f Pleasantville had overlooked. But the judge
was a reasonable soul; he was disposed to accept his immediate personal
discomfort with a fine true philosophy; also, hope was stirring in his
heart. Hope was second nature with him, for had he not lived all these
years with the odds against him?

"You do sweat some, don't you? Oh, well, a man can stand a right
smart suffering from heat like this and not die. It's the sun that's
dangerous," remarked the sheriff consolingly. "And you had ought to
suffer, sir! that's what folks are sent to jail for," he added.

"You will kindly bear in mind, sir, that I have been convicted of no
crime!" retorted the judge.

"If you hadn't been so blamed particular you might have had company;
politest darky you would meet anywhere. Well, sir, I didn't think the
boss orator of the day would be the first prisoner--the joke certainly
is on you!"

"I never saw such bloody-minded ruffians! Keep them out and keep me
in--all I ask is to vindicate myself in the eyes of the world," said the
judge.

"Well," began the sheriff severely, "ain't it enough to make 'em
bloody-minded? Any one of 'em might have taken your money and got stuck.
Just to think of that is what hets them up." He regarded the judge with
a glance of displeasure. "I hate to see a man so durn unreasonable in
his p'int of view. And you picked a lady--a widow-lady--say, ain't you
ashamed?"

"Well, sir, what's going to happen to me?" demanded the judge angrily.

"I reckon you'll be tried. I reckon the law will deal with you--that is,
if the public remains ca'm. Maybe it will come to the conclusion that
it'd prefer a lynching--people are funny." He seemed to detach himself
from the possible current of events.

"And, waking and sleeping, I have that before me!" cried the judge
bitterly.

"You had ought to have thought of that sooner, when you was unloading
that money. Why, it ain't even good counterfeit! I wonder a man of your
years wa'n't slicker."

"Have you taken steps to find the boy, or Solomon Mahaffy?" inquired the
judge.

"For what?"

"How is my innocence going to be established--how am I going to clear
myself if my witnesses are hounded out of the county?"

"I love to hear you talk, sir. I told 'em at the raising to-day that
I considered you one of the most eloquent minds I had ever listened
to--but naturally, sir, you are too smart to be honest. You say you
ain't been convicted yet; but you're going to be! There's q