t place where I had sat the week before; but they
did not linger there a moment, sweeping on in a half circle around the
room, glancing over me so quickly that I could not tell at all whether
he had noticed me. I thought he had been looking for some one, though
it couldn't have been the Spanish Woman, since she sat in plain sight
on the other side of the room.

The court filled rapidly. Young men whom I knew came in, and evidently
one or two of these knew Johnny Montgomery; for they walked up and into
the railed inclosure where he sat, shook hands with him and stood
talking with him. I could not but believe that at any time he pleased.
he could rise and leave the court as freely as those others could have
done. The thing going on here which they called a trial had the
appearance of being just a pretense--a play.

At last one of the men who had been wandering aimlessly among the
tables came forward and intoned those words which I could never
understand, but which, nevertheless, always brought quick order. Then
there was some exchange of words between the lawyers on the other side
of the rail, now with the judge, now with one another; and now it was
the clerk of the court who was speaking; and I couldn't repress the
absurd feeling of surprise that they should turn their backs and mumble
so, since it appeared irresistibly to me that we were an audience, and
the thing was being done for our benefit.

I was trying to make out what it was that Mr. Jackson had been saying
to the judge since it seemed to make for much smiling, when above the
rustle and whisper I heard again the voice of the clerk calling out.
There was a moment's wait. Then he raised his tone; I heard, and the
words went pealing through me:

"Eleanor Fenwick, Eleanor Fenwick!"

I sat gazing pitifully at him while he chanted it out in that
monotonous, singing voice.

"Ellie!" father whispered.

I rose, then realized with a sense of desertion that father was not
coming with me. I would have to be alone. Feeling strange, oh very
strange, with the echo of my own name still ringing in my ears, I
pattered up the aisle toward that railing. As I advanced I felt as if
I were walking away from all the world. I heard the movement and the
stir of it behind me. In front I saw only the faces of the lawyers, of
the clerk, of the judge, and these all seemed without any feeling, as
if they were not people at all.

I found myself standing in front of the rai