t extended to Philadelphia and Baltimore.

Not long after the occurrence of his young daughter, Vesta, placing the
rose in Meshach Milburn's mysterious hat, Judge Custis said to his lady
at the breakfast-table:

"That man has been allowed to shut himself in, like a dog, too long. He
owes something to this community. I'll go down to his kennel, under
pretence of wanting a loan--and I do need some money for the furnace!"

He took his cane after breakfast and passed out of his large mansion,
and down the sidewalk of the level street. There were, as usually, some
negroes around Milburn's small, weather-stained store, and Samson Hat,
among them, shook hands with the Judge, not a particle disturbed at the
latter's condescension.

"Judge," said Samson, looking that large, portly gentleman over, "you'se
a _good_ man yet. But de flesh is a little soft in yo' muscle, Judge."

"Ah! Samson," answered Custis, "there's one old fellow that is wrastling
you."

"Time?" said the negro; "we can't fight him, sho! Dat's a fack! But I'm
good as any man in Somerset now."

"Except my daughter's boy, the class-leader from Talbot."

"Is dat boy in yo' family," exclaimed Samson, kindling up. "I'll walk
dar if he'll give me another throw."

The Judge passed into the wide-open door of Meshach Milburn's store. A
few negroes and poor whites were at the counter, and Meshach was
measuring whiskey out to them by the cheap dram in exchange for
coonskins and eggs. He looked up, just a trifle surprised at the
principal man's advent, and merely said, without nodding:

"'Morning!"

Judge Custis never flinched from anybody, but his intelligence
recognized in Meshach's eyes a kind of nature he had not yet met, though
he was of universal acquaintance. It was not hostility, nor welcome, nor
indifference. It was not exactly spirit. As nearly as the Judge could
formulate it, the expression was habitual self-reliance, and if not
habitual suspicion, the feeling most near it, which comes from conscious
unpopularity.

"Mr. Milburn," said Judge Custis, "when you are at leisure let me have a
few words with you."

The storekeeper turned to the poor folks in his little area and remarked
to them bluntly:

"You can come back in ten minutes."

They all went out without further command. Milburn closed the door. The
Judge moved a chair and sat down.

"Milburn," he said, dropping the formal "mister," "they tell me you lend
money, and that you charge well fo