The San Francisco call., 1910-09-18

and what they got out of him came not
at all as a story. but only with very
many questions.
1t seemed he had a little gunsmith's
shop, not very we'll known, to which,
he admitted, gentlemen suoh as the
prisoner there hardly ever came. But
he said. that on certain night. perhaps
two months ago, the prisoner and an
other man had come into the shop and
looked a long time and bargained for
the very best pistol he had in the
place. 1t was mother of pearl handle,
he said. with trimmings of steel, and
quite small. He had told them that It
was hardly the weapon for a man to
carry, and Johnny Montgomery had an
swered him that he did not mean to
carry 1t long.
At this there was quite an uproar IN
the court, the lawyers shouting, the
clerk trying to call order, and great
commotion in the press about the door.
But / do not remember being afraid,
only the Inconvenience of having father
keep his arm around my shoulders
while I was trying to see how Johnny
Montgomery looked Finally quiet was
restored, and then the man who had
gone into the gunsmith's with Johnny
testified; and after another pause, with
all my expectations strained to tighter
pitch than could bear, came the gen.
"a 0PA ASAiAS Wl1ASI nCdAl tAC COQlb
dismissed; that 1t was noon.
Father, looking down at me, said,
Now what do you propose to do? Are
you going home with me?"
Please" I said, do this one thing
for me. I have done everything you
have wished so far. / can not en-
dure not to know the worst or the
best that can happen. I must hear the
end. Let us come back here again this
afternoon"
was so excited that I didn't care
what father thought of me. But all he
said was, "Welll" And, Then we will
go over to the restaurant across the
street for luncheon instead of going
home"
1t was a help, not to have to step out
Of the excitement of the proceedings. 1t
was that which kept me up, which car
ried me along. There she is; that's
the girl who saw It'll" The voices
whispering behind me gave me a sad
stir of feeling, but 1t was better than
being left TO think. It spurred me.
and the clatter of dishes and the crowd
which filled the restaurant. talking all
at once, yet with no distinct words au-
dible, all helped to bridge over the
chasm Of the waiting. I could see
Laura Burnet sitting at near table
with her thick veil raised only little
above her nose, just enough to let her
drink cup of tea Some of her
fathers friends and one or two of the
young men knew stopped at our table
to shake hands, but very little was said,
and of the trial nothing at all. For all
their trying to be easy and natural, 1
could see that my presence embarrassed
them. I could see them glancing at
me as If they wondered what sort of
person / could be--as though ] had be-
come something different from a girl
by answering questions in the witness
box.
BY 2 o'clock we were back in court
again. and. bow changed everything
seemedi All that desnltory feeling of
the morning was gone, and as I looked
about over the faces I could see how
every ones mind was fixed on the same
thing. A woman whom did not know,
jostling at my shoulder as I went In,
conflded to me that what she wanted
was ITO hear Dingley tear the defense
to pieces" I wondered If the only
people In the room who didn't want to
hear that were myself and the Spanish
Woman.
But II was Mr.. Jackson who
got up first Though I had heard all
the evidence that morning it had
come out in such little bits and
patches with such disagreements of
lawyers between, and had myself been
so in the midst of it that had no idea
as to how IL would sum up; and had
been waiting anxiously to hear what
this man, whom father said was such
fine lawyer, would say.
He began with sort of grafton, all
about the Montgomery family. and
what a fine family they had been, how
much they had done for the cityl Then
he talked about Johnny, and he drew
very beautiful picture OF him, speak
ing of his great promise and fine char
acter and then of the blow which was
being struck at his brilliant career;
and 1t was somehow awful to have to
listen to It, for even supposing 1t were
true, this seemed scarcely the time for
saying It 1 could see Johnny's face
getting more and more set looking and
grim, as If he hated listening to the
words that were pouring over his head.
Then in some way 1 couldn't follow,