Judge Elbridge

always makes it. God, what a night I've had. It is the last one, for here at the threshold of a new day I swear that I will never touch another card. And Goyle-I'll have nothing more to

stood face to fa

up so soon, or have

been to bed

a sick friend. Don't you thin

it." Bodney sat down and the old man stood facing him. "But I can hardly realize that

in here together and

all, but it

involved?" Bodney asked, no

ot with an arrow taken from my own quiver, and poisoned. And yet, when I look at

n't said anything

ld leap from him to his mother. And I

ister, who is

take her c

u permit the

guest. If she is determined to marry him against

everything may-ma

you mean

orgive him. I don't think t

ou are

dge. I am a fool,

ot a scoundrel

ht be

running sore on the face of the earth-Paris. He read French books, the germs thrown off by diseased minds. He lived in a literary pest house, and how could he come out clean? He was prepared for any enormity against nature, and why then should he have drawn the line between me and any of his desires?" He turned away, walking up and down, sometimes rubbing his hands together, as if washing them, then putting them behind him; halting at the desk to gaze down at something; going once to the safe and pu

truth," said the Judge, and Bodney looked at him with a start. For a moment the game vanished and darkness fell upon the players, but soon a blue curtain was pulled aside, a black face, grim, without a smile, showed glistering behind the glass, the door was opened, and there again were the players in t

aid Bodney, i

t's

an started.

omething ab

sick friend-man wanted to see him on business and insisted

ws under any one thing that lies upon it long. A continuous joy might be as poisonous as

aid Bodney. "Don't you th

bed. Don'

t, and I don't see how you ca

a certain sort of s

to replace the money taken from the safe, to give himself the standing of true repentance, he would confess his crime. Win enough! He could not conceive of getting it in any other way; all idea of business had been driven from his mind. He had no mind, no reason; what had been his mind was now a disease on fire, half in smoke and half in flame, but he felt that if he could get even, the fire would go out and the smoke

as if he would grasp him and shake him into a consciousness of the truth, but the old

m, s

ou stand there

he stammered, in

are hanging about to plead the cause of your-your friend; but it is of no use. Friend! I wou

ind, Judge," s

read mine an

garment within reach, and to complete his work in the office, the basement, or even the back yard. "Hold on a minute," he said to Bodney. "Button this infernal collar for me." Bodney halted to obey. "Can't you take hold of it? Is i

fellow threw his coat on the table and be

" the Judge asked, straightening up and looking at him. "Has this

as about to set a horse-thief free, but just then I incidentally heard tha

you a q

account of a collar-swore that its inventor must necessaril

effect on you than a drop of

looked hard at him. "John, I see that your temper hasn't improved. And you have g

rd of your doing

y electing two governors out West. You bat your eyes at the fact that I sent a man to the United States Senate. Why, at one

ou do with

uestion to ask a man. What did A

riven out of Mo

Who said I wa

driven out o

m on it was only sentimental, if I may call it such. I mean that I owned the good opinion

elect yourself governor? Why were you so

nate? I had something else on my mind. Every man is not ambitious to hold office. There's something higher than politics. I was educated for a d

, William

eculiar change has come over you?

"Don't-it's not that. My

at's the

't tel

ever t

ope

en edge of your temper and not tell me the

t has been whetted on my heart. Go a

, but you are not. There is s

ant t

use for alarm, both fo

o that again. My mind is pe

ear to us oft

hall have to command y

, there is something radically wrong with John, and I a