The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-01-23

gealed. The reporter critically poised
his stogie and emitted a low, thought
full whistle.
Then the spell was broken by a
commotion beyond the railing among
! the spectators. and a little figure
with carroty hair and freckled face
almost hidden beneath a faded shawl
darted past the officer at the gate and
stepped to the judges bench. A
young lad about to follow her was
denied admittance.
Muggsy was abashed. His figure
slumped back to its normal posture,
and again he gazed at the floor.
"P-please, sir, I'm here" faltered
the figure under the shawl, while a
pair of greenish-yel1ow eyes roved
back and forth between judge and
prisoner.
"Are you Mary Ann Evans?" asked
His Honor.
yves. sir. And 1 came here this
mornin' because Jimmy-that's my
brother - seen in the paper that
Muggsy was arrested, an he said
they'd try him this mornin'. An I
thought mebbe I could-do sumpin'
fer i'm" Further calculation was
interrupted by the necessity for stop
ping a flow of tears with n corner
of her shawl.
us it this man, or his cousin, that
\ Wv, -c-a rninr to 1norru91 oclod tho
judge.
Mary Ann checked an impulse to
answer, and looked to the prisoner
for guidance. Muggsy's eyes slowly
rose from the floor, met hers. and
read their honest appeal. That look
shamed the duplicity out of him. He
stepped nearer the judge, while the
little group narrowed around the
afianced pair, and he addressed the
judge in a voice firm, but low, so that
the curiosity-mongers beyond the rail-
ing could not hear:
It'll tell We the truth, yer Honor"
he said, IAN it'll be the first time I
| ever told it to We. I lied wen I said
the license was fer me cousin, an I
lied about breakin' the windy by &C
cident. This little girl had promised
to marry me, yer Honor, an the
weddin' was to "a been yesterday.
An wen 7 happened to think how I
didn't have no ring, an'-how I need
ed one, and didn't have no money to
buy one, nor not'in', wy I don't know
how it was, yer Honor, but I just
couldn't help fergittin' I'd reformed,
an gittin' a ring the best way I
could. An now'I s'pose I got to go
t. the works again, an I don't care
much, fer I don't spose Mary Ann'll
have anything to do with me now
fer she's a decent, respectable girl,
yer Honor, an not like me. Only I
don't know what she'll do, on &C
count Of bein' out of a job, an no.
body to take cart of her. But it's all
up now, an you might as we'll give
me the sentence right away, yer
! Honor, fer there can't be NJ we'd
din, an my jobs lost, an it's no use.
I guess, tryin' to be decent"
"Well in view of the circum-
| stances, I won't make it so long as I
otherwise would" began the judge,
as he resumed his judicial air. ut
will be-"
But the ,reportorial face had sud-
denly approached His Honor's ear,
and there was a quiet little confer
ence, in which the prosecutor pres
emily Joined.
"It will be-ahem!"-resumed
His Honor, when the heads separated
three months and costs" He
paused, impressively. "And, in view
of certain extenuating circumstances
the workhouse sentence is suspend
ed during good behavior, and the fine
to be paid at the convenience of the
prisoner"
Muggsy stared stupidity.
GO on!" said Mooney, nudging
him good naturally. mo, not that
way" as the prisoner started back
toward the bull pen" "Out here,
with your girl. You're free, as long
as you behave yourself. See?"-
New Orleans Picayune.