r, where, in case the judge
might wish to ask him some questions, the complainant had taken his
stand--"come around tuh where I live an' accused me of done takin' it."

"But you did take it, didn't you?"

"Yassah, I done tuck it."

"What did you do with it?"

"I traded it foh twenty-five cents."

"You mean you sold it," corrected his honor.

"Yassah, I done sold it."

"Well, don't you know it's wrong to do anything like that? Didn't you
know when you reached through that fence and pulled that pipe over to
you that you were stealing? Didn't you?"

"Yassah, I knowed it was wrong," replied Ackerman, sheepishly. "I didn'
think 'twuz stealin' like zackly, but I done knowed it was wrong. I done
knowed I oughtn' take it, I guess."

"Of course you did. Of course you did. That's just it. You knew you were
stealing, and still you took it. Has the man to whom this negro sold
the lead pipe been apprehended yet?" the judge inquired sharply of the
district attorney. "He should be, for he's more guilty than this negro,
a receiver of stolen goods."

"Yes, sir," replied the assistant. "His case is before Judge Yawger."

"Quite right. It should be," replied Payderson, severely. "This matter
of receiving stolen property is one of the worst offenses, in my
judgment."

He then turned his attention to Ackerman again. "Now, look here,
Ackerman," he exclaimed, irritated at having to bother with such a
pretty case, "I want to say something to you, and I want you to pay
strict attention to me. Straighten up, there! Don't lean on that gate!
You are in the presence of the law now." Ackerman had sprawled himself
comfortably down on his elbows as he would have if he had been leaning
over a back-fence gate talking to some one, but he immediately drew
himself straight, still grinning foolishly and apologetically, when he
heard this. "You are not so dull but that you can understand what I am
going to say to you. The offense you have committed--stealing a piece
of lead pipe--is a crime. Do you hear me? A criminal offense--one that I
could punish you very severely for. I could send you to the penitentiary
for one year if I chose--the law says I may--one year at hard labor for
stealing a piece of lead pipe. Now, if you have any sense you will pay
strict attention to what I am going to tell you. I am not going to send
you to the penitentiary right now. I'm going to wait a little while. I
am going to sentence you to one year in the penitentia