He heard that Charley Norton had
left a will; that Thicket Point went to Miss Malroy; that the
Norton cousins in middle Tennessee were going to put up a fight;
that Judge Price had been retained as counsel by Miss Malroy;
that he was authorized to begin an independent search for Charley
Norton's murderer, and was to spare no expense; that Judge Price
was going to pay his debts. Mahaffy grinned at this and hurried
home. He could believe all but the last, that was the crowning
touch of unreality.
The judge explained the situation.
"I wouldn't withhold hope from any man, Solomon; it's the
cheapest thing in the world and the one thing we are most miserly
about extending to our fellows. These people all feel better
--and what did it cost me?--just a little decent consideration;
just the knowledge of what the unavoidable associations of ideas
in their own minds would do for them!"
What had seemed the corpse of credit breathed again, and the
judge and Mahaffy immediately embarked upon a characteristic
celebration. Early candlelight found them making a beginning;
midnight came--the gray and purple of dawn--and they were still
at it, back of closed doors and shuttered windows.
CHAPTER XXVI
BETTY LEAVES BELLE PLAIN
Hannibal had devoted himself loyally to the judge's
glorification, and Betty heard all about the letter, the snuffing
of the candles and the reward of five thousand dollars. It
vastly increased the child's sense of importance and satisfaction
when he discovered she had known nothing of these matters until
he told her of them.
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