The Washington herald., 1911-11-04
THE PRODLGAL JUDGE
By VAUGHAN KESTER cOpu4As ml BossMsnm Company,
Copyright, 1911. the BOSbsMerin ccmpany.I

over the child, with his knowledge OF
shabby vice and his fresh young faith
In those old tatterdemalions.
| But, no matter what they do, they
are very, very kind to your she con-
tinued, TREMENDOUSLY. ...
Yes, ma'am. Why, Miss Betty
| they're lovely men,
| And do you ever hear the things
spoken of you learned about at Mrs
Ferris Sunday school?"
when the Judge is drunk he talks 6
| heap about 'em. It's beautiful to heal
him then; you'd love it, Miss Betty
and Hannibal smiled up sweetly into
| her face. rr
| Does he have you 20 to Sunday schoo
in Ralelgh?"
The boy shook his head.
Il amt got no clothes that's fitten tC
wear, nor no pennies to give, but the
Judge, he lows that as soon as he car
make raise got to go. and he's learn
ing me my letters-but We ant book
Miss Betty, reckon it'd stump you some
to guess how he's fixed It for me tc
| learn?' -...
Hes drawn the letters for you, is thai
the way?' In spite of herself, Betty
was experiencing a. certain revulsion OF
feeling where the judge and MahaffS
were concerned. They were doubtless
bad enough, but they could have beer
worse
No. ma'am; he done soaked the label
on one of Mr.. Pegloe's whisky bottles
. and pasted 1t on the wall just as high
as my chin, SOS 1 can see 1t good, and
he's learnisg me that-a-ways! Maybe
you've seen the kind of bottle / mean
-Pegloe's Mississippi Pilot; Pure Corn
Whisky? But HannibaPs bright little
face fell. He was quick to see that
the educational system devised by the
judge did not impress Betty at all IA
Ivorably. She drew him Into Aer arms.
You shall have my bookS-the books
learned to read out Of when was a
little girl, Hannibal!''
81 like learning from the label pretty
WELL" said Hannibal Loyalty.
But you'll like the books better, dear.
when you see them. know Just where
they are, for 1 happened on them on a
shelf in the library only the other day
After they had found and examined
the books and Hannibal had grudgingly
admitted that they might possess certain
points Of advantage over the LABEL he
and Betty went out for a walk. 1t was
now late afternoon and the sun was
sinking behind the wall of the forest that
rose along the Arkansas coast. Their
steps had led them to the terrace-where
they stood looking OF into the west. II
was nr.Te ltldl Betty mad SdlQ BOOO-Dy
to Bruce Carrington-it might have been
months ago, and II was only days. She
thought Of Charley-CharTey, with his
youth and hope and nigh courage-un-
Willingly enough she had led him on to
his death! A sob rose in her throat.
Hannibal looked up into ner face. The
memory OF his own loss was never very
long absent from his mind, and Miss
Betty had been the victim OF similarly
sinister tragedy. He recalled those first
awful days Of loneliness through which
he had lived, when there was no Uncle
Bob-soft-voiced. smiling and infinitely
companionable
why. Hannibal you are crying-what
about, deat2' asked Betty suddenly.
NO. ma'am; l amt crying" said
Hannibal stoutiys but his wet iashes gave
the lie to his words.
..Are you homesick-dos you wish TO go
back to the Judge and Mr.. Mahaffy2''
No. ma'am-it amt that-I was just
thinking"
sThinklng about what, dear9''
About my Uncle Bob" The small face
was very wistfuL
"oh-and you still miss him so much.
HannibaiT
IT bet I dol reckon anybody who
knew Uncle Bob would never get over
missing hirp; they 1nst couldn't, Miss