Connecticut western news., 1877-05-04
The Judges Story.

The Judge knocked the ashes from his cigar, and rose with an emphatic s'hemi'' All the others drew long breath, and brought their chairs down from their tilted positions. Graham had been telling story to while away the long hours of the Christmas night, and Graham was a magnificent story teller.
 'tsYour turn, Judge," said Graham, with slight laugh, the flush slowly dying out of his face.
 HBeat Graham's if you can," said Fenner, rubbing his hands together with great glee.
 ner," said Williams. "He used to equal of his adventures, and his grace in re- lating them.
 The young lawyer, whose soubriquet of "Judge" had been bestowed upon him in the early days of his, college life from his superannuated gravity and his contentious way of deciding ques- tions that bored him, drew back chair with flourish, and then pushed it to- ward the fire and sat down.
 s'I'll tell you what it is, boys, you needn't think I'm going to be beat by Graham. have story to tell which is just as good as his, but then it may lose something in the telling. Since we parted five years ago, I have inter- viewed Blackstone, Chitty, and others Of that ilk, and good deal of the TO- nance has faded out in that way, you perceive. But then, as we agreed to meet in five years and compare expert ence, it was merely to have something to tell, so did my best to have an ad- venture. Hem
 Perhaps you all remember what my college days were. You dol? Humph 1! Then it will save me the trouble of tell ing you, though have studied up a fine bit of pathos about them. However, it don't matter much; let it go now. One fact, though, must speak of, and that is the financial condition of your pres ent orator in those college days. I never said anything about it then, be- cause was a deal too proud; but to tell you the truth, boys, it required some screwing and some pretty close calculations to make my allowance cover my modest wants. I remember used to be little envious of Fenner and Graham when I saw them scatter ing money round with such lavish hand, and I, with my fine natural abil- ities, good looks, and extraordinary stock of common sense," and the Judge strengthened himself back, and laughed in his rare, genial way, without finish ing the sentence.
 However, to pass over that, and come to the time when we left college, with young honors upon us. Weren't we proud of our diplomas though Boys, want you to tell me truly whether you took your sheepskin out of it's case after the first six months ?''
 "Haven't seen mine since two weeks after commencement" murmured Graham.
 'sDon,t know where mine is," said Fenner, and the others intimated that their experience entirely coincided with his.
 "That's just it, boys" pursued the judge, ''I tried to get situation by ex- hibfting that imposing document, but after good many trials and as many ignomious failures put the pious fraud away and left of being college grad uate. I went in on my merits then, re- solved to win or perish in the attempt. It seemed as if I would have to accept the latter alternate. I had neither money nor friends, and there were plenty of young men with wealth and position, ready to fill every vacancy. l was pretty hard up for money, you know, and it was about this time fell in with Steve Ranald, who was in about the same condition with respect to funds. I believe none of you ever saw him, did youf I wish you had known him. He was half French, and that accounts for some peculiar traits in his character. A magnificent looking fel- low, with certain kind of fascination about him that you could not resist. could not, know. He led me into all kinds of scrapes that I never would have thought of going into, and it was impossible to blame him. He had such merry, 1ight-hearted way with him when he chose, that took me quite by storm.
 ssWell, as I said, our condition wa! about the same financially, so we joined together and rented room in a very cheap but respectable neighborhood We kept bachelors hall there very com fortably for while, while I hunted employment, and he compounded won derful French dishes out of nothing.
 stI suppose in my search of employ ment. I had started out with some vagu idea of becoming minister to some for eign power, or postmaster-general, O something of that kind. My aspiration after declining for several weeks, like decreasing series of geometrical pro gressions-the bete noir of my boyhoo' at last pointed to an ordinary clerk ship in some mercantile establishment as happiness beyond comparison. Ever here was doomed to disappointment snd then I gave up the struggle. I Ihat apent my last dollar that morning. Al day had walked from street to street from square to square. My limbs wer aching with the unaccustomed exereis my brain was in whirl. knew on man whom my father had befriende' years; ago, in the days of his prosperit, when the man was in great distress Since then fortunes wheel had turned and my father had died in poverty while MT. Laclede was one of the none, kings of the city. Can you understan why would not go to him until ever, other resource had failed? Even the