THE SHERIFF ENFORCES ORDER.
The Sheriff, first giving chairs in the lawyers' circle to Paul and the teacher, because there were no other seats vacant, went down in front of the gallery, and shouted to the boys that if they made any more disturbance he would throw them all out of the window and break their heads on the pavement below.
No lighter threat would have been of any avail, for a more restless set of boys than they were during the next half-hour never was seen. It seemed to them that the trial never would begin; lawyers talked to the Judge about all sorts of things, and the Judge looked over papers as leisurely as if time were eternity; but finally his honor said,
"Mr. Sheriff, bring in John Doe."
Every one in the front row of the gallery stood up, two or three minutes later, as Ned Johnston, who sat where he could look through the open door by which the Judge had entered, signaled that the prisoner was coming. Many other people stood up when the Sheriff and the prisoner entered, for all were curious to have a good look at the man whom but few of them had seen. The Sheriff placed John Doe in the prisoners' box, where, to the great disgust of the boys, only the back of a head and two shoulders could be seen from the gallery. His honor nodded at the clerk, and the clerk arose, cleared his throat, and said,
"John Doe, stand up."
The prisoner obeyed; and as his head was slightly turned, so as to face the clerk, the boys had a fair view of it. It did not seem a bad face; indeed, it was rather handsome and pleasing, although there was a steady twitching of the lips that prevented its looking exactly the same from first to last.
"FATHER!"