When the lecture was over many of the audience pressed forward to shake

the Hon. Mr. Halloway's hand. Tom Martin hooked his arm in that of the

sallow gentleman and passed out with him.

"Mighty humanizin' view Kedge took of that there insect," remarked Mr.

Martin. "I don't recollect I ever heard of no mournfuller error than

that'n. I noticed you spoke of Halloway as a 'thinker,' without mentioning

what kind. I didn't know, before, that you were as cautious a man as

that."

"Does your satire find nothing sacred, Martin?" returned the other, "not

even the Honorable Kedge Halloway?"

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"I wouldn't presume," replied old Tom, "to make light of the catastrophe

that overtook the heedless fly. When Halloway went on to other subjects I

was so busy picturin' the last moments of that closin' life, stuck there

in the fly-paper, I couldn't listen to him. But there's no use dwellin' on

a sorrow we can't help. Look at the moon; it's full enough to cheer us

up." They had emerged from the court-house and paused on the street as the

stream of townsfolk divided and passed by them to take different routes

leading from the Square. Not far away, some people were getting into a

buckboard. Fisbee and Miss Sherwood were already on the rear seat.

"Who's with him, to-night, Mr. Fisbee?" asked Judge Briscoe in a low

voice.

"No one. He is going directly to the office. To-morrow is Thursday, one of

our days of publication."

"Oh, then it's all right. Climb in, Minnie, we're waiting for you." The

judge offered his hand to his daughter.

"In a moment, father," she answered. "I'm going to ask him to call," she

said to the other girl.

"But won't he--"

Miss Briscoe laughed. "He never comes to see me!" She walked over to where

Martin and the young man were looking up at the moon, and addressed the

journalist.

"I've been trying to get a chance to speak to you for a week," she said,

offering him her hand; "I wanted to tell you I had a friend coming to

visit me Won't you come to see us? She's here."

The young man bowed. "Thank you," he answered. "Thank you, very much. I

shall be very glad." His tone had the meaningless quality of perfunctory

courtesy; Miss Briscoe detected only the courtesy; but the strange lady

marked the lack of intention in his words.

"Don't you include me, Minnie?" inquired Mr Martin, plaintively. "I'll try

not to be too fascinatin', so as to give our young friend a show. It was

love at first sight with me. I give Miss Seliny warning soon as your folks

come in and I got a good look at the lady."

As the buckboard drove away, Miss Sherwood, who had been gazing

steadfastly at the two figures still standing in the street, the tall

ungainly old one, and the taller, loosely-held young one (he had not

turned to look at her) withdrew her eyes from them, bent them seriously

upon Fisbee, and asked: "What did you mean when you said no one was with

him to-night?"




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