The wrangle continued, waxing hotter and hotter. The Colonel seeing the

attention of the counsel and Court entirely withdrawn from him, thought

he perceived here his opportunity, turning and beaming upon the jury, he

began simply to talk, but as the grandeur of his position grew upon him

-talk broadened unconsciously into an oratorical vein.

"You see how she was situated, gentlemen; poor child, it might have

broken her, heart to let her mind get to running on such a thing as that.

You see, from what we could make out her father was lame in the left leg

and had a deep scar on his left forehead. And so ever since the day she

found out she had another father, she never could, run across a lame

stranger without being taken all over with a shiver, and almost fainting

where she, stood. And the next minute she would go right after that man.

Once she stumbled on a stranger with a game leg; and she was the most

grateful thing in this world--but it was the wrong leg, and it was days

and days before she could leave her bed. Once she found a man with a scar

on his forehead and she was just going to throw herself into his arms,`

but he stepped out just then, and there wasn't anything the matter with

his legs. Time and time again, gentlemen of the jury, has this poor

suffering orphan flung herself on her knees with all her heart's

gratitude in her eyes before some scarred and crippled veteran, but

always, always to be disappointed, always to be plunged into new

despair--if his legs were right his scar was wrong, if his scar was right

his legs were wrong. Never could find a man that would fill the bill.

Gentlemen of the jury; you have hearts, you have feelings, you have warm

human sympathies; you can feel for this poor suffering child. Gentlemen

600

The Gilded Age