r the Judge will discharge us pretty soon if we do not come
to terms. But I can at least go to my home with nothing to haunt me the
rest of my life. I can at least close my eyes at night without fear of
troubled dreams or hours of unrest. And I thank God for it.

"'Now, my friends, while all that we've gone through has been wearing on
a fellow, it has not been without interest. You have doubtless heard and
gazed in wonder at "the cloud of witnesses" the defense and prosecution
have summoned for this case. You have listened open-mouthed to the fine
eloquence of the lawyers. You have seen, day after day, the fashionable
city folk, who have come down to our little town, troop in and take
their seats--and the reporters, and the men with the cameras, and the
hungry-looking "poor whites." Now, gentlemen, of course you have seen
and heard all this, and of course you have been duly impressed. _I_ have
been, I grant you; but of late there has been but one thing in that
court-room I could see; but one thing that interested me, and held my
attention to the exclusion of all else. I don't suppose you know what I
mean. It is this--back, 'way back by the door a little woman has been in
torture, such torture as I hope you will never know. I cannot keep my
eyes from that shabbily dressed figure; from that white, tear-stained
face. Again and again I have seen her veil drawn down, and the poor
creature shaking with grief. At first I did not know her, though I
guessed. Watkins told me about her. She is the prisoner's mother.

"'When Dillingham was putting in his finishing touches this morning I
thought of _my_ mother. _She_ was like that when they brought my brother
Archie home. You remember Archie--and the day he was drowned? We were
all in swimming that Sunday, you know, and Parson Moore said it was a
judgment, but my poor mother could not bring herself to think so.

"'Well, the Hardy woman called to mind mother when they told her about
Archie. That same awful, awful look of despair.

"'As I said before, I see the hand of God in the choosing of this jury.'
The Colonel eyed us almost exultingly.

"'Boys! Attention!' Mechanically we old soldiers arose and faced about,
obeying our Colonel as of yore. The order was electrical, and set us
tingling with expectation. Something else was surely coming.

"The Colonel bowed profoundly to an imaginary person at his side.

"'Boys, listen! I accept this flag from your fair hands in behalf of my