Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-05-16


life ne had been muny things
things disrcputablc; high standards
were not brightly illumincd for him in
the beginning Of the night march
which his life had been. He had been
a tramp, aftcrwcrd u petty gambler,
but his great motive had finally come
to be the intention to do what Joe told
him to do--th1t and TO keep Claudine
as straight as he could. In measure
these were the two things that had
brought him to the pass in which he
now stood, bis loyalty TO Joe and his
resentment Of whatever tempered with
Claudines straghtness. He was sub
missive TO the consequences: he was
still loyal. And now Joe asked him
to tell Just what happened" and
Happy obcved with crystal clearness.
Throughout the long. tricky cross ex-
animation he continued to tell Just
what happened" with a plaintlve truth
fulness not to he initiated, and through
out 1t Joe guarded him from pitfalls
for lawyers in their search after truth
are compelled by the exigencies of
their profession to make pitfalls even
for the honest and gave him. by vari-
Gus devices. time to remember, though
not to think, and made the words
come right" in his mouth, so that be-
fore the sitting was over a disqueting
rumor ran through he waiting crowd in
the corridors, across the square and
over the town that the case was sure
~ going "Louden's way" This was
also the opinion of a looter-on in
Canaan--a ferret faced counselor of
corporations who, called to consulta-
ton with the eminent Buckalew (ncph-
CIV of the squirrel. had nfterward Spent
an hour in his company at the trial
IT'S going that young fellow Louden's
way" said the stranger. You say
he's a shyster. but
We'll" admitted Buckalew. with
some reluctance, II don't mean that
exactly. I've got an old uncle who
seems lately to think hos great
man"
"I'll take your uncle's word for IT,"
returned the other, smiling. II think
he'll go pretty far"
They had come TO the fight of steps
which descended to the yard. and the
visitor. looking down upon the angry
crowd. added. "If they don't kill HIM"
Joe himself was anxious concerning
| no such matter. He shook hands with
Happy at the end OF the sitting, bid.
| ding him he Of good cheer. and when
| the little man had marched away IN
der n strong guard began to gather and
! sort his papers at n desk inside the
bar. This took him perhaps five min
utes. and when he had finished there
were only three people left In the room
a clerk, n negro jantor with broom
and the darky friend who always hope
| fully accompanies q colorcd man hold
ing high public oGce. These two ap-
provlngly greeted the young lawyer
! the janltor handing him a note from
Norbert Flltcroft and the friend me
chemically borrowing" q quarter from
him as he opened the envelope,
I'll he roun' yo' way TO git box o
se-gahs' laughed the friend, soon e2
de campaign open up good. Dey all
goin' vote ye' way down on de levee
bank, but dey sho expecks to git 70
smoke little TO leckshun day! We
knows who's ow frien'!'
Norbert's mlssive was lengthy and
absorbing. Joe went on his way, pc
rlIsing It with profound attention, but
as he descended the stairway to the
floor below a loud burst Of angry shout
ing outside the building caused him tc
hasten toward the big front doors
which faced Main street The doors
opened upon an imposing vestibulc
from which handsome flight of stone
steps. protected by marble balus
trade, led to the ground
Standing at the top OF these steps
and leaning over the balustrade. he hat
ii clear view of half the yard. No ont
was near him. Everybody was run
ming in the opposite direction, TOWARD
that corner of the yard occupied by tn
Jail, the crowd centering upon an agi
tated whirlpool of men which movet
slowly toward door in the high wal
that lncloscd the building, and Joe saw
that Happy Fears guards, conducting
the prisoner back to his cell, were be
ing 1ostled and rushed. The dstanc
they had made was short, but as the
reached the door the pressure upo,
them increased dangerously. Club
, rose in the air, hats few the whirlpool
heaved unanimously, and the steel doc
changed
Happy Fear was safe inside, but th
e. jostlcrs were outside, batiied, ugly an
stirred with the passion that change
a crowd into mob.
Then some Of them caught sight c
Joe as he stood alone at the top @
| the steps, and great shout of rag
: and exultation arose.
, For moment or two he did not SO
. his danger. At the clang Of the doc
= his eyes. caught by the CLEAN of
= wide white hat, had turned toward III
' street, and he was somewhat tiXedl
4 watching Mr.. Ladew extricate ART
, and her aged and indignant escort
l from an overflow of the crowd
t which they had been caught. But
i voice warned him, the wild piping {
n a newsboy who had climbed into tire
G near by.
i "Joe Louden," he screamed, loo
@ out"
t With a muhled roar the crowd surge