Here Louisa took a document from his pocket.
“The following letter,” he said, “was received day before yesterday, addressed 'To The Magistrates of Zionville.'
“'On the 14th, probably on the afternoon east-bound freight, there will enter Zionville and endeavour to pass through a suspicious looking box addressed to some institution in Connecticut that may or may not exist. The undersigned is not informed. But the undersigned is well informed that the consignor of said box passes under the name of James Ulswater.” Now, if on examination of that there box, the Magistrates of Zionville is of the opinion that this yere “James Ulswater” is a party that oughtn't to be at large, the undersigned ain't going to dispute that opinion, undersigned being of the opinion the contents of said box is, or was once, a respectable middle-aged woman, with some Injun blood in her, and named Hannah Atkins, as to occasions of whose death it ain't for him to say. Only he don't take no stock in “James Ulswater's” remarks on the subject. They don't inspire no respect in his bosom. As to how “James Ulswater” came into possession of Mrs. Atkins' remains, the undersigned believes James Ulswater has something up his sleeve that he dassent tell. To what end then is “James Ulswater” shipping Mrs. Atkins, without sign of mourning or mortuary symbol, but with stealth, concealment and disrespect, over the innocent track and guileless freight agencies of the S. P. R. R.?
“'A Former Citizen of Zionville who Believes in her Destiny and Honours her Morals.'”
“Gentlemen,” said Louisa, “do the suspicions of our fellow citizen appear to you justified?”
The jurymen nodded one after another, like a row of tenpins.
“Do the prisoner's remarks inspire confidence in your bosoms?”
One after another the jurymen shook their heads.
“Then the Court directs the sheriff to remove the elderly party calling himself 'Ulswater,' and his presumable accomplice, the younger party with the particular necktie and advantageous trousers, calling himself 'Kirby,' and that the sheriff hold these parties for further action. The Court is adjourned.”
CHAPTER XXXIV--AMBASSADORS FROM ZIONVILLE
|IT seemed to me I was getting into the habit of incarceration. I passed from jail to jail. It was becoming monotonous.