
The worst were of that nystifying,
embryonic, semi i-rowdy type, rhe Amer
lean voyou. in the production OF which
Canaan and her sister towns every
where over the country are prolific;
the young man. youth. boy perhaps.
of n
clothes are like those OF a brakeman
out Of work, but who is not brake
man in or out of work; wearing the
black. soft hat tilted forward to shell
ter----as a counter does the contempt
OF clerk--that expression which the
face does not dare wear quite in the
open. asserting the possession OF su-
preme capacity in wit, strength, dex-
terity and amours; the dirty handker-
chief under the collar; the short black
coat always double-breasted; the eye
lids sooty; one cheek always bulged;
the forehead speckled; the lips crack
ed: horrible teeth. and the affectation
of possessing secret information upon
all matters of the universe: above all,
the instinct of finding the shortest
way to any scene OF official interest
to the policeman, fireman or ambu-
lance surgeon--a singular being. not
professionally criminal. tough histrt-
own argot of brag hysterisal when
crossed, timid through great ignOr-
ance and therefore dangerous 1t
furnishes not the leaders but the mass
of mobs; and it springs up at times
of crisis from heaven knows whore
You might have driven through all
the streets of Canaan a week before
the trial, and have seen four or flve
such fellows; but from the day Of It's
beginning the square was full OF them.
dingy shuttlecocks batted UP into
view by the Tocsin.
They kept the air whirring with
their noise. The news of that
sitting which had caused the
Squire, F'1itcroft. and Peter Brad
bury TO risk the courts dis
pleasure. was greeted outside with loud
and vehement disfavor; and when
at noon the juryrnen were marshaled
out to cross the yard TO the National
House for dinner a large crowd fol-
lowed and surrounded them until they
reached the doors of the hotel Don't
let Lawyer Louden bamboozle you!'
Hang him. Tar and feathers fer
we eff We don't hang hint" These were
the mildest threats, and Joe Louden,
watching from an upper window Of the
Courthouse. observed with troubled
eye how certain of the jury shrark
from the pressure OF the throng. how
paiIor. Sometimes public sentiment"
has done evil things to those who have
not shared 1t; and Joe knew how rare
a thing Is Jury which daros 70 stand
square against a town like Canaan
aroused.
The end of that afternoons session
saw another point marked for the de-
fence; Joe had put the defendant on
the stand, and the little man had proved
an excellent witness. During his life
he had been many things-nany things
disreputahle; high standards we're not
brightly ilIumined for him in tho be-
ginning Of the night march which his
life had been. He had been . tramp.
afterward = petty gambler: but his
great motive had finally come to be the
intention TO do what Joe told him to
do; that. and 10 keep Claudine as
straight as he could. fnfa measure
these were the two things that had
brought him to the pass in which ne
now stood. his loyalty TO Joe and his
resentment of whatever tampered with
Claudine's straightness He was sub
missive to the consequences; he was