but perhaps we err in this.Were it not better to figure Mr.Louden as the lady in distress, Mr.Fear as the champion in the lists? In the present case, however, contrary to the rules of romance, the champion falls in duress and passes to the dungeon.
We merely suggest, en passant, that some of our best citizens might deem it a wonderful and beauteous thing if, in addition to paying the fine, Mr.
Louden could serve for the loyal Happy his six months in the Bastile!""En passant," if nothing else, would have revealed to Joe, in this imitation of a better trick, the hand of Eugene.And, little doubt, he would have agreed with Squire Buckalew in the Squire's answer to the easily expected comment of Mr.Arp.
"Sometimes," said Eskew, "I think that 'Gene Bantry is jest a leetle bit spiderier than he is lazy.
That's the first thing he's written in the Tocsin this month--one of the boys over there told me.He wrote it out of spite against Joe; but he'd ought to of done better.If his spite hadn't run away with what mind he's got, he'd of said that both Joe Louden and that tramp Fear ought to of had ten years!""'Gene Bantry didn't write that out of spite,"answered Buckalew."He only thought he saw a chance to be kind of funny and please Judge Pike.
The Judge has always thought Joe was a no-account--""Ain't he right?" cried Mr.Arp.
"_I_ don't say he ain't." Squire Buckalew cast a glance at Mr.Brown, the clerk, and, perceiving that he was listening, added, "The Judge always ISright!""Yes, sir!" said Colonel Flitcroft.
"I can't stand up for Joe Louden to any extent, but I don't think he done wrong," Buckalew went on, recovering, "when he paid this man Fear's fine.""You don't!" exclaimed Mr.Arp."Why, haven't you got gumption enough to see--""Look here, Eskew," interposed his antagonist.