The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1911-11-19
CHAPTER XXXVIII.


1t had been with no little reluctance
that Solomon Mahaffy accompanied
Yancy and Cavendish to Belle Plain; he
would have preferred to remain in Ra-
leigh in attendance upon Judge Price
Intimately acquainted with the judges
mental processes, he could follow all the
devious workings of that magnificent
mind; he could fathom the simply hellish
ingenuity he was capable Of putting
forth to accomplish temporary benefits
Permitting his thoughts to dwell upon
the mingled strength and weakness which
was so curiOusly blended in Slocum
Prices character, he had horrid visions
of that great soul, freed from the tram
mels Of restraint confiding his melan-
Choly history to Mr.. Pegloe in the hope
Of bolstering his fallen credit at the
City Tavern.
Always where the judge was concerned
he fiuctuated between extremes of doubt
and confidence He felt that under the
Urgent spur of occasion his friend could
rise to any emergency. while sustain
ed activity made demands he could
not satisfy; then his efforts were dis
counted by his insane desire to realize
at once on his opportunities: in his haste
he was forever -plucking unripe fruit:
and though he might keep one eye on the
main chance the other was fixed just as
resolutely on the nearest tavern.
With the great stake which fate had
suddenly introduced into their losing
game, he wished earnestly to believe that
the JUICE would stay quietly in his Of
fee and complete the task he had set
himself; that with this off his hands the
promise of excitement at Belle Plain
would compel his presence there, when
he would pass somewhat under the re-
straining influence which he was de-
termined to exert: in short, to Solomon,
life embraced just the one vital consid-
GRAFTON. which was to maintain the
judge in a state OF sobriety until after
his meeting with FentreSs.
The purple of twilight was stealing over
the land when he and his two CON-
panionS reached Belle Plain. They
learned that Tom Ware had returned
from Memphis that the bayou had been
dragged but without results. and that as
yet nothing had been heard from Car
rinston or the dogs he had gone for.
Presently Cavendish and Yancy set off
across the fields. They were going on to
the raft, to Polly and the six little Cav
Cndishes. whom they had not seen since
early morning: but they promised to be
back at Belle Plain within an hour.
BY very nature an alien. Mahaffy
sought out dark corner of the wide
porch that OVERLOOKED the river to await
their return. The house had been thrown
open, and supper was being served to
whoever cared TO stay and partake of it.
The murmur of idle purposeless talk
drifted out to him: he was irritatcd and
offended at it. There was something
garish in this indiscriminate hospitality
in the very home of tragedy. As the
moments slipped by his sense of displeas-
ure increased. with mankind in general.
with himself. and with the judge-prin-
Cipally with the judge-who was to make
a foolish target of himself in the morn
ing. He was going to give the man who
had wrecked his life chance to take it
as we'll Mahaffy's cold logic dealt Gym
ically with the preposterous situation his
friend had created.
In the midst of his angry meditations
he heard a clock strike in the hall and