The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-08-03


to. . ! feeling y prosoRn4 dsprss-
sioa He knsw this NJ the ~lker-
math. q induIssncs and that he
might look forward 10 As hours of
utter misery u soul, md, gruaa-
ing aloud. be closed his eyes. Sieep
was the thing Il he could compass
z Instead. his memory quickened.
Something was to happen 1t sun
up-he could not recall what Il was
to be. though he distinctly remem-
bered that Mahaffy lad spoken Ut
this very mAtter-NahafIy, tho
austere and implacable, the dis
embodied conscience whose fealty
to duty had somehow survived his
own spiritual ruin, 20 that he had
become q sort of moral sign-post,
ever pointing the way yet never
going It himself.
The Judge lay still and thought
deeply as the light intensified itself.
What was 1t that Mahaffy had said
he was to do at sun-up? The very
hour accented his suspicious. Prob
ably 1t was no more than some
cheerless obligation to be met, or
Maha6y would not have been so
concerned about 1t. Eventually he
decided to refer everything to Ma
hairy. He spoke his friends name
weakly and in a shaking voice, but
received no answer.
Solomon" he repeated, and
shifting his position. looked in
what should have been the direction
OF the shake-down bed his friend
occupied. Neither the bed nor Ma
! haffy were there. The Judge gasp
ed-he wondered if this were not a
premonition Of certain hallucina-
tons to which the was not a
stranger. Then all in a flash he
remembered Fentress and the meet
Ing at Boggs', something of how
the evening had been spent, and a
spasm OF regret shook him.
Il had other things to think of.
This must never happen again."
he told himself remorsefully.
HI. was wide-awake now. Doubt
less Pegloe had put him to bed.
Well, that had been thoughtful Of
Pegloe-he would not forget him
the City Tavern should continue to
enjoy his patronage. 1t would be
something for Pegloe to boast OF
that Judge Slocum Price Turber-
Vile always made his place head
quarters when in Raleigh. Feel
fling that he had already conferred
wealth and distinction on the for
tunate Pegloe the Judge thrust his
fat legs over the side of his bed
and stood erect. STOPPING he
reached for his clothes. He con-
fidently expected to find them Oh
the floor, but his hand merely swept
an uncarpeted waste. The judge
was profoundly astonished.
Maybe I've got 'em on. 1 DOM
recall taking them off," he though,
hopefully. He moved uncertainty
in the direction Of the window
where the light showed him hi.
own bare extremities. He revert
ed to his original idea that hi.
clothes were scattered about tn,
floor.
! He was beginning to experienc,
a great sense of haste; it was tw.
miles to Boggs' and Fentress would
be there at sun-up. Finally b.
! abandoned his quest of the missin,
garments and turned to the door
To say that he was amazed whel
! he found it locked would hav,
most inadequately described hi
emotions. Breathing deep, he fel
back step or two, and then will
all the vigor he could music
launched himself at the door. Blu
it resisted him.
4 Its bolted on the other side!
he muttered, the full measure o
Pegloe's perfidy revealing itself t
his mind. He was aghast. 1t was /,
plot to discredit him. Pegloe's hos
pitality had bee ninspired by hi
enemy, for Pegloe was Fentress
tenant.
Again he attacked the door: h
believed it might be possible t,
force it from its hinges, but Peglo'
had done his work too we'll for that
and at last, spent and breathless
the Judge dropped down on thu
edge of his bed to consider the sit
uation. He was without clothes ant
he was a prisoner, yet his mine
rose sple1didly to meet the diff
culties that beset him. His great
est activities were reserved TO
what appeared to be only a sea
son Of despair. He armed himseI
with a three-legged stool he ha,
found and turned once more Il
the door, but the stout planks stoot
firm under his blows.
Unless l get out of here il
time I'm a ruined mani" though
the judge. After this Fentres
will refuse to meet mel"
| The window next engaged his at
tention. That, too, Pegloe hat
taken the precaution to fasten, bu
single savake blow of the stoo
shattered glass and sash and lef
an empty space that framed tn
dawn's red glow. The judge look
ed out and shook his head dubious
ly. 1t was IL feet or more to tn
ground, a risky drop for gentle
man Of his years and build. Tn
judge considered making a rop
OF his bedding and lowering him
self to the ground by means of it