' The judge mumbled
something which I did not catch--it sounded like 'Oh, hell!'
"'Here, Patrick,' he said, without enthusiasm, 'I want you to meet a
friend of mine.'
"An introduction to Miss Clarice de Dear, who had appeared in the
original Black Crook company with Lydia Thompson, was no every-day
occurrence in my hum-drum existence, and I was perhaps visibly affected.
She overlooked it, and greeted me with girlish enthusiasm.
"'Tho glad,' she lisped, 'to meet any friend of the dear Judge's, and
ethpethially you. I have heard tho much about you.' I wondered what in
the devil she had heard. 'I've known Judge Waddington ever since I was a
little tot.'
"'And not so long, either,' said the Judge gallantly--and grimly. The
fair one shot a curious glance at him, and smiled a smile, sour in its
exceeding sweetness.
"'I have often heard the Judge mention your name. 'Twath only the other
night he thaid----What will I have? nothing, thanks, I have just
ordered.' But she joined us later, and still later, when the
conversation became general; that is, we all tried to talk at once.
"From the Judge's attitude I gathered that he was commencing to
celebrate the birthday of some famous man or the anniversary of a great
battle. He never drank otherwise. To-day, he informed me, he was tanking
up in honor of Bolivar, the great South American Liberator.
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