evening, for it's time to close up."

I looked back at him as I stepped out. He had not changed his position
and his eyes were still closed. And this was my first work as a student
of the law--a brave beginning, the agent of a noble design. I found the
place without having to make inquiry, and a wretched hut it was. The
woman was shabby and two ragged children were lying on the floor. I gave
her the twenty dollars--I did more, I gave her a part of the money which
Perdue had given me. I explained that her husband had worked overtime
and that the State, following an old custom, had sent her the wages of
his extra labor. She was not a very good-natured woman; she said that
the State and the rest of us ought to be ashamed of ourselves for having
robbed her of her husband, and she declared that if she ever got money
enough she would sue old Conkwright and the sheriff and everybody else.
I was glad enough to quit that wretched and depressing scene; and in the
cool of the evening I strolled about the town. The business part of the
place was mean, but further out there were handsome old residences,
pillared and vine-clad. And in front of the most attractive one I halted
to gaze at the trees and the shrubbery, dim in the twilight.

A boy came along and I asked him who lived there and he answered: "Judge
Conkwright."

"He deserves to live in even a better house," I mused, as I turned away;
and just then I was clapped upon the shoulder with a "Helloa, my old
friend"--the telegraph operator. I shook hands with him, and at once he
began to tell me of his affairs. "Getting along all right," he said.
"Haven't got quite as much freedom as I used to have, but I reckon it's
better for me. Wife thinks so much of me that she's jealous of the
boys--don't want me to stay out with them at night. Don't reckon there's
anything more exacting than a rag. But I had to have one. Without calico
there ain't much real fun in this life. But enough of calico's society
is about the enoughest enough a man can fetch up in his mind. Tell you
what--I'll run on home and come back, and then you can go with me."

"No, I couldn't think of putting you to so much trouble."

"Won't be any trouble. Simply don't want to surprise her, you know."

"I'll call on you before long, but now I must go to the tavern."

"All right, and if I can get off I'll come over to see you. And I'll
tell you what we'll do along about 11 o'clock. We'll go over to
Atcherson's store w