The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1911-11-19
CHAPTER XXXVI1.
The Judge Fall. Heavily.

scented himself to he Judge. He came
bearing a gift, and the gift appropriately
enough was n square case bottle Of re-
spectacle size. The judge was greatly
touched by this attention, but he began
by making a most temperate use OF the
tavern keepers offering; then as the
formidable document he was preparing
took shape under his hand he more and
rnore lost that feeling of Spartan fort-
tude which had at first sustained him IN
the presence of temptation. He wrote
and slipped in complete and quiet luxury
and when at last he had exhausted the
contents of the bottle it occurred to him
that it would be only proper personally
to convey his thanks to Pegloe. Perhaps
he was not uninspired in this by Interior
hopes; If So they were richly rewarded
The resources of the City Tavern were
suddenly placed at his disposal. He at
tributed this to a variety OF causes all
good and sufficient, but the real reason
never suggested itself; indeed, 1t was OF
such a perfidious nature that the judge
open and generous-minded, could not
have graSped 1t.
By 6 o'clock he was undenlably drunk
at S he was sounding still deeper depths
of inebriety, with only the most confused
memory of impending events; at III ne
collapsed and was borne upstairs by reg
loe and his black boy to remote chan-
Der in the kitchen wing. Here ne was
undressed and put to bed, and the tavern
keeper, making a bundle of MS clothes'
retired from the room, locking the uooI
after him, and the judge was doubly
prisoner.
Rousirg at last from heavy. dream
less sleep. the judge was aware OF
faint impalpable light in his room' the
ashen light of a dull october dawn. he
was aware, too, of a feeling of profound
depression. He knew this was the AFTER
math of indulgence and thai he might
look forward to forty-eight hours of
utter misery of soul and. grooming
aloud, he closed his eyes. Sleep was the
thing If he could compass it. Instead
his memory quiCkened. Something was
TO happen at sunup-he could not re-
call what it was to be, though he dis
tinCtly remembered that Mahaffy had
spoken of this very matter-Mahany,
the austere and implaCahle. the diSem-
bodied conscience whose fealty to duty
had somehow survived his own spiritual
ruin. so that he had become sort OF
moral sigTpOst, ever pointing the way
yet never going it himself.
The judge lay still and thought deep
~ as the light intensified itself. What
was it that Mahaffy had said he was to
do a, sunup? The very hour accent
his suspicious. Probably it was no more
that some cherries obligation to be
met, or Mahaffy would not have been
so concerned about it. Eventually he
decided to refer everything TO Mahaffy.
He spoke his friend 5 name weakly and
in a shaking voice, but received no
answer.
Solomon" he repeated. and shifting
his position, looked in what should have
been the direction of the shake-down
-,i4l ha
he'd nor Mahaffy was there. The judge
Easped-he wondered if this were not
a premonition of certain Authorizations
TO which he was not a stranger. Then
all in a flash he remembered Fentress
and the meeting al Boggs', something
of how the evening had been spent, and
a Spasm of regret shook him.
Il had other things to think of. This
must never happen again" he told him
self remursefulIy.
H. was wide awake now. Doubtless
Pegloe had put him TO bed. Well. that
had been thoughtful of Pegloe-he would
not forget him-the city Tavern should
continue to enjoy his patronage. 1t
would bC something for PeEloe to boast
of that Judge Slocum Price Turherville
always made his place headquarters
when in Raleigh. Feeling that he had
already conferred wealth and distinction
his fat legs over the side of his I'D and
stood erect. STOPPING, he reached for his
clothes. He confidently expected to find
them on the floor but his hand merely
swept an unCarpcted waste. The judge
was profoundly astOnished.
"Mayhc I've got EN- on. I don't recall
taking them Off he thought, hopefully.
He moved uncertainty in the direction of
the window. where the light showed him
his own bare extremitics. He reverted
TO his original idea that his clothes were
scattered about the floor.
He was beginning to experience a great
sense Of haste; il was two miles to
ROegs and Fentrcss would he there al
sunup. Finally he abandoned his quest
OF the missing garments and turned 20
the door To say that he was amazed
when he found It locked would have
most inadequately described his emo
tions Breathing deep, he fell back a
step or two, and then with all the viGor
he could muster. Launched himself at
the door. But it resisted him.
ITS bolted on the other side he NUT
tered. the full measure of PeglOe's per-
fidy revealing itself to his mind. He
was aghast. 1t was plot to discredit
him. Pegloes hospitality had been in
spircd by his enemy. for Fegloe was Fen
trcss' tenant.
Again he attacked the door; he be-
leved it might he possible to force 1t
from its hinges, but PeglOe had done his
work too we'll for that, and ut last spent
and breathless. the judge dropped down
on the edge Of his he'd to consider the
situation He was without clothes and
he was a prisoner, vet his mind rose
EplendIdly to meet the difficulties that
beset him. His greatest activities were
reserved for what appeared to be only
a season Of despair. He armed himself
with Il three-1eEged stool he had found
and turned once more TO the door, but
the stout planks stood firm under his
blows
Unless I get out Of here in time I'm
ruined man. thought the judge.
After this Fentress will refuse to meet
me-
The window next engaged his atten-
ton. That, too. Pegloe had taken the
precaution to fasten, but a single savage
sash and left an empty space that framed
the dawn'sSred glow. The judge looked
out and shook his head obviously. II was
twelve feet or more TO the ground, a
risky drop for a gentleman of his years
and build. The Judge considered making
a rope of his bedding and lowering him
self to the ground by means Of It; he
remembered to have read Of captives In
that interesting French prison, the Bas-
tile, who did this. However, an equally
ingenious but much more simple use for
his bedding occurred to him; II would
form a soft and yielding substance on
which to alight. He gathered II up into
his arms, feGtAer-tick and ALL and push
ed II through the window, then he wrig-
gled out across the ledge, feet first, and