Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 23.pdf/622

 582

The Green Bag

“The one absolutely unselﬁsh friend that a man can have in this selﬁsh world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous, is his dog. A man's dog stands by him in prosperity and poverty, in health and in sickness. He will sleep on the cold ground, where the wintry winds blow and the snow drives ﬁercely, if only he may be near

jurymen, and even the old Squire's lips quivered as he told Bert D. Nortoni, counsel for state, to close the case. Nortoni was then a young man like

Hughes.

He is now a judge on the St.

Louis Court of Appeals bench. To every appearance he was the only person

in the court room who’ was not affected

that has no food to offer, he will lick

by Mr. Hughes’ ﬁreworks. Nortoni held a newspaper in his hand. For a moment he looked accusingly at Mr. Hughes, and then turned to the

the wounds and sores that come in

jury.

encounter with the roughness of the

“Gentlemen," he said, “that was a splendid speech. I thought so when I ﬁrst read it, and I think so now. But

his master's side. He will kiss the hand

world. He guards the sleep of his pauper master as if he were a prince. When all other friends desert he remains. When riches take wings and reputation

it was about an altogether different dog. It was about a faithful hound down in

falls to pieces, he is as constant in his

Saline county, not this yellow mongrel

love as the sun is in its journey through the heavens. “lf fortune drives the master forth

here. Senator Vest made that speech — not Danny Hughes. Do you suppose for a minute that the Senator would

an outcast in the world, friendless and homeless, the faithful dog asks no higher privilege than that of accompanying

have made a speech like that over such an ornery-looking dog as you see here?" Then to convince the jury that the red-ﬁre in Mr. Hughes’ argument had

him, to guard against danger, to ﬁght against his enemies. And when the last scene of all comes, and death takes

the master in its embrace, and his body is laid away in the cold ground, no matter if all other friends pursue their way, there by the graveside will the noble dog be found, his head between his paws, his eyes sad, but open in alert watchfulness, faithful and true even in

death." Mr. Hughes sat down amid applause. There were tears in the eyes of the Jllacon, M0.

been “lifted" bodily from a newspaper, Nortoni read from the paper in his hand. To the jury that seemed the crux in the case, as Nortoni wanted. There was no

possible explanation. Mr. Hughes had made them cry over some other dog beside the one at bar, and they em

phasized their disapproval by not only ﬁnding the farmer guilty, but putting him under a $1,000 peace bond,

He

couldn't give the bond and had to Stay in jail six months.