Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 03.pdf/222

 An Unseen Witness. months in the house of correction for per jury. Taylor was sent back to Rockport with the sheriff, who was ordered to sell out the stock of the stores, and from the pro ceeds the note with interest was to be paid to Deacon Sanborn. The old gentleman's head was bowed be tween his arms on the table; and as I passed on my way out of court, his daughter spoke to him, saying, " Father, here is the young man who turned the case in your behalf." The old deacon started to his feet, and standing erect, looking over my head, with both his hands raised, said, " My dear, he was only the instrument of the witness; the witness was God himself, — as I said in my testimony He knew it was a lie." I groped my way through sleet and storm to the hotel, feeling that I had been forced to testify, and there had been nothing cour ageous about it. I went into the gentle men's reading-room, and sat down thinking over the day's affair. Presently the old squire and his wife made their appearance. "Oh, here he.is!" cried the old man, grasp ing my hand. " Young man, you have done my old friend a favor to-day, and my wife and I came around to thank you. The fact is, we can't go back to Rockport to-night and have to wait till morning. Now, we 're Methodists in good standing and have never broken our record, and we'd like to take you somewhere to-night. We understand that down at the Academy of Music the McCaull Opera Co. is a-playing; but as I say, we've never broken our record, and don't like to take you there. Down at the Arca dian there 's a Nigger Minstrel Show go ing on, and if you 'd like to go we 'll take you." I made the excuse that I must take the midnight train for Boston, and thanked them for their kind offer. They bade me good-by, 26

I97

making me promise that if I ever came to Rockport I would put up at their house, as there was no hotel there. They had just left the room, when three mechanics entered. One of them, with to bacco juice running out of the corners of his mouth, cried: "Here he is. I tell you you had it on ' Jim ' Taylor to-day, did n't yer? Now, we can't go home to Rockport till morning, and we 're going to paint this town red to-night; and if you 're with us, we'll take a hack." I made the same excuse to them as I did to the squire and his wife, and said good night. As they left the room, they stood in the hall-way staring at some one approach ing; and the object of their astonishment entered the room. I shared their amaze ment. It was Taylor, accompanied by Bill Thompson and the sheriff. Taylor put out his hand and took mine, and with a smile on his face said, — "Wal, youngster, you rather had it on me to-day." "T told the truth, did I not? " I replied. "Oh, yes," said he, " I always believe in telling the truth; but what I came to see you for was this, — you 'll be going back to Bos ton, and 'll want to tell your friends about this; but you did n't see the joke." "Joke! " said I; " certainly it was no joke to you." "Wal," he said, " you did n't appreciate the laugh that went over the court-room when you said that we'd been drinking. But per haps you'll understand, when I tell you that I 'm the President of the Temperance Re form Club in Rockport, and those very peo ple in court to-day were the audience the night before to hear me deliver my annual speech; and your testimony kind of sot heavy on them. Good-night! Remember I always believe in telling the truth."