The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1912-03-13
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When he had disappeared from sight
down the street the Judge closed the
door, Then he picked up the letter. For
a long minute he held in in his hand
uncertain, fearful, while his mind slip,
ped back into the past until his in
ward searching vision ferreted out a
handsome soldierly figure-his own.
That's what Jackson remembers if
he remembers anything!" he muttered,
as with trembling fingers he broke the
seal. Almost instantly a smile over
spread his battered features. He
hitched his chin higher and squared
his ponderous shoulders. Il am not
forgotten-no, damn it-no!" he exult-
ed under his breath. Recalls me with
sincere esteem and considers my serv-
ices to the country as we'll worthy of
recognition" the judge breathed
deeply. What would Mahaffy find to
say now! Certainly this was well cal
culated to disturb the sour cynicism
of his friend. His bleared eyes brim-
med. After all his groupings he had
touched hands with the realities at
last! Even a federal judgeship, though
not an Office of first repute in the
south, had it's dignity-it signified
something. He would make Solomon
his clerk! The judge reached for his
hat. Mahaffy must know at once that
fortune had mended for them. Why,
at that moment he was actually in
receipt of an income!
He sat down, the better to enjoy the
unique sensation. Taxes were being
levied and collected with no other end
in view than his stipend-his ardent
fancy saw .Ae whole machinery of gov
eminent in operation for his benefit.
1t was a singular feeling he expert
enced. Then promptly his spendthrift
brain became active. He needed some
clothes-so did Mahaffy-so did his
grandson; they must take larger
house; he would buy himself man
servant; these were pressing neces-
sites as he now viewed them.
Once again he reached for his hat:
the desire to rush off to Belle Plain
was overmastering.
81 reckon I'd be justified in hiring
a conveyance from Pegloe," he
thought, but just here he had a saw
ing memory of his unfinished task;
that claimed precedence and he re-
sumed his pen.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
The Judge Falls Heavily.
An hour later Pegloes black boy pre-
scented himself to the Judge. He came
bearing gift, and the gift appropr-
ately enough was a square case bot
tie of respectable 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 more lost that feel
ing of Spartan fortitude 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 ul-
terror hopes; if so, they were richly
rewarded. The resources of the City
Tavern were suddenly placed at his
disposal. He attributed this to vari-
ETY. of causes all good and sufficient,
but the real reason never suggested
itself; indeed it was of such a perfid-
ious nature that the Judge, open and
generous minded, could not have
grasped it.
By six o'clock he was undeniably
drunk; by eight he was sounding still
deeper depths of inebriety, with only
the most confused memory of impend-
ing events; at ten he collapsed and
was borne up stairs by Pegloe and his
black boy to remote chamber in the
kitchen wing. Here he was undressed
and put to bed, and the tavern keeper,
making a bundle of his clothes. re-
tired from the room, locking the door
after him, and the judge was doubly
a prisoner.
Rousing at last from 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 a feeling of pro-
found 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 COM
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