own."

Captain Gould and Mr. Hamilton were in the Judge's library at his home.
The funeral was over, all that was mortal of Marcellus Hall had been
laid to rest in the Ostable cemetery, and his two friends and former
partners had, on their return from that cemetery, stopped at the
Judge's, at the latter's request. He wished, so he said, to speak with
them on an important matter.

"Why don't you sit down, Captain?" asked the Judge, noticing that,
although Zoeth had seated himself in the rocker which his host had
indicated, Shadrach was still standing.

Captain Shadrach laid a hand on the back of the armchair and regarded
the lawyer with a very grave face, but with a twinkle in his eye.

"To tell you the truth, Judge," he said, slowly, "I don't cal'late I
ever shall set down again quite so whole-hearted as I used to. You spoke
of a surprise, didn't you? I've had one surprise this afternoon that's
liable to stay with me for a spell. I'm an unsuspectin' critter,
generally speakin', but after that--Say, you ain't got a brass band nor
fireworks hitched to THIS chair, have you?"

Judge Baxter laughed heartily. "No," he said, as soon as he could speak.
"No, Captain, my furniture isn't loaded."

The Captain shook his head. "Whew!" he whistled, sitting down gingerly
in the armchair. "Well, that's a mercy. I ain't so young as I used to be
and I couldn't stand many such shocks. Whew! Don't talk to ME! When that
devilish jig tune started up underneath me I'll bet I hopped up three
foot straight. I may be kind of slow sittin' down, but you'll bear me
out that I can GET UP sudden when it's necessary. And I thought the dum
thing never would STOP."

Mr. Hamilton stirred uneasily. "Hush, hush, Shadrach!" he pleaded.
"Don't be so profane. Remember you've just come from the graveyard."

"Come from it! By fire! There was a time there when I'd have been
willin' to go to it--yes, and stay. All I wanted was to get out of that
room and hide somewheres where folks couldn't look at me. I give you my
word I could feel myself heatin' up like an airtight stove. Good thing I
didn't have on a celluloid collar or 'twould have bust into a blaze. Of
all the dummed outrages to spring on a man, that--"

"Shadrach!"

"There, there, Zoeth! I'll calm down. But as for swearin'--well, if
you knew how full of cusswords I was there one spell you wouldn't
find fault; you'd thank me for holdin' 'em in. I had to batten down my
hatches to do it, though; I