The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-07-28

| uNutfottNu, HC HtutttFtus Oh
| mean about LoadeR"-
be did not thunder at the fury" nor
did he slyly tiatter them. He did not
overdo the confidential, nor seem SO
secure Of understanding beforehand
| what their verdict would be that they
felt an instructive desire TO fool him,
He talked colloqGially, but clearly.
without appeal to the pathetic and
without garnitures, not mentioning sun
sets, birds, oceans, homes. the glorious
old state or the happiness of liberty.
but he made everybody In the room
quite sure that Happy Fear had fired
the shot which killed Cory to save his
own life. And that, as Mr.. Bradbury
remarked to the colonel, was what
Joe was there for!'
Ariels escort was increased to four
that day. Mr.. Ladew sat beside her.
and there were times when Joe kept
bis mind entirely to the work in hand
only by an effort but he always sue
ceeded. The sight Of the pale and
worshiping face Of Happy Fear from
the corner of his eye. was enough to
insure that. And people who could NOT
get near the doors. asking those who
could, What's he doin' nowT' were
answered by variations Of the one
formula, "0h, jest waikin' away with
ltp'
Once the courtroom was disturbed
aud set IN an 1proar which even the
judges customary threat failed to sui
due. Joe Ind been talking very rapidly
and having turned the point he was
making with perfect dexterity, the jury
listening eagerly, stopped for a mo-
ment to take a swallow of water. A
voice rose over the low hum Of the
crowd in delrious chuckle, "Why
don't somebody head him OFF," The
room instantly rocked with laughter,
under cover 81 which the identity OF
the sacrilegious cliuckler was not dis.
covered; but the voice was the voice of
Buckalew, who was incredibly sur
prised to find 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 patheticalIy
at the foreman and then at the face of
his lawyer and began to shake vio-
lently, but not with fright. He 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 wor-
ry," Joe had said. ITS all right I'll
see you through" And he had kept bis
word.
The little man was cleared
1t took Happy a long time to get
through what he had to say to his at
torley in 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, d-n me,
joe" he sobbed, "if ever If ever you
wei, by God, if you ever This
was the substance Of his llnguaI ac-
complishment under the circumstances.
But Claudine threw her arms around
poor Joe's neck and kissed him.
Many. people were waiting. to shate
hands with Joe ard coagrtrlata a.n
The trio, taking advantage Of Pclts
near the rail, had already done ilat
somewhat upfoariouslU le'0re lie lal
followed Happy ana 20 Lad Ariel aaI |
Ladew, both, necessarily, ra,IeY hur-
riedly. But in the corr d9ra ha fJ1nd
when he came out of the aatr.Jl.a
clients, acquaintance. friends old
friends, new friends and friends be
had never seen be,ore-evecybo ~
beaming upon him and WgiAgHg hs
hand, as if they had been sure OF it all |
from the start.
They gathered round him If lie stop
ped for an instant and crowded after |
him admiringly when he went on
again, making his progress slow. When |