Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-12-15
Boon Companions.
ESTABLISHED 1855.
CHAPTER X.

and glancing up, saw the tall figure Of
a man pause on his threshold. A whis-
pered curse slipped from between MS
lips. Aloud he said:
is that you, Mr.. Mahaffy?" He got
no reply, but the tall figure, propelled
by very long legs, stalked into the
shanty and a pair Of keen, restless
eyes deeply set under a high, bald head
were bent curiously upon him.
Il take it I'm intruding," the new
conner said sourly.
why should you think that, Solomon
Mahaffy? When has my door been
closed on you?" the judge asked, but
there was a guilty deepening Of the
flush on his face. Mr.. Mahaffy glanced
at the Jug, at the half-emptied glass
within convenient reach of the judges
hand, lastly at the judge himself, on
whose flame-colored visage his eyes
rested longest.
I've heard said there was honor
among thieves" he remarked.
81 know of no one better fitted to
offer an opinion on so delicate a point
than yourself, Mahaffy," said the judge
with a thick little ripple of laughter.
But Solomon Mahaffy's long face did
not relax in its set expression.
81 saw your light" he explained, but
YOU seem to be raising first-rate hell
all by yourself"
"Oh, be reasonable, Solomon. You'd
%ha ofa landing
said the judge plaintively. BY way OF
answer, Mahafty shot him a contempt
nous glance. Take a chair-do, Sol
omon!" entreated the judge.
u don't force my society on any
man. Mr.. Price" saio hfahaffy, with
austere hostility of tone. The judge
WINGED at the Mr." That registered
the extreme of Mahaffy's disfavor.
You feel bitter about this, Solo,
nNon?" he said.
Il do" said Mahaffy, in tone OF Ut
ter finality.
you'll feel better with three fingers
of this trickling through your system
observed the judge, pushing glass to-
ward him.
when did I ever sneak jug into
nv shanty?" asked Mahaffy sternly,
evidently conscious Of entire Iectitude
in this matter.
'I deplore your choice Of words, Sol
omon," said the judge. You know
damn we'll that If you'd been here
couldn't have got past your place with
that jug! But let's deal with condi-
tions Here's the jug, with some liquor
left in there's a glass. Now what
more do you want?"
Have ever been caught like this?'
demanded Mahaffy.
mo, you've invariably manifested
the honorable disabilities Of a gentle
man. But don't set it all down to vir-
tue. Maybe you haven't had the op-
portunity, maybe the temptation never
came and found you weak and thirsty
Put away your sinful pride, Solomon
a sot like you has no business with the
little niceties Of self-respect"
DO drink alone?" insisted Mahaf-
fy doggedly.
Il never give you the chance" re-
torted his friend. Mr.. Mahaffy drew
near the table. "Sit down." urged the
judge.
'I hope you feel mean?" said Mahaf-
fy.
eff. it's any satisfaction to you.
do" admitted the judge.
You ought to-" Mahaffy drew for
ward a chair. The judge filled his
glass. But Mr.. Mahaffy's lean face
with its long jaws and high cheek
bones. over which the sallow skin was
tightly drawn. did not relax in its for
bidding expression, even when he had
tossed off his first glass.
81 love to see you in perfectly nat
ural attitude like that, Solomon, with
your arm crooked. What's the news
from the landing
Mahaffy brought his fist down on the
table
"I heard the boat churning away
round back of the bend, then 1 saw
the lights, and she tied up and they
tossed off the freight. Then she churn-
ed away again and her lights got back
of the trees on the bank. There was
the lap of waves on the shore, and
was left with the half-dozen miserable
loafers who'd crawled out to see the
boat come in. That's the news SIX
days a week."
BY the river had come the judge
tentatively hopeful, but at heart eX-
pecting nothing therefore immune tc
disappointment and equipped for fail
ure. By the river had come Mr.. Ma
haffy, as unfit as the judge himself, anc
for the same reason, but sour and bit
ter with the world, believing always ir
the possibility of some miracle of re-
generation.
Personalities weekly paper, The
Genius of Liberty, had dwelt at length
upon those distinguished services Judge
Slocum Price had rendered the nation
in war and peace, the judge having
graciously furnished an array of facts
otherwise difficult Of access. That he
was drunk at the time had but added
to the splender of the narrative. He
had placed his ripe wisdom, the tai
ents he had so assiduously cultivated
at the services of his fellow citizens
He was prepared to represent them
in any or all the courts. But he had
remained undisturbed in his condition
of preparedness: that erudite brair
was unconcerned with any problem
beyond financing his thirst at the
tavern, where presently ingenuity
though it expressed itself with silver
tongue, failed him. and he realized tha
the rivers spent floods had left hin
stranded with those other odds anc
ends Of worthless drift that cumbereC
it's sun-scorched mud banks.
Something of all this passed through
his mind as he sat there sodden ant
dreamy, with the one fierce need of hi:
nature quieted for the moment. He hat