The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1911-12-20
ENTHUSIASTICALLY
VAUGHAN HESTER
yriGhk 1858. The BobbS- merrill Germany
CHAPTER XVIII.

CHAPTER XVIII.
The Judge Sees Ghost.
Charley Nortons good offices did not
end when he had furnished Judge
Price with a house, for Betty required
of him that he should supply that gen
tleman with legal business as we'll.
Thus it happened that Judge Price,
before he had been three days in Raj
leigh, received a civil notice from Mr..
Norton asking him to search the title
to certain timber tract held by one
Joseph Quad. The Judge, powerfully
excited, told Mahaffy he was being
understood and appreciated.
The immediate result of Norton's
communication had been to send the
judge up the street to the court house.
He would show his client that he could
be punctual and painstaking.
Entering the court house, he found
himself in narrow hall. He entered
the county clerks office. He was al
ready known to this official, whose
name was Saul, and he now greeted
him.
"A little matter of business brings
me here, sir" began the judge, with a
swelling chest and mellow accent. Il
am in some haste to look up title
for my client, Mr.. Norton"
Mr.. Saul scrambled up out of the
depths of his chair and exerted him
self An the judges behalf.
"That is what you want, sir. Better
take the ledger to the window, the
light in here amt much" He drew
forward chair as he spoke, and the
Judge, seating himself, began to polish
his spectacles with great elaboration.
you've set on the bench, sir?" sug'
gested Mr.. Saul.
"In one of the eastern counties, but
my inclination has never been toward
the judiciary" He was turning the
leaves of the ledger as he spoke. Sud
denly the movement of his hand was
|arreSted
Found it," asked Mr.. Saul. But
the judge gave him no answer; he
was staring down at the open pages OF
the beck. Found the entry?" re-
peated Mr.. Saul.
"Eh-what's that? No" he ap.
peared to hesitate. "Who is this man
Quintard?"
Hes the owner of hundred-thou'
sand-acre tract in this and abutting
counties" said Mr.. Saul.
"Who has charge of the land?"
Colonel Fentress; he was old Cen
eral Wares law partner I've heard 1t
was the general who got this man
Quintard to make the investment, but
that was before my time"
The judge lapsed into silence.
A step sounded in the narrow hall
An instant later the door was pushed
open, and grateful for any interruption
that would serve to take Mr.. Saups at
tention from himself, the Judge abrupt
ly turned his back on the clerk and
began to examine the record before
him. Insensibly, however, the cold,
level tones of the voice that was ad.
dressing itself to Mr.. Saul quickened
the beat of his pulse, the throb OF his
heart, and struck back through the
years to day from which he reck,
oned time. He turned slowly, as II
in dread.
| What he saw was man Verglng on
sixty, lean and dark, with thin, shaven
cheeks of blush cast above the jaw,
and strongly aquiline profile. Long,
black locks swept the collar of his
coat while his tall, spare figure was
habited in sleek broadcloth and spot
less linen. For moment the judge
seemed to struggle with doubt, then
his face went white and the book Slip
ped from his fingers to the window
ledge.
The stranger his business conclud
ed, swung about on his heel and quit
ted the office. Mr.. Saul, bending above
his desk, was making an entry in one
of his ledgers. The Judge shuffled to
his side.
"Who was that man." he asked
thickly, resting a shaking hand on the
clerks arm.
"That?-Oh, that was Colonel Fen
tress | was just telling you about"
HAS he always lived here?"
mo; he came into the county about
ten years ago. and bought place
called The Oaks"
elias he-a family?" The Judge ap
peared to be having difficulty with his
speech.
"Not that anybody knows of. Some
say he's a widower, others again say
he's an old bachelor; but he don't say
nothing. The coloners got his friends
| to be sure, but he don't mix much with
the real quality. One of his particu
lar intimates is a gentleman by the
name of Murrell."
The judge nodded.
give met him." he said briefly.
Acting on a sudden impulse, the
Judge muttered something about re
turning later, and hastily quilted tn
office.
In the hall the judges steps dragged
and his head was bowed. He was busy
with his memories. Then passion SHOOK
him.
Damn him-may God-for ever
damn him!" he cried under his breath
in fierce whisper.
The finished supper. the dishes were
cleared away and the candles lighted
when the judge produced a mysteri
Gus leather covered case. This he
opened, and Mahaffy and Hannibal saw
that it held handsome pair OF duel
ing pistols.
"Where did you get 'em, Judge?-
Oh, amt they beautiful" cried Han
|nibal .circling about the table in his