ut they were got into
their seats at last. The trial was soon ended now. The twins themselves
became witnesses in their own defense. They established the fact, upon
oath, that the leg-power passed from one to the other every Saturday
night at twelve o'clock sharp. But on cross-examination their counsel
would not allow them to tell whose week of power the current week was.
The judge insisted upon their answering, and proposed to compel them,
but even the prosecution took fright and came to the rescue then, and
helped stay the sturdy jurist's revolutionary hand. So the case had to
go to the jury with that important point hanging in the air. They were
out an hour and brought in this verdict:

"We the jury do find: 1, that an assault was committed, as charged; 2,
that it was committed by one of the persons accused, he having been seen
to do it by several credible witnesses; 3, but that his identity is so
merged in his brother's that we have not been able to tell which was
him. We cannot convict both, for only one is guilty. We cannot acquit
both, for only one is innocent. Our verdict is that justice has been
defeated by the dispensation of God, and ask to be discharged from
further duty."

This was read aloud in court and brought out a burst of hearty applause.
The old ladies made a spring at the twins, to shake and congratulate,
but were gently disengaged by Mr. Wilson and softly crowded back into
their places.

The judge rose in his little tribune, laid aside his silver-bowed
spectacles, roached his gray hair up with his fingers, and said, with
dignity and solemnity, and even with a certain pathos:

"In all my experience on the bench, I have not seen justice bow her
head in shame in this court until this day. You little realize what
far-reaching harm has just been wrought here under the fickle forms of
law. Imitation is the bane of courts--I thank God that this one is free
from the contamination of that vice--and in no long time you will
see the fatal work of this hour seized upon by profligate so-called
guardians of justice in all the wide circumstance of this planet and
perpetuated in their pernicious decisions. I wash my hands of this
iniquity. I would have compelled these culprits to expose their
guilt, but support failed me where I had most right to expect aid and
encouragement. And I was confronted by a law made in the interest of
crime, which protects the criminal from testifying against himself.
Yet I had pre