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: treacher from
. said he was—a sneak, and o
|
~~
“TY HAPPY
DAYS eo
1
That same day Jack met Ezra Elliott on
the street near the bank, looking as re-
spectable and dignified as he always had.
_ * Dick tried to blow open the place last
night,” be said simply. am the only
one left, ou are wise you will say
nothing about what you heard there, No-
body will believe you, while I could ruin
‘your whole life by repeating what I know,
So, you'd better keep quiet,
“Ezra Elliott, it is not for me to ask
terms of you, but quite the reverse,” said
Jack, firmly, ‘I know whattyou are from
~your own lips; you cannot prove your
charges against my father, except through
criminals like yourself. I have a certain
key in my possession, and
the key itself is yours, That key was
made for an illegal purpose. Do you wish
me to tell the officers of the bank why
Mention one word of my father’s mis-
doings, and I will expose you to the bank,
It is for you to ask for my terms now.”
CHAPTER XXIV.
A BRAVE FIGHT,
For a few moments Ezra Elliott looked
vat Jackin amazement and then, without
a word, he turned and walked awa
“I can’t expose him to the whole. ‘world
for Kitty’s sake,” mused Jack.
man may deserve exposure, but I cannae
cause ber T pain by letting her know of his
misdeed: ont will say nothing. That
threat had its ifect and he will do noth-
in
ack was partly right and partly wrong
ia his conclusi
Ezra Elliott aid not proclaim the late
Mr. Foster's evil ways to the town, but he
did tell of them to one ry hose good opinion
Jack valued most high
The boy called on Kitty Elliott the next
day and asked to see her on important
business.
When she came into the parlor looking
ore charming than ever, Jack
“ Kitty, I have long desired to. aie youa
question, the answer to which will infiu-
ence my future more than anything. Lam
now ina Pam ne to think of marrying,
for while | am not rich, I earn a good in-
come ani y prospects ar are very bright.
ay be m fe?”
Will you ‘son
“No,” said Kitty. “ Bo ee think that
I would ae aman whose father lived
by extorting money from others? Your
father was a blackmailer. For years he
bled the men on Bald Head. They have
confessed it to my father, who, asa jndge
could receive their confidences. No, I w
never marry a man whose father was such
a wretch,”
“Then your father has told you this?”
said Jack, in a low tone, while every trace
of color left, his face.
“e ,and itistrue. It was his duty to
tell. me ‘this. knew it, and.it was
_eruel of you not to tell me before." °
di ot know of it,” said Jack,
ad *Hgwever it doesn't matter, Good-morn-
“Vie left the house as if in a daze, but he
presently remembered that he had not
said a word against Mr, Elliott, and was
Blad tbat he had not,
“JT might have expected some such
the man,” he thought..
“Well, am not obliged todo the same,
and.I shal
Jack ot believed that Elliott would not
dare to tell to the world what he had told
to. Kitty, but the truth came out, nevertbe-
sin cleaning the house, a week or so later,
Mrs. Foster, putting the garret in order
and making room for things she did not
want on the lower floors, came across a tin
_ box containing papers.
These e began to examine, thinking
that ese oe they were important and had
been overlooke
A few minutes later she went into Jack's
“room, white and faint, put the box on his
desk, and s:
“Jack, for Heaven's sake explain these
papers. hope I may be wrong, but to
e they seem like the evidences of your
father’s guilt. For the sake of my peace
of mind, tell me what they m
Jack began looking over thet papers and
at once saw that his mother was rig’
The papers were indeed the evidences of
Mr. Foster's guilt, and the most indispu-
table on
They contained records of sums received
from ‘Ezra Elliott for keeping certain
secrets, the dates being given, and with
each some explanatory remark, or some
note of things to be remembered "later. .
They also contained records of crimes
‘committed by Elliott and others, the
knowledge of which was asource of income a
to Fost
The “evidence was voluminous, and
showed the man to be what Elliott had
one who lacked
the courage to do things which his cun-
ning made him bring him in money when
done by others
“Ts it true, Tack ?” asked Mrs:-Foster.
“Yes,” said the boy. ‘Heaven knows
I would not have told you but for this. I
suspected it long ago, ‘T knew it a week or
two since. Tom knows it, and so does
Billy, but they gave measolemn promise
to say nothing until I gave them permis-
sion,
He thereupon told his mother of his vari-
ous adventures upon Bald Head, and how
he had, little by little, learned of his fa-
ther's misdeeds, until he had finally been
assured of them by evidence that he could
not disclaim,
“What are we to do?” asked Mrs, Fos-
ter. “If this story comes out we shall be
ruined our. whole aves will be blighted.”
“No, *“*T have struggle
against adsese. ‘Splaion before and have
risen superior to it, Icandoso again, I
have nothing to do with my father’s
errors, and Ishall make my way in spite | ere
°
Fe
o My brave Jack,” said the mother, ‘I
know I can trust you, and that you will
bring us all out of this trouble if it comes.
hope no one may ever hear of it.
will destroy the papers at once,”
said Jack, and putting them one by one
upon the” log fire on the hearth he™de-
stroyed every evidence of his father’s
shame.
It was known in spite of his precautions,
owever.
A prying servant had seen Mrs. Foster
he | enter Jack's room and had listened at the
door, hearing all that was sai
he could not keep her secret, * but told it
tooneand another w who told others till at
last many of the arders came to Mrs,
Foster and gave op thielr rooms, saying
that they could not remain with a woman
whose husband had such an evil reputa-
tion as hers ha
The mischief did not extend to the Fos-
ters alone for the Elliotts were concerned
in it, and it soon got to be public talk that
Judge Elliott was an impostor, a disgrace
to the bench and a fit occupant of a prison
Men the storm broke, Lazy Jim, Bob
Stover and others all came out with con-
fessions implicating Elliott and proving
him’ to be a fraud and an imposior of the
worst kind,
The man fled at the first sign of dan-
ger, but showed his dastardly nature by
making public what he knew concerning
He escaped a prison and disappeared
utterly, leaving Bs family dependent on
the charity of o
Jack Dreserved the same dignified con-
duct through all the trouble that he had
always shown, and commanded the re-
spect of the town by his sturdy independ-
ence,
He uttered no word of scandal against
the Elliotts, although some thought that
he would have been justified in doing so,
and he would not allow his brothers or sis-
ters to do so,
This line of*conduct forced people to re-
spect and admire him, and by no slow pro-
cess he soon recovered all his old friends,
and secured many ot!
In two years he had established a lasting
reputation as a journalist and play wright,
money poured in upon him in a go
stream, his work was in demand on all
sides, and there was not a more popular
man in all the town, young as he was,
The old house was sold and a new one
bought, into which the family moved,
ack’s mother being no longer obliged to
take boarders,
Phil finished his college life brilliantly,
and i is now a professor of languages. * ‘Tom
is cashier of a bank and expects to be pres-
ident, Bill is at the head of a big business
house in w York and Susie, who has
spent many, Tears abroad, is an artist of
recognized abili
Ned Elliottt and Joe Marriner both re-
turned to their old home after a lapse of
several qears: and returned as they had
promise they would, honest men, and to-
y they are respected by all, and have
oetntns ‘to be ashamed of,
Jack Foster is now well-known, and en-
joys the fruits of a splendid reputation,
‘All admit his sterling qualities, and many
wonder why they could ever have been so
misled by prejudice as to give him the
name he so long bore, ** the lazy one of the
family.
After Jack came of age he asked Kitty
Elliott to reverse her decision of two years
before, and after considerable deliberation
he did so and is now his wife, while Ned
Elliott claims Susie Forster as his life com-
Panion, and so ends the story of My
ROTHER JACK,
{tne en.]
rooms
boy gould change a tw
about to reject the oifer, when another
passenger handed hima large and heavy can-
as bag. ‘Take your change out of that,” he
white ered. The boy opened the bag and found
it full of pennies. He counted ont nineteen
hundred and nine ety: nine coins fo the facetions
assenger, Who was man enough to keep to his
argain. It was “atterwards learned that the
er was connected with
n-the-slot company, and had been
faokimga a collecting tour,
WALT WHITNEY
(Continued from page 8.)
“* Xess if you really think it best for the
case
“e Oh, so glad!” exclaimed Miss
Hamil, ei. i inco tears of relief.
Then come here to-morrow and look
over the papers, lists of witnesses, and
everything else bearing on the case. Lhave
all the law points marked covering the
questions involved, and will examine the
witnesses myse.
‘ w much are you suing for?”
“Fifty thousand dollars,” said Graham,
“and our fee will be twenty-five Per cent.
Ten per cent, will go to you of all recov-
“se Very well—I shall be only too glad of
the chance to appea n the case at all,”
and he arose to eave, “Miss Hamil went
out with him, Said sh
“*You must come and ‘see us—see father
and mother—so you can speak more know-
ingly of him and his terrible suffering.
liere is our address,” and she gave him her
card as she spoke,
CHAPTER V.
THE GREAT CASE OF HAMIL.
WALT went home feeling more elated
han ever before in his life, for he felt that
a golden opportunity had come to him.
“Tt ake my fortune,” he said to
himself, Stor it will attract public atten-
tion, and the press will speak of it every
day ‘during the trial.”
Irs. Whitney was overjoyed at
news, She urged him to uF date a
new suit of clothes before calling at the
Hamil residence, He promised to do
and did so the next day before going “to
the office. ‘of Hill & Graham, He was at
once shown into a private office, and all
e papers in the case laid on_the desk be-
fore him. He was left to read them over;
then Graham told him what certain wit-
nesses would swear to, following it up with
many passages of law’ bearing on the case,
together with court decisions in similar
cases, Hespent the entire day there, and
Graham was Pamazed at his application,
‘Three days later he had ‘all the case at
his command,
In the meantime he visited the Hamils
and saw and talked with the injured man
who was but forty years old, a splendid
business man with a refined family, con-
sisting of a wife and three children, Bessie
being the eldest. had made quite a
little fortune as a fe bad in and owned
hhree houses worth about seventy thou-
sand dollars in a
Mrs, Hamil was much impressed with
the quiet, pale-faced, young lawyer, and
begged him to call each evening to cheer
up her husband and tell them of the trial
as it progressed,
The day set for the trial came and Walt
was on hand with Graham, Lawyers
poked st surprised, and asked if he was in
t
“Yes,” said Graham, ‘‘Ilill is sick and
n can’t appear I have retained him to do
the jury wo!
The news w ent round the court-room and
many lawyers shook their heads, saying:
“Graham has made a mistake; there
will be many knotty points of law, and the
company have some of the best counsel in
city.
** But it will be interesting,” said others,
“Yes, no doubt, but Hamil will lose.”
The case had been twice postponed, and
the lawyers for the company were going to
ask for another continuance till they heard
that al was sick and that Graham and
the awyer were going to fight it.
Then they decided to go to trial
n the case was called both sides re-
ported Teady, and the work of choosing a
jury began, It was soon finished, and
Graham proceeded to put in all the evi-
ence for his side, A formidable array of
physicians were on hand to tell of Hamil’s
injuries, as he could not be brought into
court, Witness after witness was exam-
ined, and young Whitney sat at a table,
pen in hand, and made copious notes,
Suddenly a question of law as to the ad-
mission of certain evidence arose, and the
Jeading counsel for the railroad, a man
with a owerful voice and huge frame,
lerce onslaught on the counsel for
the de a tere Graham wrote a line ona
slip of paper and passed it to Whitney.
The latter read it and hastily opened” a
ook of decisions by the highest court in
the States and read it. When the counsel
for the defense sat down Walt rose to his
ect’ and said:
it please the court; the learned
counee 's law is not as strong as his voice
in this case,”
There was a roar of laughter, for the big
lawyer had made a tremendous noise in
his talk. He laughed too—couldn’t help
it, aud listened to the reading of the deci-
sion of the higher court, in tbe clear, sil-
very voice of the young lawyer. A pro-
found silence rei ned as he read, and when
he had finished h ne looked up at the judge
an
saic
“Your. honor, there is the law, clear and
explicit, and all the roaring wind of the
learned counsel cannot blow it away. The
court is earned in the law, and I have too
much respect for that learning to waste
any time in trying to add to it. I submit
it to the court that the evidence of the
Ww itness is admissible.”
“A e court rules that it is admiss-
ible,” said the judge, at the same time com-
mending the brevity or the young counsel
as worthy of emule ation,
Oh what !
rhs strong. eed counsel was dismayed
what he heard both from Whitney and
th @ judge, and his face showed it so well
the w he andience laugh
s the court also hls that the per-
sonal remarks of counsel are admissible ?”
he asked.
“ Thatis not a question of Jaw,” said the
judge.
“It's a question of Wing. said Whitney,
and the crowd roared again,
‘The case went on, ‘and for three days the
examination of witnesses continued,
ue Hamil and her mother sat close behind
nervous anxiety, here were frequent
tilts between counsel, and Walt gave such
keen cuts and witty retorts that the op-
posing counsel began to fear him,
At last the examination of witnesses
ended, and Walt arose to address the jury.
he court-room was packed to overllow-
ing. Lawyers and judges came in from the
other courts to hear him, -They had. sus-
pected him of being loaded for the big,
strong-lunged lawyer, and they wanted to
hear him. By this time the other side had
become uneasy,
“How Jong will counsel speak?” the
judge asked him,
woh am unable to say, your honor,” he re-
=
ie d,
“Then I s uggest that the speaking be
postponed till after dinner,’ said the
judge, and it was done.
CHAPTER VI.
“© A LIVING TOMB,”
WHEN court convened again there was
ajam, Bessie Hamil and her mother sat
near the table where Walt had his books
and notes, and at another table nearby sat
reporters for the press,
ay it please your honor,” said he, as
he rose to his feet, “I feel such aweightot
responsibility resting upon tne at this mo-
ment that [am scarcely able to stand up
under it. Iam the soangest member of
this bar, and stand face is face with the
heaviest, if not the oldes!
s the strong-lunged Sawyer of the op-
posing counsel weighed nearly three hun-
dred pounds, ‘there was a laugh through-
out the densely packed audience,
“But when I remember the victim for
om [I appear I nerve myself to meet the
responsibility to best of my ability,”
d then turning to the jury, he began’to
array all the facts as developed by the evi-
ence in an unbroken chain so that no link
was missing. His voice was clear and res-
onant, and his flow of language was like
music, He used simple words, and made
no attempt at oratorical display, which
made his speech all the more interesting.
When he reached evidence that had been
disputed by defendant's counsel his keen,
cutting points were felt by all, At one
point he sai
* Now, gentlemen of the jury, that one
point is the stone that blocks the pathw.
of the defendant, Counsel willstop there
and try to confuse you by roaring. He
will blow a hurricane. But don’t stop
yourears, Listen, and let him blow him-
self out. The largest bellows ever made
will collapse when the wind is out. When
he has blown his best and the storm bas
subsided this one fact will still be there,
with only the moss blow: ”
How the crowd roare
The big lawyer was livid with rage, and
when he spoke he vented his wrath onthe
impudence of youth. He m
speech, which lasted for two hours, His
voice was heard far out into the street, for
e could not speak softly, Ie was aggres-
sive in temperament, and gave way to his
emotions and r
When he sat Gown Walt arose to replys
and for an hour kept tae court and jur:
either in tears or convulsed with laughter
His eloquence at times was grand, lofty
and thrilling. Then he a pealed for justice
—not vengeance or pun. ent.
* The best medical skill in all this great
city has told you that my client’s career as
a stalwart man of business has closed for-
ever!” hecried. ‘True, he lives, but it is
a living death, His home—always his
Heaven on earth—is now his tomb. Min-
istering angels of the household wait upon
him lovingly, tenderly, tearfully, Ustening
to the groans wrung from him hy the pain
they cannot suppress. Sunshineis no long-
er there. A great shadow rests upon the
once happy home, and the gloom has stilled
the merry voices of childhood. Thel oving
daughter who sang for him nightly when
he returned from business sings no more.
{usic has gone out of her heart, anda deep
sorrow sits in its place, The bloom of the