When she left me, I slipped
out and went to Stone's.
"Thought you wasn't coming, Jake," said he. "Almost give you up. Just
time for you to get a bite to eat before we start."
3
When we did start, his wife came out in a new black silk dress--for the
Stones were quality--and was helped into the back seat, and the judge
came out of the house carrying a satchel which when he handed it to me I
found to be very heavy. I should say, as I have often stated, that it
weighed about fifty to sixty pounds, and when he shoved it back under
the seat before sitting down, it gave as I seemed to remember afterward
a sort of muffled jingle.
"The treasures of Golconda, or Goldarnit," said he, "or some of those
foreign places. Hear 'em jingle? Protect them with your life, Jake."
"All right," I said, as glum as you please; for he had left the only
vacant place in the carriage back with Mrs. Stone. This was no way to
treat me! But I was almost glad when Virginia came out to the carriage
wearing a pink silk dress, and looking so fearful to the eyes of her
obscure adorer that he could scarcely speak to her--she was so
unutterably lovely and angelic-looking.
"How do you do, Teunis!" said she, and paused for some one to help her
in. Judge Stone waited a moment, and gave her a boost at the elbow as
she skipped up the step. I could have bitten myself. I was the person
who should have helped her in. I was a lummox, a lunkhead, a lubber, a
fool, a saphead--I was everything that was awkward and clumsy and
thumb-hand-sided! To let an old married man get ahead of me in that way
was a crime.
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