e Priest dryly. "Still, in most cases litigants
do have 'em round when the case is bein' heard."

"I don't know ez I need any lawyer to he'p me say whut I've got to say,"
said O'Day. "Judge, you ain't never ast me no questions about the way
I've been carryin' on sence I come into this here money; but I reckin
mebbe this is ez good a time ez any to tell you jest why I've been
actin' the way I've done. You see, suh--"

"Hold on!" broke in Judge Priest. "Up to now, ez my friend, it would 'a'
been perfectly proper fur you to give me your confidences ef you were
minded so to do; but now I reckin you'd better not. You see, I'm the
judge that's got to decide whether you are a responsible person--whether
you're mentally capable of handlin' your own financial affairs, or
whether you ain't. So you'd better wait and make your statement in your
own behalf to me whilst I'm settin' on the bench. I'll see that you git
an opportunity to do so and I'll listen to it; and I'll give it all the
consideration it's deservin' of.

"And, on second thought, p'raps it would only be a waste of time and
money fur you to go hirin' a lawyer specially to represent you. Under
the law it's my duty, in sech a case ez this here one is, to app'int a
member of the bar to serve durin' the proceedin's ez your guardian _ad
litem_.

"You don't need to be startled," he added, as O'Day flinched at the
sound in his ears of these strange and fearsome words. "A guardian _ad
litem_ is simply a lawyer that tends to your affairs till the case is
settled one way or the other. Ef you had a dozen lawyers I'd have to
app'int him jest the same. So you don't need to worry about that part of
it.

"That's all. You kin go now ef you want to. Only, ef I was you, I
wouldn't draw out any more money from the bank 'twixt now and the time
when I make my decision."

* * *

All things considered, it was an unusual assemblage that Judge Priest
regarded over the top rims of his glasses as he sat facing it in his
broad armchair, with the flat top of the bench intervening between him
and the gathering. Not often, even in the case of exciting murder
trials, had the old courtroom held a larger crowd; certainly never had
it held so many boys. Boys, and boys exclusively, filled the back rows
of benches downstairs. More boys packed the narrow shelf-like balcony
that spanned the chamber across its far end--mainly small boys,
barefooted, sunburned, freckle-faced, shock-headed boys. And,