The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-12-19

den known as the Ole Bailey in Lon
don. they were trying a man: and
they had woven the net around him
SO patiently that it was extremely
plain that trying him meant Trying
to Put Him to Death.
He was a young man. strong and
handsome, with a bur check
and a dark, brave eye that did not
attempt to hide anxiety though it
looked at the Judge steadily enough.
He was accused of Treason. in that
he had been guilty of sundry COM
ings and goings between England and
France, with a design of spying on
England's army and revealing its
secrets to the French King. The
crowd looked at him with 4 horrible
relish; for, if he were found guilty.
as was the very evident intention OF
Crown Prosecutor. Judge and Jury.
he would be drawn or a hurdle to be
half hanged. taken down to be mutt
lated. then beheaded and then quar-
tered.
1t was a day of blood-money. and
hired spies went on the stand TO
swear to everything that could help
spin the rope, sharpen the axe and
| hammer nails into The scaffold. IL
reply to their testimony the prisoners
counsel could only point to their
known evil character. their known
profession. He was unable to com
bat the charge more specifically, for
the prisoner would say only that his
frequent journeys had been caused by
family matters that he could not re-
veal. even for his life: and he admit
ted that the name under which he
lived, Charles Darnay, was assumed.
To give the spies testimony re-
spectacle reinforcement, the Crown
called Lucie Manette, daughter of Or.
Manette, a Frenchman like the pris-
oner, and famous as having been
kept in secret confinement in the
Bastile for eighteen years without
charge or trial, to be as suddenly and
mysteriously released. They made
Lucie Manette tell how she had met
the prisoner for the first time when
she was crossing the channel with her
father after his release: how he had
told her that his business was delicate
and secret; and how she had seen
him in close talk with other lei who
left the vessel again after papers had
passed between them.
She looked at the prisoner with
such pity, her beautiful young face
was SO earnest, that it was more try
ing to Charles Darnay than all that
had preceded. Standing. as it were.
on the edge Of his grave, not all his
AAht STAIN
quite still.
The testimony Of the spies, as
sldVous and damaging though it was,
left something for the Crown Prose
cutors to desire, because that curious
ulwark Of liberty, the jury, showed
plainly by its collective faces that
while it was periodically willing to
hang, draw and quarter the prisoner.
it would be rather more enthusiastic
in favor OF hanging, drawing and
quartarlng the spies. And Miss
Manette's testimony, though still
more damaging to the prisoner. had
been given with such evident re-
l~uctance, she had showed SO plainly
that she believed him to be an in
nocent man, that the Prosecutor was
doubtful whether the jury would be
more impressed by her testimony
gains Charles Darnay or by her
very evident opinion in his favor.
II he had sent the case to the Jury
as it stood, probably he would have
won. He had fitted the testimony so
very skillfully to the prisoner, as il
he were a tailor anxious to fit him
with a very close-fitting suit Of
clothes, that ever Darnay's counsel
it locke uncommonly like d
suit Of graye-clothes. But the Prose
cutor made the mistake Of wishing
to make sure.
He called another witness to prove
that the prisoner had been al a Ger
tain naval dockyard on a certain date.
None OF the previous witnesses had
been able to give such direct evidence,
even with the utmost lfberality in the
way OF perjury. The gentlemen who
was caiied now swore cheerfully and
candidly that On the desired date he
mao seen Charles Darnay in secret
ana OF course reasonable communica-
uon With unknown men in the de-
sired dockyard. Darnay couid My
reply that at that hour and day he
was some hundred miles away from
that locality, and hat never In his
NE mad he been near il. He had
no witnesses to prove his alibi.
His counsel, Mr.. Stryver, rather felt