I hastily ran over the paper and saw that it was a statement of the agent, fully sus taining our hypothesis of the case as to Williams' collusion with Azariah Cooper to prevent confiscation of the property. Thank ing the young man, I asked him to remain within call, and entered the jury room where Waring was waiting for me. "Well," he said, as he closed the door, "I see you know it's all up with our case. Jackson thought we had better go on with the trial and see if you wouldn't miss the point; but I saw when you kept back the execution, that you were not to be caught napping. I myself never knew the defect in title until a few days ago. I had the old County Court papers hunted up, knowing it would not do to stand upon the docket-order and the sheriff's deed, and was surprised to find the order for levy had not been en dorsed on the execution. It was a very careless thing on the part of Woodson, who was Cooper's counsel then. It is pretty hard on Cooper, though, to lose such a property which he has so long thought his own." "Think so?" I asked. " Did you know Williams', the agent's, handwriting?" "Perfectly." "Is that it? " showing him the letter. "Yes, there is no doubt about that," ex amining it closely. "Will you please read it?" Waring perused the letter carefully, turned it over and asked where it came from. I told him how it had come to my hand. "Well," he said, with a look of disap pointment. " I would not have expected it of Azariah Cooper. That accounts for his anxiety to compromise the case against our advice. If he had gone on the stand, you'd have surely bowled him over on crossexamination. He hasn't the nerve to stand up to a lie. Well, it cannot be denied that he has greatly improved the property." "And received much profit from it," I replied.
"Perhaps; but a suit for mesne profits would break him all up. He has a very in teresting family. I think an exposure would almost kill his wife and daughters." "I'll see what my client says," I an swered. " I suppose we are to have a ver dict?" "Certainly." "After that then, we will confer as to the terms to be allowed Cooper. Can you come to my room to-night? We can probably save his good name, at least. But I must consult my client and — and — my associ ate." A queer look came over Waring's face, but I did not stop to explain. We returned into court, when Waring, after a word with his associates, said : — "It is agreed, if the Court please, that the jury shall return a verdict for the plaintiff, and that he have judgment according to the prayer of his complaint. A decree will be agreed on and submitted." The clerk called the roll #of jurors, em paneled them in the case, and said : — "Stephen Watkins, foreman, you say you find all the issues in favor of the plaintiff, under the charge of the court? So say you all?" The jurors bowed assent, and the famous case of Morris v. the Cooper Hill Mining Company was at an end. The crowd which had assembled in anti cipation of hearing an interesting trial, dis persed wondering what it all meant. On the way to our hotel, I introduced young Mr. Williams, a fine manly fellow, to my client and his son, and was glad to see that both seemed much pleased with him. Mr. Morris went with me to my room, where I informed him of all that had occurred, which up to that moment had been as much of a mystery to him as to the crowd. "I knew Esther must be right," was his placid comment. "But the defect in the title would certain ly have been discovered if we had tried a year ago," I answered, piqued at what
