s because I
believe in paternizin' home industries. Howsomever, between us boys an'
gals, an' not aimin' for it to go any furder, there's a lawyer in town
to-day--an' maybe he'll be here to-morrow--who knows more about the law
in one minnit than Gus could tell you in a day and a half. An' when it
comes to explutterations on p'ints of constitutional law, Gus wouldn't
be in it."

"Is that so? What is the gentleman's name?" asked Mr. Tidwell.

"Judge Albert Vardeman," replied Mr. Sanders. "Now, when you come to
talk about lawyers, you'll be doin' yourself injustice ef you leave out
the name of Albert Vardeman. He ain't got much of a figure--he's shaped
somethin' like a gourdful of water--but I tell you he's got a head on
him."

"Is the Judge really here?" Mr. Tidwell asked. "I'd like very much to
have a talk with him."

"I don't blame you, Gus," remarked Mr. Sanders, "you can git more
straight p'ints from Albert Vardeman than you'll find in the books. He's
been at Mrs. Claiborne's all day; I reckon she's gittin' him to ten' to
some law business for her. They's some kinder kinnery betwixt 'em. His
mammy's cat ketched a rat in her gran'mammy's smokehouse, I reckon.
We've got more kinfolks in these diggin's, than they has been sence the
first generation arter Adam."

At the mention of Mrs. Claiborne's name Silas Tomlin opened his eyes and
uncrossed his legs. This movement caused him to lose his balance, and
his chair fell from a leaning position with a sharp bang.

"What sort of a dream did you have, Silas?" Mr. Sanders inquired with
affected solicitude. "You'd better watch out; Dock Dorrin'ton says that
when a man gits bald-headed, it's a sign that his bones is as brittle as
glass. He found that out on one of his furrin trips."

"Don't worry about me, Sanders," replied Silas. He tried to smile.

"Well, I don't reckon you could call it worry, Silas, bekaze when I
ketch a case of the worries, it allers sends me to bed wi' the jimmyjon.
I can be neighbourly wi'out worryin', I hope."

"For a woman with a grown daughter," remarked Mr. Tidwell, speaking his
thoughts aloud, as was his habit, "Mrs. Claiborne is well
preserved--very well preserved." Mr. Tidwell was a widower, of several
years' standing.

"Why, she's not only preserved, she's the preserves an' the preserver,"
Mr. Sanders declared. "To look in her eye an' watch her thoughts
sparklin' like fire, to watch her movements, an' hear her laugh, not
only makes a f