The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1912-08-08
CHAPTER xxIy-(continued.)

Mr.. Dobson spoke to him, and he
at once ollowed his friend and solicitor
across the body Of the court room to
the row of reserved chairs in front OF
the crowd.
A whisper went round the room, and
Louisa with cool Indifference turned to
greet those among The crowd whom she
had recognized as acquaintances and
friends. Some We're sitting, others
standing back against the walls in the
rear. Lady Ducies was there, excited
and over-dressed, with a large hat that
INSTRUCTED the view of a masculine
looking woman who sat Immediately
behind her, and who seemed quite pre-
pared to do battle against the obstruc-
ton.
Farther on sat the Countess of Flint
shire, novelist and playwright, eager
and serious, notebook in hand and a
froWn between her brows, denoting
thought and concentration of
She bowed gravely to Louisa, and con
triVed to attract Luke'S attention, so
that he turned toward her, and She
was able to note carefully in indelible
pencil in a tiny notebook that a muir
derer about to meet his just fate may
bestoW an infinity of care on the nice
ties OF his own toilet.
On. B. The next play written by
thu Countess of Flintshire, better known
to the playgoing public as Maria An
nunziata, had an assassin for it's prin-
cipal hero. But the play found no
favor with actor-managers, and though
1t subsequently enjoyed some popular
ity in the provinces, it was never per-
formed on the London stage.)
Louisa looked on all these people
with eyes that dwelt with strange per-
sistency on trivial details; the Countess
of Flintshire's notebook, Lady Ducies'
hat, the masculine attire of the militant
suftraget in the rear-all these minor
details IMPRESSED themselves ,1pn1 hnr
memory. In after years she could al
ways recall the vision of the court
room, with its drabby background to
a sea of ridiculous faces.
For they all seemed ridiculous to
her-all these people-in their obvious
eager agitation; they had pushed one
another and jostled and fought their
way into this small. stuffy room, the
elegant ladies with their scent bottles,
the men about town with their silk
hats and silver topped canes they
were all ready to endure acute physical
discomfort for the sake of Witnessing
the narrowing sight of one of their
WI kind being pilloried before the
mob; it was just d pinch of spice added
to the saNoErlesS condiment of every
day life. Then there were the 9TH
ers; those who had come just out CT
idle curiosity to hear a few unpleasant
details or to read a few unwholesome
pages in the book of life of people who
lived in a different world to their own.
Ridiculous they seemed, all of them.
Louisa felt a sudden desire to laugh
aloud, as she realized how very like a
theater the place was, with It's boxes,
its stalls, and it's galleries. But in this
case those who usually sat in stalls or
boxes, displaying starched shirt fronts,
bare shoulders and bad ann they
were the actors now made to move or
dance or sing, to squirm or to suffer
for the Iplprtatinp of rit and oollarv "
On the left a group of young men
with keen young faces, all turned
toward Luke and toward Louisa and
her father. Note books protruded out
of great coat pockets, fountain pens
and indelible pencils Struggled close to
HAND. Lucky the lightning artist who
could sketch for the benefit of his
journalistic patrons a rough outline of
the gentleman with more than one foot
In the dock. Close by, a couple Of
boys in blue uniform, with wallet at
the side and small pill box cap on the
head, stood ready to take messages,
fractions of news. hurried reports to
less favored mortals whose duty or
desire kept them away from this scene
OF poignant interest.
Louisa saw them all, as in a vivid
dream. Never afterward could she be-
ieve that it had all been reality; the
coroner, the jury, the group of journal
lists. the idle, whispering, pushing
crowd, the loud murmurs which now
n again reached her ear.
oh, o may take it from me that
tomorrow he'll stand in the dock"
Such brazen Indifference I've new
er seem
And they've actually found the dag
ger with which he murdered the
wretched man"
"B-rr.r 1t makes me feel quite
creepy"
Yes. ne was at your at home dear,
wasn't he? a week ago."
"Oh, one had to ask him for forms
sake, you know"
Poor Lord Radcliffe, what a terrible
blow for him."
"They say he'll never recover his
speech or the use of his limbs"
silence there!"
The cackling herd of geese stopped
It's whisperings, astonished at being
thus reproved. Louisa again felt that
irrepressible desire to laugh. they
We're so funny. she thought, so ire
sponsihle, these people who had come
to cape at Luke. Is
Now they were silent and orderly
at the bidding of authority. An old
woman, with black bonnet and rusty
jacket. was munchfng sandwiches in