Chapter 37 - Page 2

powerful link of evidence for mere faithful love's sake; a man who is a minister of the gospel, a gentleman and above reproach, gives to its service all his interest, solely because he cherishes an affectionate admiration for the claimants. Nobody has laboured with any desire for return. Nobody has bargained for anything. Nobody would accept anything if it was offered to them. The whole affair has been Arcadian."

"Will it be decided for the De Willoughbys--will it?" said Mrs. Meredith.

"Yes," answered the Senator; "I think it will. And I confess I shall not advance any objections."

Meeting big Tom on the avenue, Ezra Stamps stopped him.

"Tom," he wheezed, hoarsely, "I heern tell you was likely ter git yer claim through."

"There are times when you can hear that about almost any claim," answered Tom. "What I'm waiting for is to hear that I've got it through."

Stamps gnawed his finger-nails restlessly.

"Ye're lucky," he said; "ye allus was lucky."

"How about the herds?" said Tom.

Stamps gave him an agonised look.

"Hev ye ever said anything agen me, Tom--to any man with inflooence? Hev ye, now? 'Twouldn't be neighbourly of ye if ye hed--an' we both come from the Cross-roads--an' I allus give ye my custom. Ye won't never go agen me, will ye, Tom?"

"I've never been asked any questions about you," Tom said. "Look here, you had better go to some hospital and ask to be taken in. What are you walking about the street for in that fix? You can scarcely breathe."

"I'm a-gwine to walk about until Saturday," answered Stamps, with a grin. "I'm lookin' arter my own claim--an' Abner Linthicum. Arter Saturday I'll lie up for a spell."

"You'd better do it before Saturday," Tom remarked as he left him.

Stamps stood and watched him walk away, and then turned into a drug-store and bought a cheap bottle of cough mixture. He was passing through the early stages of pneumonia, and was almost too weak to walk, but he had gone from place to place that morning like a machine. Linthicum had driven him. So long as he was employed in badgering other men he was not hanging about the agent's office. Linthicum was not anxious that he should be seen there too frequently. After the payment of the five hundred dollars there would be no more to be wrung from him, and he could be dropped. He could be told that it was useless to push the claim further. Until the five hundred was secured, however, he must be kept busy. Consequently, he went from one man to the other until he could walk no more. Then he crawled back to his room and sent a note to Latimer.

"I cayn't git the papers tel Saturday afternoon. Ef ye bring the money about seven ye ken hev them. 'Tain't