Williams news., 1915-07-08
CHAPTER xI-continued.

'~oNA1tS WO navy odiu OQl pay oh this subject. If you have come to see the matter as I see it, I can but con- graduate you upon your good sense, and express the hope that it will con tinue to prevail Reuther is worthy of the best" he stopped abruptly. "Reuther is girl after my own heart" he gently supplemented, with glance toward his papers lying in bundle at his elbow, land she shall not suffer because oflthis disappointment to her girlish hopes. Tell her so with my love"
 It was plain dismissal. Mrs. Sec vile took it as such, and quietly left the room. As she did so she was ap- preached by Reuther, who handed her letter which had just been delivered. It was from MT. Black, and read thus:
 We have found the rogue and have sue ceeded in inducing him to leave town. He's a man in the bill-sticking business and he owns to grievance against the person we kDow.
 Deborah's sleep that night was with out dreams.
 ! About this time the restless pacing Of the judge in his study at nights became more frequent and lasted longer. In vain Reuther played her most cheerful airs and sang her sweet est songs, the monotonous tramp kept up with a regularity nothing could break.
 | He's worried by the big case now being tried before him." Deborah would say. when Reuther's eyes grew wide and misty in her sympathetic trouble. And there was no improb- ability in the plea, for it was case of much moment, and of great local interest. A man was on trial for his life and the circumstances of the case were such that the feeling called forth was unusually bitter; so much so, in- deed, that every word uttered by the counsel and every decision made by the judge were discussed from one end of the county to the other, and in Shelby. if nowhere else, took prece- dence of all other topics, though 1t was a presidential year and party sympathies ran high.
 The more thoughtful spirits were in- clined to believe in the innocence of the prisoner; but the lower elements of the town, moved by class prejudice, were bitterly antagonistic to his cause and loud for his conviction.
 The time of Judge Ostrander's office was nearly up, and his future continu- ance on the bench might very easily depend upon his attitude at the pres ent hearing. Yet he, without apparent recognition of this fact, showed with. out any hesitancy or possibly without self-consciousness the sympathy he felt for the man at the bar, and ruled accordingly almost without variation.
 A week passed, and the community was all agog, in anticipation of the judges charge in the case just men, toned. It was to be given at noon, and Mrs. Scoville, conscious that he had not slept an hour the night be- fore (having crept down more than once to listen if his step had ceased) approached him as he prepared to leave for the courtroom and anxiously asked if he were quite well.
 "Oh, yes, I'm we'll" he responded sharply, lOOkluS dDOul lOT RSuCu6T.
 The young girl was standing little behind him, with his gloves in her hand-a custom she had fallen into in her desire to have his last look and fond good morning.
 Come here, child," said he, in a way to make her heart beat; and, as he took the gloves from her hand, he stopped and kissed her on the fore, head-something he had never done before. Let me see you smile," said he. Its memory like to take with me into the courtroom"
 But when in her pure delight at his caress and the fatherly feeling which gave a tremor to his simple request she lifted her face with that angelic look of 'hers which was far sweetel and far more moving than any smile he turned away abruptly, as though he had been more hurt than comfort ed, and s.rode out of the house with out another word.