arnings
now--he was too deeply moved. Under the influence of her letters he
developed a tremendous capacity for work. The greatest stimulus in the
world had come to him, and remained with him. If it should be withdrawn
at any time, it would weaken him. He did not speculate on that.

XV.

HOME AGAIN WITH THE JUDGE.

The day that came to close his work at Iowa City had something of an
awakening effect in it. The mere motion of the train brought back again
in intensified form the feelings he had experienced on the day he left
Rock River. Life was really before him at last. His studies were ended,
and he was prepared for his entrance into law. He looked forward to a
political career indefinitely. He left that in the hands of the Judge.

It was in June, and the country was very beautiful. Groves heavy with
foliage, rivers curving away into the glooms of bending elm and
bass-wood trees, fields of wheat and corn alternating with smooth
pastures where the cattle fed--a long panorama of glorified landscape
which his escape from manual labor now enabled him to see the beauty
of, its associations of toil and dirt no longer acutely painful.

He thought of the June day in which he had first met Miss Wilbur--just
such a day! Then he thought of Nettie with a sudden twinge. She had not
written for several weeks; he really didn't remember just when she had
written last. He wondered what it meant; was she forgetting him? He
hardly dared hope for it; it was such an easy way out of his
difficulty.

The Judge met him at the depot with a carriage. There were a number of
people he knew at the station, but they did not recognize him: his
brown beard had changed him so, and his silk hat made him so tall.

"Right this way, colonel," said the Judge, in a calm nasal. He was
filled with delight at Bradley's appearance. He shook hands with
dignified reserve, all for the benefit of the crowd standing about.
"You paralyzed 'em," he chuckled, as they got in and drove off. "That
beard and hat will fix 'em sure. I was afraid you wouldn't carry out my
orders on the hat."

"The hat was an extravagance for your benefit alone. It goes into a
band-box to-morrow," replied Bradley. "How's Mrs. Brown?"

"Quite well, thank you; little older, of course. She caught a bad cold
somewhere last winter, and she hasn't been quite so well since. We keep
a girl now; I forced the issue. Mrs. Brown had done her own work so
long she considered it a sort of