The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1912-02-07

was Immediately satisfied. The Judge
had reached degree of shabbiness
seldom equaled, and but for his mel
low, effulgent personality might well
have passed for common vagabond
and if his dress advertised the state Of
his finances, his face explained his
habits. No misconception was possible
about either.
MAY / offer you glass of liquorc?'
asked Fentress, breaking the silence
He stepped to the walnut center table
where there was a decanter and glass
es. BY gesture the judge declined
the invitation. Whereat the colonel
looked surprised, but not so surprised
as Mahafy. There was another sill
ence
81 don't think we ever met before? o.
observed Fentress. There was some
thing in the fixed stare his visitor was
bending upon him that he found dis
quieting, just why, he could not have
told.
But that fixed stare of the judges
continued. No, the man had not
changed-he had grown older certain
ly, but age had not come ungracefully
he became the glossy broadcloth and
spotless linen he wore. Here was a
man who could command the good
things of life, using them with ration
al temperance. The room itself was in
harmony with his character; it was
plain, but rich in it's appointments, at
once his library and his office, while
the well-flled cases ranged about the
walls showed his tastes to be in the
main scholarly and intellectual.
"How long have you lived here?'
asked the judge, abruptly. Fentress
seemed to hesitate; but the judges
glance, compelling and insistent, de.
manded an answer.
'Ten years"
"You have known many men of all
classes as lawyer and planter?" said
the judge. Fentress inclined his head
The judge took a step nearer him.
People have great trick of coming
and going in these western states all
sorts of damned riffraff drift in and
out of these new lands" A deadly
earnestness lifted the judges words
above mere rudeness. Fentress, cold
and distant, made no reply. "For the
past twenty years have been looking
for a man by the name of Gatewood
David Gatewood." Disciplined as he
was, the colonel started violently.
Ever hear of him, Fentress?" de.
manded the judge with savage scowl
whats all this to me?" The words
came with gasp from Fentress
twitching lips. The judge looked at
him moody and frowning.
81 have reason to think this man
Gatewood came to west Tennessee
he said.
| IL 0O, nave ACNCA ACoAu VI
Perhaps not under that name-at
any rate, you are going to hear of
him now. This man Gatewood, who
between ourselves was a damned
scoundrep-the colonel winced-"this
man Gatewood had friend who threw
money and business in his way-a
planter he was, same at Gatewood. A
sort of partnership existed between
the pair. 1t proved an expensive en-
terprise for Gatewood's friend, since
he came to trust the damned scoun-
drel more and more as time passed
even large sums of his money We're
in GatewOod's hands" Fentress'
countenance was like stone, as ex.
pressionless and as rigid.
By the door stood Mahaffy with
Yancy and Cavendish; they under
stood that what was obscure and
meaningless to them held tragic
significance to these two men. The
judges heavy face, ordinarily battered
and debauched, but infinitely good
natured, bore now the markings of
deep passion, and the voice that
rumbled forth from his capacious
chest came to their ears like distant
thunder.
''This friend of Gatewood's had a
wife" The judges voice broke, emo
ton shook him like leaf; he was
tearing open his wounds. He reached
over and poured himself a drink,
sucking it down with greedy lips.
There was wife" he whirled on
his heel and faced Fentress again.
There was a wife, Fentress-" he
fixed Fentress with his blazing eyes.
"A wife and child. Well, one day
Gatewood and the wife were missing,
Under the circumstances Gatewood's
friend was we'll rid Of tho po;r-bo