s rooms!"

The judge devoted a moment to a close scrutiny of his caller.

"You are some sort of a relative of Mr. Gilmore's, are you not?" he
asked at length.

"We're cousins, boss."

"Why does he wish to keep you away from your family?" the judge spoke
after another brief pause.

"It's my old woman," and Montgomery favored the judge with a drunken
leer. "Suppose I was to go home full, what's to hinder her from gettin'
things out of me? I'm a talker, drunk or sober, and Andy Gilmore knows
it--that's what he's afraid of!"

"What have you to tell that could affect Mr. Gilmore? Do you refer to
the gambling that is supposed to go on in his rooms? If so, he is at
needless pains in the matter; Mr. Moxlow will take up his case as soon
as the North trial is out of the way."

Montgomery started, took a forward step, and dropping his voice to an
impressive whisper, said:

"Judge, what are you goin' to do with young John North?"

"I shall do nothing with John North; it is the law--society, to which he
is accountable," rejoined the judge.

"Will he be sent up, do you reckon?" asked Montgomery, and his small
blue eyes searched the judge's face eagerly.

"If he is convicted, he will either be sentenced to the penitentiary for
a term of years or else hanged." The judge spoke without visible
feeling.

The effect of his words on the handy-man was singular. A hoarse
exclamation burst from his lips, and his bloated face became pale and
drawn.

"You mustn't do that, boss!" he cried, spreading out his great hands in
protest. "A term of years--how many's that?"

"In this particular instance it may mean the rest of his life," said the
judge.

Montgomery threw up his arms in a gesture of despair.

"Don't you be too rough on him, boss!" he cried. "For life!" he repeated
in a tone of horror. "But that ain't what Andy and Marsh tell me; they
say his friends will see him through, that he's got the general back of
him, and money--how's that, Judge?"

"They are making sport of your ignorance," said the judge, almost
pityingly.

"I'm done with them!" cried Joe Montgomery with a great oath. He raised
one clenched hand and brought it down in the opened palm of the other.
"Andy's everlastingly lied to me; I won't help send no man up for life!"

"What do you mean?" demanded the judge, astonished at this sudden
outburst, and impressed, in spite of himself, by the man's earnestness.

"Just what I say, boss! They can count me out-