ne o'clock, the sheriff called
and escorted me to the courthouse.

On our way thither, Judge Bates overtook us. He lived out a short
distance in the country, and was riding on horseback. He tipped his
hat to me as politely as if I were the finest lady in the land, and
cried out, "Good morning Miss Lucy, I suppose you had pleasant dreams
last night!" He seemed so bright and smiling that I was imbued with
renewed hope; and when he addressed the sheriff with "Good morning
Sir. I don't suppose the jury was out twenty minutes were they?" and
the sheriff replied "oh! no, sir," my heart gave a leap, for I was
sure that my fate was decided for weal or woe.

I watched the judge until he turned the corner and desiring to be
relieved of suspense from my pent-up anxiety, I eagerly asked the
sheriff if I were free, but he gruffly answered that "he didn't know."
I was sure he did know, but was too mean to tell me. How could he have
been so flinty, when he must have seen how worried I was.

At last the courthouse was reached and I had taken my seat in such a
condition of helpless terror that I could not tell one person from
another. Friends and foes were as one, and vainly did I try to
distinguish them. My long confinement, burdened with harrowing
anxiety, the sleepless night I had just spent, the unaccountable
absence of my mother, had brought me to an indescribable condition. I
felt dazed, as if I were no longer myself. I seemed to be another
person--an on-looker--and in my heart dwelt a pity for the poor,
lonely girl, with down-cast face, sitting on the bench apart from
anyone else in that noisy room. I found myself wondering where Lucy's
mother was, and how she would feel if the trial went against her; I
seemed to have lost all feeling about it, but was speculating what
Lucy would do, and what her mother would do, if the hand of Fate was
raised against poor Lucy! Oh! how sorry I did feel for myself!

At the sound of a gentle voice, I gathered courage to look upward, and
caught the kindly gleam of Judge Bates' eyes, as he bent his gaze upon
me and smilingly said, "I will have you discharged in a few minutes,
Miss Lucy!"

Some other business occupied the attention of the Court, and when I
had begun to think they had forgotten all about me, Judge Bates arose
and said calmly, "Your Honor, I desire to have this girl, Lucy A.
Berry, discharged before going into any other business."

Judge Mullanphy answered "Certainly!" Then the