r. Suddenly, as if she had risen from the floor,
she stood at the railing, raised a trembling hand and shouted, as well
as she could shout, 'Not guilty!'

"Before the bewildered judge could lift his gavel, the prosecuting
attorney rose, dramatically, and asked to be allowed to read a telegram
that had just been received, which purported to be the signed confession
of a dying man.

"As might be expected, there were not many dry eyes in that court when,
a moment later, the boy was sobbing on his mother's wet shoulder, and
she, rocking to and fro, was saying softly 'Poor Terrence, my poor
Terrence.'"

* * * * *

As Patsy was walking back from Hooley's Theatre, where he had gone to
get tickets (this was his night off), he met the acting chief clerk in
one of the departments to which, under the rules then in vogue, he owed
allegiance.

"I want to see you at the office," said the amateur official, and Patsy
was very much surprised at the brevity of the speech. He went up to his
room and tried to read, but the ever recurring thought that he was
"wanted at the office" disturbed him and he determined to go at once and
have it out.

The conductor removed his hat in the august presence and asked, timidly,
what was wanted.

"You ought to know," said the great judge.

"But I don't," said Patsy, taking courage as he arrayed himself, with a
clear conscience, on the defensive.

"Are you in the habit of carrying people on the Denver Limited who have
no transportation?"

"No, sir."

"Then, how does it happen that you carried a woman from Galesburg to
Chicago last night who had neither ticket nor money, so far as we know?
It will do you no good to deny it, for I have the report of a special
agent before me, and--"

"I have no desire to deny it, sir. All I deny is that this is your
business."

"What?" yelled the official.

"I beg your pardon, sir. I should not have spoken in that way; but what
I wish to say and wish you to understand is that I owe you no
explanation."

"I stand for the company, sir."

"So do I, and have stood as many years as you have months. I have
handled as many dollars for them as you have ever seen dimes, and,
what's more to the point, I stand ready to quit the moment the
management loses confidence in me, and with the assurance of a better
job. Can all the great men say as much?"

The force and vehemence of the excited and indignant little Irishman
caused the "