ially. It's a very
important and a very sad case, indeed."

Agape, the spectators paused to listen. The judge, an old and
appreciative friend of his, turned a solemn eye upon this latest
evidence of eccentricity.

"What is it, Mr. White?" he inquired.

"Your Honor," returned the latter in his most earnest and oratorical
manner, "this man here, as you may or may not know, is an old and
honorable citizen of this county. He has been here nearly all the days
of his life, and every day of that time he has earned an honest living.
These people here," he said, gazing about upon the interested
spectators, "can witness whether or not he was one of the best tobacco
pickers this county ever saw. Mayhew," he interrupted himself to call to
a spectator on one of the benches, "you know whether Uncle Bobby always
earned an honest living. Speak up. Tell the Court, did he?"

"Yes, Mr. White," said Mayhew quickly, "he did."

"Morrison," he called, turning in another direction, where an aged
farmer sat, "what do you know of this man?"

Mr. Morrison was about to reply, when the Court interfered.

"The Court knows, Mr. White, that he is an honest man. Now what would
you have it do?"

"Well, your Honor," resumed the speaker, indifferently following his own
oratorical bent, the while the company surveyed him, amused and smiling,
"this man has always earned an honest living until he injured his hand
here in some way a number of years ago, and since then it has been
difficult for him to make his way and he has been cobbling for a living.
However, he is getting so old now that he can't even earn much at that,
except in the spring and summer, and so I brought him here to have him
assigned a place in the county infirmary. I want you to make out an
order admitting him to that institution, so that I can take it and go
with him and see that he is comfortably placed."

"All right, Mr. White," replied the judge, surveying the two figures in
mid-aisle, "I so order."

"But, your Honor," he went on, "there's an exception I want made in this
case. Mr. Moore has a few friends that he likes to visit in the summer,
and who like to have him visit them. I want him to have the privilege of
coming out in the summer to see these people and to see me."

"All right, Mr. White," said the judge, "he shall have that privilege.
Now, what else?"

Satisfied in these particulars, the aged citizen led his charge away,
and then went with him to the infirmary, w