sitting at his desk,
handsomely dressed in black--as befitting the dignity of his office. He
and his newly appointed court stenographer had returned the hour before
from an adjoining county where they had been holding court. The Judge
was alone, if one excepts the young woman at the typewriting desk,
before whom he was preening, as though she were a mere impersonal
mirror. During the hour the Judge had visited the tailor's and had
returned to his office wearing a new, long-tailed coat. His black silk
neck-scarf was resplendently new, his large, soft, black hat--of a type
much favored by statesmen in that day--was cocked at a frivolous angle,
showing the raven's wing of black hair upon his fine forehead. A black
silk watchguard crossed his black vest; his patent leather shoes shone
below his trim black silk socks, and he rubbed his smooth, olive cheek
with the yellow chrysanthemum upon his coat lapel.

"Gee, but you're swell," said Miss Mauling. "You look good enough to
eat."

"Might try a bite--if you feel that way about it," replied the Judge. He
put his hands in his pockets, tried them under his long coat tails,
buttoned the coat and thrust one hand between the buttons, put one hand
in a trousers' pocket, letting the other fall at his side, put both
hands behind him, and posed for a few minutes exchanging more or less
fervent glances with the girl. A step sounded in the hallway. The man
and woman obviously listened. It was a heavy tread; it was coming to the
office door. The man and woman slipped into Judge Van Dorn's private
office. When the outer door opened, and it was apparent that some one
was in the outer office, Miss Mauling appeared, note book in hand, quite
brisk and businesslike with a question in her good afternoon.

"Where's Van Dorn?" The visitor was tall, rawboned, and of that physical
cast known as lanky. His face was flinty, and his red hair was untrimmed
at the neck and ears.

"The Judge is engaged just now," smiled Miss Mauling. "Will you wait?"
She was careful not to ask him to sit. Grant Adams looked at the girl
with a fretful stare. He did not take off his hat, and he shook his head
toward Van Dorn's office door as he said brusquely, "Tell him to come
out. It's important." The square shoulders of the tall man gave a lunge
or hunch toward the door. "I tell you it's important."

Miss Mauling smiled. "But he can't come out just now. He's busy. Any
message I can give him?"

The man was excited