the other side.

"Then will you take the trouble to make your wishes known to the court?"

"No, you will do that for me," said the eminent counsel, with a coolness
that was exasperating. "It would be unsafe to shut off such a flow of
eloquence all at once. Ask the court, please, to discharge the
prisoner."

"Never," said the young lawyer, growing red to the roots of his
perfectly parted hair. The counsel for the defence reached over the
table and flipped the last message toward the lawyer, at the same time
advising the young man to read it again. Then the young man coughed, the
old lawyer laughed, the judge fidgeted on his bench, but he caught the
prayer of the youthful attorney, it was answered, and Dan Moran received
his freedom.

"Do you observe how the law operates?" asked the Philosopher, who had
been the bearer of the message from the general manager, of Patsy Daly
as they were leaving the court.

"I must confess," said Patsy, "that I am utterly unable to understand
these things. Here is a lawyer abusing a man--an honest man at
that--unmercifully, and all of a sudden he asks the court to discharge
the prisoner. It's beyond me."

"But the side play! Didn't you get on to the message that blackguard
received? He had a hunch from the prosecuting attorney who had been
hunched by the general manager, who, as I happened to know, was
severely, but very successfully hunched by Billy Watchem, to the effect
that this man was innocent and must be released. It was the shadow-hand
of old 'Never Sleep,' that did the business and set an innocent man
free, and hereafter, when I cuss a copper I'll say a little prayer for
this man whose good deeds are all done in the dark, and therefore
covered up."

"Thank you," said Patsy, "I should never have been able to work it out
myself."

"Well, it is not all worked out yet," said the Philosopher, "and will
not be until we come up for a final hearing, in a court that is
infallible and unfoolable; and what a lot of surprises are in store for
some people. It is not good to judge, and yet I can't help picturing it
all to myself. I see a sleek old sinner, who has gone through this life
perfectly satisfied with himself, edging his way in and sidling over
where the sheep are. Then in comes this poor devil who went to jail this
morning--that was his first trip, but the road is easy when you have
been over it once--and he, having been herding all along with the goats,
naturally wanders o