The Lamar register., 1912-08-14

He sat down. the better to enjoy
the unique sensation. Taxes were be-
Ing levied and collected with no other
end in view than his stipend-his ar
dent fancy saw the whole machinery
Of government in operation for his
benefit. It was q singular feeling he
experienced. Then promptly his
spendthrift brain became active. He
needed clothes-so did MahafYy-so'
did his grandson; they must take a
larger house; he would buy himself
man servant; these were pressing ne
cossfties as he now viewed them.
Once again he reached for his hat:
the DEF ire to rush on to Belle Plain
was overwhelming.
Il reckon I'd be justified in hiring
. conveyance from Pegloe." he
thought. but just here he had a saw
Ing memory OF his unfinished task;
that claimed precedence and he re-
sumsd his pom.
An hour later Pegloe's black boy
presented himself to the Judge. He
came bearing q gift, and the gift ap
proprtately enough was . square case
bottle of respectable size. The Judge
was greatly touched BY this attention,
but he began by making . most tenn
psrats use Of the tavern-keeper's Of
fering: then a. the formidable docu
mont he was preparing took shape un-
der his hand he more and more lost
that feeling Of Spartan fortitude
which had At nrst sustained him In
the presence Of temptation. He wrote
and slipped in complete and quiet lux
ury. and when at last he had exhaust
"a the contents OF the bottle It 90
CURED to him that It would be only
proper personally to convey his thanks
to Pegios. Perhaps he was not un-
Inspired In this by Interior hopes: II
20. they were richly rewarded. The
resources Of the City Tavern were
suddenly placed At his disposal. He
attributed this to . variety OF causes
al good and sumcient, but the real
reason never suggested itself: indeed
was OF such q perfidious nature that
the Judge. open and generous-minded.
could not have grasped It
By six o'clock he was undeniabiy
drunk: At eight he was sounding stu
deeper depths of inebriety, with only
the most confused memory OF impend.
Ing events; at ten he collapsed and
was borne upstairs BY Pegloe and his
black boy to q remote chamber in the
Kitchen wing. Here he was undressed
and put to bed, and the tavern-kesp.
Or. making q bundle Of his clothes. 70
tired from the room, locking the door
after him. and the Judge was doubly
. prisoner.
Rousing at last from q heavy,
dreamless sleep the Judge was aware
Of faint impalpable light in his room,
the ashen light OF dull October dawn.
He was aware. too. Of q feeling OF
profound depression. He knew this
was the aftermath OF Indulgence and
that 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 hap
pen At sun-up-he could not recall
what 1t was to be. though he distinct
" remembered that Mahafy had
spoken Of this very matter-Mahany,
the austere and implacable, the dis
embodied conscience whose feaIty to
duty had somehow survived his own
spiritual ruin. 30 that he had become
. sort Of moral sign-post, ever point
ing the way yet never going It him
self.
The Judge lay still and thought
deeply a. the light intensified itself
What was It that Mahany had said
he was to do at sun-upf The very
hour accented his suspicious. Prob
ably 1t was no more than some cheer.
less obligation to be met, or Mahafry
would not have been so concerned
about It. Eventually he decided to
refer everything to MahaRy. He
spoke his friends name weakly and
In . shaking voice, but received nc
answer.
"Solomoni" he repeated, and shift.
ing his position. looked In what should
have been the direction OF the shake
down bed his friend occupied. Meth.
Or the bed nor Mahany were there
The Judge gasped-he wondered II
this were not a premonition Of certain
Authorizations to which he was not a
stranger. Then all in q flash he re-
membered Fentress and the meeting
at Boggs'. something Of how the eve
ming had been epant and \ apnam al