Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1912-08-08
cuArrER xxx-contInued

N~sayil-h- IVA aaf @lsatss7 M N<aaRRz18
CHATTER XXX-Contlnued
Ter. FOR long minute he held It In
his hand. uncertain, fearful, while his
mind slipped back into tho past until
bis inward searcalng vision far
out handsome goldierly 1gure-hIs
own.
That's what JsckHoa remembers IL
no remembers anything ne NUT
tered, aa with trembling fingers he
broke the seal Almost instantly a
smile overapFcad his battered fea-
tures. He hitchcd his chin higher ana
squared llis ponderOuB shoulders. II
an not forgotten-no. damn it--no!"
be exulted under his breath. Recalls
me With sincere esteem and c0nsid-
ers my services 70 the country nq we'll
worthy Of recognition" the
breathed deep What would Maua1y
find 70 say now! Certainly this w8s
well calculated 10 disturb the 80
cynicism OF his friend His bleared
eyes brimmed After an bis Eroairg
he had touched hands with tho reau-
lies az last! Even a federal jUdgeship,
though not az office OF FIRST reputc I'm
the south. had nc dlgnity--it givuihcd
somethinEl lie would mako Solomon
his cierk The judge reached for his
hat Mahauy must know at once that
fortune had mcaded for them Why,
at that moment he vas actually IN
receipt Of an tucomei
He sat down, tho better to enjoy
the unique sensation. Taxes were be
ing levied and collected with no other
end IN view than hia stipend-his ar.
dent fancy saw the whole machinery
OF government in operation for hts
benefit. II was a singular feeling he
experienced Th1n urowUtIY BILE
Bpendthrift brain became active, lie
needed ciothes--so did Mahany--so
did his grandson. they must take a
larger house: no would buy himself a
man servant; these we're pressing ne
ceaaities "a no now viewed them.
Once again he reached for his hat
tho desire to rush OF 70 Belle Plain
WA guaranteeing
Il reckon I'd be Justified IN hiring
conveyance from Pegloe," he
thought. but just here no had saw.
Ing memory OF his unfinished task.
that claimed precedence and no re-
sumed his pom.
An hour later Pcgloes black boy
presented himself to the Judge he
came bearing a git. and the giit ap.
bottle OF respectable size. The Judge
waB greatly touched BY this attention.
but he began BY making o most tenn
perate use OF the tavern.kceper's OF.
fertng, then aB the formidable docu-
ment he was preparing took shape un-
der his hand no more and more lost
that feeling OF spartan rortitudc
which had at first sustained hin IN
| the presence OF temptation. lie wrote
aud slipped in complete and quiet lux
ury, and when at last no had exhaust,
cd tho contents OF the bottle II 90.
cured to him that fl would be only
| proper personally 10 convey his thanks
to Pegloe. Perhaps he was not IN
inspired in this by Interior hopes; II
| 50, they were richly rewarded. The
| resources OF the CITY Tavern were
suddenly placed at bis disposal he
attributed this 70 a variety OF causes
all good and sufficient. but the real
reason never suggested itself; indeed
| 1t was OF such "A perhdious nature that
tho Judge. open and generouBminded,
could not have gTaaped Il.
BY six o'clock he was undaniably
drunk; at eight he was sounding still
| deeper depths Of inebriety, with only
| the most confused memory OF impenG.
| ing events; at ten no collapsed and
was borne upstairs BY Pegloe and his
| black boy to remote chamber In the
kitchen wing. Here he was undressed
and put to bed, and the tavern. keep.
er. making a bundle OF hss clothes, re.
tired from the room, locking the door
after him, and the judge was doubly
| prisoner.
Rouslng at last from a heavy
dreamless sleep the Judge was aware
| OF a faint impalpable light in hts room
the ashen light of duh October dawn
He was aware, too, OF a 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 il he could
compass 1t. Instead, his memory
quickened, Something was to hap
| pen at sun-up-he could not recall
what II was to be, though he distinct
" remembered that Mahany had
spoken Of this very matter-Mahamy
the austere and implacabIe, the dis
embodied conscience whose fealty to
duty had somehow survived his owr
spiritual ruin, so 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 as the light intensified itself