Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-08-03
JUDGE DANN'S ERRAND


| trustees He sat in big chair at the end
| of a long table in the office. drumming
impatiently on the arms of his chair and
! Struggling his shoulders, an unfailing
sign that something displeased him. He
began to shrug his shoulders as soon as
he learned the purpose for which the
meeting had been called
why, she looks like a girl in that
new-fashioned walking skirtp remon-
strated the doctor who was secretary Of
the board.
LAS my wife says. that skirt looks
| uite-quite-er-lmmode insisted the
minister who faced the other across the
] Office table.
| And then, women of her age should
be more sedate, according to my IDEAS"
added Professor Haley looking at the
| judge out of the corner of his eye. ut
seems to me that preceptress at least
ought to live up to her age, rather"
ending abruptly because of the activity
of the judges shoulders. a sign which
Professor Haley understood.
And you want me to go to Miss Rogers
and tell her that dozen of the business
and professional men of this town, form
ing the local board of discipline In the
school-"Judge Damn spoke with an in
tonation which made the others vince
want her to wear longer skirts, put on
sober bonnets, and act old. Is that the
service you require?'
Professor Haley answered: LAS you
see, Judge Damn, this is rather a deli
cate business to handle and you have
been accustomed all your life to handling
delicate questions in a successful way"
Successful as far as you have seem"
interrupted the judge. He seemed to
speak more to himself than to the prin-
cipal
But we all recognize that It Is your
forte to adjust differences in an inmitable
way" insisted Professor Haley. and so
We intrust this matter to your care, with
the utmost confidence that Miss Rogers
will be benefited and not offended"
The judge rose. His face wore a pc
culiar expression. He donned his tall
hat and picked up his gold-headed cane.
Benefited, but not offended-I seel" he
repeated sarcasticaly.
He reached the closed door of Miss
Rogerss parlor and heststed There
was no sound within except the cracking
of flames In the CRATE. He raped softly.
A cheerful, crisp voice called: Come
inP' He turned the knob and stepped
across the threshold. drawing the door
shut behind him. We'll Katei" was his
abrupt and unceremonlous greeting.
The woman sitting beside the open
crate rose with an exclamation OF sur
prise. and came forward with an out
stretched hand: Judge Damn
The man clasped her hand and gave
short laugh. my name with that ham
die never sounded so strange before"
He looked around, drawing a long
breath OF satisfaction as he walked with
an alert step across the room to the fire.
place which sent out rosy, warm glow
into the semi-gloom and chill OF the late
October afternoon. Your room is very
like home. Kate" he said gently.
"Of course assented Katherine
Rogers cheerily, wherever i go l try
to carry home with me-"
She came and stood beside the FIRE
and leaned against the low mantel. The
t judge looked at her thoughtfully with
eyes that were rather sad and old for
= man of nifty. A smile broke over his
face as his eyes Travelled down to the
r hem of her rainyday skirt 1t certainly
2 did make her appear girlish. And her
I face too belied her 45 years. What
would the local board do with that? he
e wondered. 1t was not a beautiful face
E 1T never had been-but II shone with an
a inner radiance, which lit 1t the soft
e freight illumined the room. There were
. lines on her face, 1t is true. lines of ex-
, perience and age; but across them all
and almost concealing them were the
e lines of buoyancy and hope Her dark
I hair was banded with white; but II was
. | arranged as classically and becomingly
e as In the old days. when he. a son OF
3 Amherst used to visit Smith, where the
. Empress Katherine ruled.
= A half-smlIe interrupted his sigh as he
laid his hat on a table and seated him
self on one side of the fireplace where
he could watch the expressive face OF
q Katherine Rogers. He leaned forward
and rested both hands on the head of his
cane, which he planted firmly between
herself in a low wicker rocker on the
other side OF the CRATE, and leaned back
p with the reBtful air which he remembered
: well.
You carry home with you wherever
. you 60" repeated the Judge. "And then
4 when you reach your destination you
a expand your ideas a blt-and presto!
a there Is the home that all can see. Yes,
: your room is very pleasant" and the
. man looked around feastlng his eyes on
a the little decorations, trifes which he did
n not understand, but which made a subtle
. atmosphere that his big stone house up
q on the hill lacked
+ IT'S the first time you have seen my
r room, is it not?" asked Katherine
i brightly, pulling a small workable
"a toward her
. Yes. have not thought of calling
upon you since you came" said Judge
~ Damn simply, "for several reasons: one.
- that people would talk. You know peo-
II pie always will talk of the unusual" with
's a glance at her skirt and another smile
), and II certainly would be unusual for me
g to call on any lady. l am not considered
:. social"
The woman selected a needle and some
silks. 81 am sorry TO hear 1t. You
miss much In life. 1t makes us old to
avoid our fellowmen. Did you ever think
= Of that, your honor?' looking up with a
a mischieVous CLEAN in her eyes. She
I'd began work on a dolly.
le The judge looked at her delicate white
n fingers in silence for an instant Yes
lie perhaps 1t does make us old, this retire.
m ment into self" he said slowly, and add
sc ed grimly: But what II you found
lie yourself more agreeable than your neigh
ell bOr?"
or Katherine Rogers's eyes danced sh,
I'd leaned forward and said quickly; "DC
lie you confess it? So do IT, and theI
he tipping back her small rounded chin sh,
as laughed merrily. 1t was the laugh t.
Id which the trustees objected-too girllsh
a mere giggle, they said. The judgt
= ehuckled in sympathy with the laugh.
But you know, Judge Damn. 1 an
bound to be young Now at twenty
III felt old and worried. was a caretaker
AT forty-five the world appears brighter
have learned so much of life that cal
AFFORD to be young 1t was too costly al
III experiment at twenty. l feel young.
III Intend TO act young and be young See Z?
and again her glad laugh rang out. "A
forty-five I defy the world to apply t
II me term won at twenty-old.' Am
not in the right of it?"
Judge Damn looked at the window an
smiled. 1t was smile containing NOR