ghtly enough.

"Mr. Clancy," I began in my best jury manner, "where do you reside?"

A light gleamed in the witness's eyes.

"City an' County av New York--SS!" he burst out proudly.

I dropped the paper on my desk and groaned aloud. But when I saw the
look of crushing disappointment on Clancy's face I forced a smile and
said,

"Try to forget that, Michael. It has nothing whatever to do with your
testimony. Now let's begin again--Where do you reside?"

"Shure you know, Sorr."

"Yes, I know, Clancy, but the jury doesn't and we're supposed to be in
Court. Answer just as you would before the jury. Now--who employed you
in May, 1896?"

"A boonch av scuts--no less!"

I sighed hopelessly. It was useless to continue this game.

"Perhaps we've had about enough for to-day, Michael," I said. "Go to
Court to-morrow and listen to some witnesses testify. You'll soon get
the idea. Then come down to the office in the afternoon and I'll have
some questions written out so that you'll know about what you're to be
asked. There's nothing like thorough preparation. By the way, do you
want to add anything to the affidavit? The facts are all right as far as
they go, I suppose?"

Clancy hesitated, wiped his mouth once or twice--smiled out of the
window and ended by a general shift of his bulk. But he did not speak.

"What is it?" I asked encouragingly.

A gesture of disclaimer, almost coy this time, prefaced his reply.

"Shure Oi don't loike ter throuble you, Sorr, an' 'tis as loike as not
to be wan av thim deetales you was spakin' av----"

"Never mind, what is it?"

"Well, Sorr, Oi don't seem ter call ter moinde th' lad thot's been
afther sayin' an' doin' some av thim things."

The excitement had evidently been too much for Michael's head, but to
soothe him I asked,

"What lad, Clancy?"

"Daypont, Sorr."

"Daypont?" I repeated.

Then I picked up the affidavit, and light dawned upon me.

"You don't mean _deponent_, do you?"

"'Tis the same, Sorr--Shure he niver wurrked fer thim in all me toime."

A penholder broke, but I slowly minced a blotter before I trusted myself
to explain.

"Deponent means you, Clancy."

"Is ut me?"

"Certainly. For instance----" here I picked up the affidavit.--"This
reads '_Deponent did not erect said shelf_', and that means, you did not
erect it,----"

"But Begorra, that's just what Oi did, Sorr----"

"What!" I shrieked.

"Oi builded----"

"You built the shelf that fell?"