Pegloe after his return from Belle Plain, lost
in weight, it might have been observed that he and Mr. Mahaffy
seemed to gain in that nice sense of equity which should form the
basis of all human relations. The judge watched Mr. Mahaffy, and
Mr. Mahaffy watched the judge, each trustfully placing the
regulation of his private conduct in the hands of his friend, as
the one most likely to be affected by the rectitude of his acts.
Probably so extensive a consumption of Mr. Pegloe's corn whisky
had never been accomplished with greater highmindedness. They
honorably split the last glass, the judge scorning to set up any
technical claim to it as his exclusive property; then he stared
at Mahaffy, while Mahaffy, dark-visaged and forbidding, stared
back at him.
The judge sighed deeply. He took up the jug and inverted it. A
stray drop or so fell languidly into his glass.
"Try squeezing it, Price," said Mahaffy.
The judge shook the jug, it gave forth an empty sound, and he
sighed again; he attempted to peer into it, closing one watery
eye as he tilted it toward the light.
"I wonder no Yankee has ever thought to invent a jug with a glass
bottom," he observed.
"What for?" asked Mahaffy.
"You astonish me, Solomon," exclaimed the judge. "Coming as you
do from that section which invented the wooden nutmeg, and an
eight-day clock that has been known to run as much as four or
five hours at a stretch. I am aware the Yankees are an ingenious
people; I wonder none of 'em ever thought of a jug with a glass
bottom, so that when a body holds it up to the light he can see
at a glance whether it is empty or not.
Pages:
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341