The Gray Dawn

that day, a dusty, unkempt, open space, later to be swept and graded and dignified into Portsmouth Square. The man was at the younger

r the tops of their bows. The newspaper he held was an extraordinary document. It consisted of four large pages. The outside page was filled solidly with short eight or ten line advertisements; the second page grudgingly vouchsafed a single column of news items; the third page warmed to a column of editorial and another of news; all the rest of the space on these and the

acles. The doffing of the latter strangely changed his whole expression. The philosophical middle-aged q

ow-cut waistcoats of satin, of velvet, or of brocade; high wing collars; varnished boots; many sparkling, studs and cravat pins; rather longish hair; and whiskers cut close to the cheek or curling luxuriantly under the chin. They were prosperous,

graceful young fellow, "We are all 'specially needful of wi

eyes twinkling, set his

r case, Ca

the flavour of the professional politician. "John Webb, here-excuse _me_, Sheriff John Webb- presumin' on the fact that he h

order," comm

Cal, "and that's why t

: "I told them an innocent experience of mine, and they try to hold me up for drinks. I don't object to giving t

alert, nervous, rather flashily dressed ind

outly assev

loaf of bread so hard

ly reasonable,"

could _break_ it,

that," said Sherwood judicially.

so hard that they used

disclaimed We

groan met th

g of the kind," roared Webb, his

say, then?" challe

r as a grindstone," said W

ys; weak case,

cusingly for Webb to proceed. After an interval, the sheriff, staring

. Every Sunday we'd try a new scheme. Finally we laid her flat under a tree and rigged a

id, innocent eye, to catch John

came out here in, '48. On your honour, d

nt on with a perfectly solemn air of confidence, "the fact is, I've lived out here so long

drink?" insisted

s, you always

_ it then--you, too, of

leisurely to fold his paper a

ck, or you're a mighty fine lawyer. Looked like a clear case to me. He just natu

ecure," laughed the tall, d

take care of him. Cluttering up my jail with dirty beasts

nett. "It was takin' some risk to let him off as eas

dle that sort of tras

ex, anyway?" asked

ofore spoken. This was Dick Blatchford, a round-faced, rather corpulent, rather silent though jovial-loo

ask it," s

s he got n

valuable paper folded up ye

king idly and facetiously of last night's wine and this morning's h