Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-11-02
CHAPTER lX.Continued.

cavernoIs fireplace. A rude clapboard
table did duty asa desk a, fact made;
plain by horn ink-well,. a notary'ss
seal. and3a rack with a half-dozcn quill
pens .A#. owe the desk was a shelf of
.boeks.in worn calf bindings, and be-
fore It rickety chair. A shakedown'
bed in one corner of the room was
tastecllly screened fron. the public
gaze by tattered quilt. #
boy, don't be afraid. Look on me
as q friend urged, the. Judge. who
lowered above him in the dim candle
light. Here's comfort. without ostenta-
ton. Don't tell me you prefer the
tavern, with its corrupt associations"
Hannibal was silent, and the Judge.
threw open the door. Then he sbent
toward the small stranger. bringing his
face close tosthe child's, while his thick
lips wreathed themselves in smile
ingratiatingly genial. "You can't look
me squarely in the eye and say you
prefer the tavern to these scholarly
surroundings" he said banteringly.
II reckon I'll be glad to STOP" an
swered Hannibal. The judge clapped
him playfully on the back.
\ S"Such confidence is inspiring! Make
yourself perfectly at home. Are you
.hungry?"
yes, sir. I amt had much to: eat
today" replied Hannibal cautiously.
II can offer you food then. What
do, You say tof1 cold sh'?" the. Judge
smacked his lips to inpart a relish to
the idea. 81 dare swear I can find you
some corn bread into the bargain. Tea
L, haven't got. On the advice of my
physician, don't use it. What do you
say-shall we light fire and warm the
fish," s ~ .a...ar
II low could eat it cold
mo trouble in the world to start
fire. All we got to do is to go out and
pull few palings off the fence urged
the judge. at@s .ay.
ut will do all right just like it is"
said Hannibal. .g3 49,
Very good, them cried the Judge
gaily,' and he began to assemble the
dainties he had enumerated. Here
you are!" he cleared his throat i'm
pressiyely, while benignity shone from
every feature of his face. "A mo-
ment since you allowed me to think
that you were solvent to the extent
of fifty cents" Hannibal looked puz-
zled. The judge dealt him a friendly
blow on the back, then; stood off and
regarded him with a glance Of great
POPULARITY, his plump knuckles on his
hips and his arms sakimbo. 81 Won
der"-and his eyes assumed a speculas
tive squint-asI. wonder ifsyou could
be induced to make a temporary loan
Of that fifty cents? The sum involved
is really such ridiculous trifle I don't
need to point out to you the absolute
moral certainty of my returning it at
an early date-say. tomorrow morn
ing; say tomorrow afternoon at the
latest; say even the day after at the
very outside. Meantime, you shall be
my guest. The landlady's, son has
found my notarial seal an, admirable
plaything-she has had to lick the
little devil twice for hooking tiny
pens and stationery are at your dis
posal. should you desire to communi'
cate to absent friends; you can have
the run of my library" the Judge fairly
trembled in his eagerness. 1t was not
the loss of his money that Hannibal
most feared, and the coin passed from
his possession into his hosts custody.
AS 1t dropped into the latter's great
palm he was visibly moved. His
moist, blue eyes became yet more
watery, while his battered old face,
assumed an expression indicating
deep inward satisfaction. Thank you,
nv boy!.. This, is. one of those, intrin-.
sically trifing benefits which, conferr-".
ed at the moment of acute need, touch
the heart and tap the unfailing springs
of human gratitude must step down
to the tavern-when l return, please
God, we shall know more OF each
other" While, he was still speaking
he had produced jug from behind
the quilt that screened his bed. and
now, bareheaded, and with every indi-
cation. of haste, took himself off into
the night. ! -. *. ..s'.,*
Left alone, Hannibal gravely seated
himself at the table What the judges
larder lacked in variety it more than
made up fdr in quantity y and the boy
was grateful for this fact. He was
half famished and the coarse, abund-
ant food was OF the sort to which he
was accustomed. Presently he heard
the Judges heavy shuffling step as he
came tup the path from the road and
a moment later his gross bulk of body
filed the doorway. Breathing hard
and perspiring, the Judge entered the
shanty. but his eagerness. together
with his -shortness of breath. kept him
silent until he had established him
self in his chair beside the table, with
the lug and a cracked glass at his
elbow. Then, bland and smiling, he
turned toward his guest. =:
a''Will you join me?' he asked.
- mo, sir. Please, I'd rather not,
said Hannibal.
DO YOU mean that you don't like
good liquor?'' demanded the Judge.
mot even with sugar and dash of
water Say, now, don't you like it
that way; my boy?"
81 amt learned to like it no ways"
said Hannibal. " - ar...s-~ ST.. ,
: ~"You amaze me-well--well the
greater the joy to which you may
reasonably aspire. The splendid posi-
bilities of youth are yours. My ten
derest regards. Hannibal" and he
nodded over the rim Of the cracked
glass his shaking hand had carried to.
his lips. Twice the glass was filed