AdayortwolateritwasknownthroughoutthetownthatZaideeHookerhadsuedAdoniramHotchkissforbreachofpromise，andthatthedamageswerelaidatfivethousanddollars。AsinthosebucolicdaystheWesternpresswasunderthesecurecensorshipofarevolver，acautioustoneofcriticismprevailed，andanygossipwasconfinedtopersonalexpression，andeventhenattheriskofthegossiper。Nevertheless，thesituationprovokedtheintensestcuriosity。TheColonelwasapproached——untilhisstatementthatheshouldconsideranyattempttoovercomehisprofessionalsecrecyapersonalreflectionwithheldfurtheradvances。Thecommunitywerelefttothemoreostentatiousinformationofthedefendant’scounsel，Messrs。KitchamandBilser，thatthecasewas\"ridiculous\"
and\"rotten，\"thattheplaintiffwouldbenonsuited，andthefire-
eatingStarbottlewouldbetaughtalessonthathecouldnot\"bully\"thelaw，andthereweresomedarkhintsofaconspiracy。
Itwasevenhintedthatthe\"case\"wastherevengefulandpreposterousoutcomeoftherefusalofHotchkisstopayStarbottleanextravagantfeeforhislateservicestotheDitchCompany。ItisunnecessarytosaythatthesewordswerenotreportedtotheColonel。Itwas，however，anunfortunatecircumstanceforthecalmer，ethicalconsiderationofthesubjectthattheChurchsidedwithHotchkiss，asthisprovokedanequaladherencetotheplaintiffandStarbottleonthepartofthelargerbodyofnon-
churchgoers，whoweredelightedatapossibleexposureoftheweaknessofreligiousrectitude。\"I’veallushadmysuspicionso’