to speak to Joe on the
street (even if she wanted to), unless she happened to be very poor or
very wicked. The Tocsin printed an adequate account (for there was "a
large public interest"), recording in conclusion that Mr. Louden paid
the culprit's fine which was the largest in the power of the presiding
judge in his mercy to bestow. Editorially, the Tocsin leaned to the
facetious: "Mr. Louden has but recently 'returned to our midst.' We
fervently hope that the distinguished Happy Fear will appreciate his
patron's superb generosity. We say 'his patron,' but perhaps we err in
this. Were it not better to figure Mr. Louden as the lady in distress,
Mr. Fear as the champion in the lists? In the present case, however,
contrary to the rules of romance, the champion falls in duress and
passes to the dungeon. We merely suggest, en passant, that some of our
best citizens might deem it a wonderful and beauteous thing if, in
addition to paying the fine, Mr. Louden could serve for the loyal Happy
his six months in the Bastile!"

"En passant," if nothing else, would have revealed to Joe, in this
imitation of a better trick, the hand of Eugene. And, little doubt, he
would have agreed with Squire Buckalew in the Squire's answer to the
easily expected comment of Mr. Arp.

"Sometimes," said Eskew, "I think that 'Gene Bantry is jest a leetle
bit spiderier than he is lazy. That's the first thing he's written in
the Tocsin this month--one of the boys over there told me. He wrote it
out of spite against Joe; but he'd ought to of done better. If his
spite hadn't run away with what mind he's got, he'd of said that both
Joe Louden and that tramp Fear ought to of had ten years!"

"'Gene Bantry didn't write that out of spite," answered Buckalew. "He
only thought he saw a chance to be kind of funny and please Judge Pike.
The Judge has always thought Joe was a no-account--"

"Ain't he right?" cried Mr. Arp.

"_I_ don't say he ain't." Squire Buckalew cast a glance at Mr. Brown,
the clerk, and, perceiving that he was listening, added, "The Judge
always IS right!"

"Yes, sir!" said Colonel Flitcroft.

"I can't stand up for Joe Louden to any extent, but I don't think he
done wrong," Buckalew went on, recovering, "when he paid this man
Fear's fine."

"You don't!" exclaimed Mr. Arp. "Why, haven't you got gumption enough
to see--"

"Look here, Eskew," interposed his antagonist. "How many friends have
you got that hate to hear folk