Christmas with Grandma Elsie Part 45

These all sat near together, and Lulu felt it a comfort to find herself in the midst of such a company of friends.

Greetings were exchanged, some kind, encouraging words spoken to her and Max, then their father and the other gentlemen fell into conversation.

The children had never been in a court-room before, and were interested in looking about and observing what was going on. They were early; in season to see the judges come in and take their seats on the bench, and the opening of the court.

Some lesser matters occupied its attention for a time, then there was a little stir of excitement in the crowd as the sheriff and his deputy entered with Ajax and his fellow burglar, but it quieted down in a moment as the prisoners took their places at the bar, and the voice of the presiding judge sounded distinctly through the room, "Commonwealth against Perry Davis and Ajax Stone. Burglary. Are you ready for trial?"

"We are, your Honor," replied the district attorney.

"Very well," said the judge, "arraign the prisoners."

Then the two prisoners were told to stand up while the district attorney read the indictment, which charged them with "burglariously breaking and entering into the mansion-house of Captain Raymond of Woodburn, on the second day of January last pa.s.sed," and while there attempting to break into and rob his safe and to carry off articles of value from other parts of the dwelling.

The court-room was very quiet during the reading of the indictment, so that Max and Lulu who were listening intently, heard every word.

Lulu looked her astonishment when the prisoners pleaded, "Not guilty."

"Why they _are_! and they know they are!" she whispered to Max.

"Of course," he returned in the same low key, "but do you suppose men who break into houses to steal, will hesitate to lie?"

"Oh no, to be sure not! How silly I am!"

The next thing was the selecting of jurors; a rather tedious business, taking up all the rest of the time till the court adjourned for the noon recess.

That was a rest for Max and Lulu. Their father took them to a hotel for lunch, they chatted a while in its parlor, after satisfying their appet.i.tes, then returned to the court-room in season for the opening of the afternoon session.

The district attorney made the opening address, giving an outline of the evidence he expected to bring forward to prove the prisoners' guilt.

Then Lulu was called to the witness stand.

She rose at once and turned to her father, looking a trifle pale, but quite calm and collected.

He took her hand and led her to the little railed platform. She stepped upon it and he stood near to encourage her by his presence.

"You are very young, my child," the judge said in a kindly tone, "What do you know of the nature of an oath?"

"I know, sir, that it is a very solemn promise in the presence of the great G.o.d, to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth."

"And what will happen to you if you fail to do so, my dear?"

"G.o.d will know it, and be angry with me; for he hates lying and has said, 'All liars shall have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone!'"

Lulu's answers were given in a low, but very distinct tone and in the almost breathless silence were quite audible in every part of the large room.

"Administer the oath to her," said the judge addressing the clerk of the court, "she is more competent to take it than many an older person."

When she had done so, "What is your name?" asked the district attorney.

"Lucilla Raymond."

"You are the daughter of Capt. Levis Raymond late of United States Navy?"

"Yes, sir, his eldest daughter."

"How old are you?"

"I was twelve on my last birthday; last summer."

"Look at the prisoners. Did you ever see them before?"

"Yes, sir."

"When and where?"

"The colored man has lived in our family, and I saw him every day for months."

"And the white man?"

"I have seen him three times before to-day; first on the second day of last January, when my brother and I were riding home through the bit of wood on my father's estate. That man was leaning against a tree and my pony nearly stepped on him before I knew he was there, and he seized her bridle and said fiercely, 'Look out there and don't ride a fellow down!'"

"And what did you answer?"

"Let go of my bridle this instant and get out of the path!"

"Plucky!" laughed some one in the audience.

"What happened next?" asked the lawyer, and Lulu went on to tell the whole story of the adventure in the wood.

"That, you have told us, was your first sight of the prisoner calling himself Perry Davis, when did you see him next? and where?"

"That night, in what we call the strong room where papa's safe is."

She was bidden to tell the whole of that story also, and did so in the same clear, straightforward manner in which she had told it in the magistrate's office, told it simply, artlessly--as not aware of the bravery and unselfishness of her conduct in attempting the capture of the burglars at the risk of being attacked and murdered by them--and in the same calm, even, distinct tones in which she had spoken at first.

A murmur of admiration ran through the court-room as she concluded her narrative with, "Papa was asleep and I couldn't speak just at first for want of breath; but when I put my arm round his neck and laid my face on the pillow beside his, he woke and I told him about the burglars and what I had done."

The prisoners had listened with close attention and evident interest.

"So 'twas her--that chit of a gal, that fastened us in--caught us in a trap, as one may say," muttered Davis, scowling at her and grinding his teeth with rage. "Pity I didn't hold on to that ere bridle and kerry her off afore we ventur'd in thar."

A warning look from his counsel silenced him, and the latter addressed himself to Lulu.

"You say you had seen Davis three times before to-day. Where and when did you see him the third time?"

"In the magistrate's office, the next morning after he and Ajax had been in our house."

"Did you then recognize them as the same men you had seen in the strong room of your home the night before at work at the lock of the safe?"

"Yes, sir; and Davis as the man who had seized my pony's bridle in the wood."