The San Francisco call., 1907-01-13
The San Francisco Sunday Call.
-RY
BOOTH
TARKINGTON

mean?
She nodded decisively. From TINS
instant. Before morniag"
"Oh. well. I'll go down there ana
give the word" He rubbed his eyes
wearily with big thumbs. I'm through
fighting. I'm done. Besides, what
the use2 There's nothing more 10
fight"
Now Judge" Joe said. as he came
in briskly. well go over the list OF
that unincumbered property, IL you
will"
This unincUmbered property consist
ed of Beaver Beach and those other be-
longings OF the Judge which he had
not dared 10 mortgage. Joe had some
how explained their nature to Ariel,
and these with the Tocsin she had
elected to accept in restitution
You told me once that 1 ought 10
look after my own property. and now
l will Don't you see?" she cried TO
Joe, eagerly. It's my work" She res
olutely set aside every other PROPOSE
tion. and this was the quality Of mercy
which Martin Pike found that night
There was a great crowd to hear
Joe's summing up at the trial. and
those who succeeded in getting into
the courtroom declared that it was
worth the struggle. He did not crate.
he did not thunder at the jury" nor
did he slyly hatter them: he did not
overdo the confidential. nor seem 80
secure of understanding beforehand
what their verdict would be that they
felt an instructive desire 10 fool him
lie talked colloquiaIly but clearly.
without appeal to the pathetic and
without garnitures. not mentioning
sunsets, birds. oceans, homes. the glO-
rious old State or tl1c happiness of lib
erty; but he made everybody in the
70
fired the shot which killed Cory to save
his own life And that, as Mr.. Brad
bury remarked to the colonel, was
what Joe was there for"
AriePs escort was increased to four
that day: Mr.. Ladew sat beside her
and there were times when Joe kept
his mind entirely to the work in
hand only by an effort. but he
always succeeded. The sight of the
pale and wOrshiping face Of Happy
Fear from the corner of his eve was
enough to insure that And people who
could not get near the doors. asking
those who could. What's he dOin'
nOw? were answered by variations OF
the one formula, "Oh, jest wall<in'
away with it,'
Once the courtroom was disturbed
and set in an uprOar which even the
Judges customary threat failed to sub
due. Joe had been talking very rapid
was making with perfect dexterity
the jury listening eagerly. stopped for
moment to take a swallow of water
a voice rose over the low hum Of
the crowd in deliriOus chuckle: why
don't somebody head him Off" The
room instantly rocked with laughter.
under cover of which the identity Of
the sacrilegious chuckler was not dis
covered but the voice was the voice
of Buckalew. who was incredibly sur
prised to lind that he had spoken aloud
The jury were out" after the case
had been given to them, seventeen
minutes and thirty seconds by the
watch Claudine held in her hand The
little man, whose fate was now on
the knees of the gods looked pathet-
ically at the foreman and then at the
face OF his lawyer and began to shake
violently, but not with fright lie had
gone to the Jail on Joe's word. as a
good dog goes where his master bids.
trustfully; and yet Happy had not been
able to keep his mind from consider
ing the horrible chances Don't
worry" Joe had said. ITS all right.
IN see you through" And he had
kept his word.
The little man was cleared
III took Happy long time to get
through what he had TO say to his
attorney il the anteroOm, and even
then, OF course, he did not manage
to put it in words, for he had broken
down with sheer gratitude why
damn me. joe" he sObbed. "if ever I-if
ever you-well, by God. if YOU ever"
This was the substance of his IinguaI
accomplishment under the circum-
stances. But Claudinc threw her arms
around poor Joe's neck and kissed him.
Many people We're waiting to shake
hands with doc and congratulate him.
The trio, taking advantage of seats
near the rail. had already done that
somewhat uprOariOusly) before he had
followed Happy. and so had Ariel and
Ladew, both, necessarily. rather hur-
riedly. But in the corridors he found
when he came out of the anteroOn.
clients. acquaintance. friends: old
friends, new friends, and friends he had
never seen befOre-everybOdv beau,-
ing upon him and wringing his
hand as If they had been sure of il all
from the start
Know him?" said one to another
Why. I've knowed him sence he was
that nigh. Smart little feller he was.
too. This was total stranger
1 said. years agO''-thus Mr. Brown
the National House" clerk proving his
prophetic vision-"that he'd turn out to
be big man some day"
They gathered around him n ba
stopped for an instant. and crowded
after him admiringly when he went ~,
asaln' making his progress SLOW
Wnen ne hnally came out of the bir-
doors into the sunshine. there were as
many people in the yard as there had
been when he stood in the same place
ana watched the mob rushing his cli-
ehtS guards. But today their ternDer
was Inherent, and as he paused a mo
ment looking down on the l,Dturral4
laughing faces. with a hundred iorr,1s'r
and congratulatory saIutatfons sbo,1tol,
at him. somebody started to cheer. ana
1t was taken UP with thunda-o,,e. ...
viii. eOO"-
There followed the Interrogation ems
tomary IN such emergencies. and Tho
alld tnAlous inquirer was informed by four
or nve hundred people simuIfaneo,,sI,-
that Joe Louden was all right
Head him on" beloved Mike Sbaa-
nan, suddenly darting up the stems Th.
shout increased, and with good reasor
LOT ne stepped quickly back within tba
Soors, ana retreating through the
building, made good his escape b,,
basement door "
lie struck Off into long detour b,+
though he managed to evada 49,
crowd, he had TO Stop and s1,.Y-~