Argosy, Vol. 118, No. 4 — page 109: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE BIG ‘BOSS IN BRONZE. many voices, and somebody, in tones raised higher than.the others, delivered this dic- tum: “He done it, of course. But the de- fense wasn’t managed right. If he had owned up as how he done it and had plead- ed self-defense, if I was on the jury I’d vote to acquit him, seeing that it was Swint Tingley he killed!”’ The squire pulled the clutch of his fingers more tightly. “Tt isn’t over, my boy! I have noted eleven exceptions. I shall file ’em as’ soon as that jury reports.” “No, you shall not file them, Squire Nile!” Douglass stroked the tears from his eyes and exhibited sudden firmness. “I have had plenty of time to think it all over. I have made up my mind.” ‘Good grief! Are you going to give up like this?” “No, sir! I am just beginning my fight!” “But when you turn-down the only course that’s left to you in law, you don’t show much signs of fighting,” objected the squire, considerably nettled by his client’s rebellion. ‘‘ That widow shows more sense than you do, though she isn’t supposed to know much more ’n a goose. In your case, you're innocent and you're quitting. In her case, they’ve found arsenic, and she isn’t a mite discouraged.”’ “Do I sound as if I am discouraged?” ‘“‘ But we must go on in law, and—”’ “IT can talk straight man talk to you, Squire Nile, and you know me too well to think that I’m ungrateful. But if I sit back now and wait for more law to help me Ill be letting false hopes cause me to lose my grip on what I intend -to do.” “Love o’ goodness, what can you do? What say!” demanded the lawyer. “JT don’t know—not right now,” con- fessed the client, adding to his mentor’s mystification. ‘‘ But I have been over in a place where I have seen injustice throt- tled. I’m ean innocent man. I believe that these are times; after all the sacrifices have been made, when there’s such a thing as a man being saved by the right. I’m going to depend on that principle.” — ‘“‘Tf you had been having any chance to get out in the sun lately, I should take hope. 579 it that your brain has been affected by the heat,” retorted the old lawyer. “ Of course there’s such a thing as the right, but it roosts blamed high, and you need the law to bring it down!” The squire loosed his grip on Douglass’s fingers. The client had resumed his rapt contem- plation of Nina Bingham’s countenance, and gave no sign that he had heard his lawyer’s tart remark. “You look my way for a minute, son, even if it hurts your eyes. What’s your real reason for dumping me off your case at this point, outside the poppycock one you have just given me?” ‘““T do feel, just as I have Sane to you. I feel—” “You look straight at me for a minute instead of at that girl, there, and you’ll feel your feet tramping on the solid ground in- stead of treading on cloud puffs. I’m a lawyer—you hope to be one. I want law from you instead of dreams. What say! Cases, now!” This cynical demand from the legal mate- rialist made Douglass understand how futile would be an attempt to explain this new exaltation that was giving him courage and This mental state was not clear even to Douglass, himself. He abandoned any further efforts along that line. ‘What say! Out with it. You can’t fool me!” insisted his counsel. The young man did have two practical reasons for his objections. But he dreaded to mention them. He had hoped to con- ceal one, especially, by his sophomoric dec- laration in regard to the puissance of the right. But those keen gray eyes, under the lids puckered like little tents, were not to be gainsaid. “You won’t understand me right, ae Nile, I’m afraid.” It was faltering apology for what be was about to say. “Til understand the truth—if it’s with- out frills. Go ahead’” ‘IT know how much it costs to fight a case through to the high court! What you have done already—”’ 3 ‘“Twitting me on my poverty, hey? -I knew you’d be getting around to it, sooner or later. That’s what I get for telling you mn (S| QO) NOOK