you, one and all: Since
the men of Siskiyou refuse, it is for the women to vindicate the town's
humanity, and show some sympathy for the captive who arrives to-night."

They all thought so too.

"I do not criticise," continued their president, magnanimously, "nor do
I complain of any one. Each in this world has his or her mission, and
the most sacred is Woman's own--to console!"

"True, true!" murmured Mrs. Slocum.

"We must do something for the prisoner, to show him we do not desert him
in his hour of need," Mrs. Campbell continued.

"We'll go and meet the train!" Mrs. Slocum exclaimed, eagerly. "I've
never seen a real murderer."

"A bunch of flowers for him," said Mrs. Parsons, closing her mournful
eyes. "Roses." And she smiled faintly.

"Oh, lilies!" cried little Mrs. Day, with rapture. "Lilies would look
_real_ nice."

"Don't you think," said Miss Sissons, who had not spoken before, and sat
a little apart from the close-drawn clump of talkers, "that we might
send the widow some flowers too, some time?" Miss Sissons was a pretty
girl, with neat hair. She was engaged to the captain of Siskiyou's
baseball nine.

"The widow?" Mrs. Campbell looked vague.

"Mrs. Montgomery, I mean--the murdered man's wife. I--I went to see if I
could do anything, for she has some children; but she wouldn't see me,"
said Miss Sissons. "She said she couldn't talk to anybody."

"Poor thing!" said Mrs. Campbell. "I dare say it was a dreadful shock to
her. Yes, dear, we'll attend to her after a while. We'll have her with
us right along, you know, whereas these unhappy boys may--may be--may
soon meet a cruel death on the scaffold." Mrs. Campbell evaded the
phrase "may be hanged" rather skilfully. To her trained oratorical sense
it had seemed to lack dignity.

"So young!" said Mrs. Day.

"And both so full of promise, to be cut off!" said Mrs. Parsons.

"Why, they can't hang them both, I should think," said Miss Sissons. "I
thought only one killed Mr. Montgomery."

"My dear Louise," said Mrs. Campbell, "they can do anything they want,
and they will. Shall I ever forget those ruffians who wanted to lynch
the first one? They'll be on the jury!"

The clump returned to their discussion of the flowers, and Miss Sissons
presently mentioned she had some errands to do, and departed.

"Would that that girl had more soul!" said Mrs. Parsons.

"She has plenty of soul," replied Mrs. Campbell, "but she's under the
influence of a man. W