Well, you see, I couldn't believe this. How about John Armstrong and
Col. Lambkin, and the captain? Warn't they happy? Wasn't my grandma
happy and my grandpa? There must be a way. Some folks must have luck,
even if others don't; so I did my best to cheer Mitch up.
But now we was separated a good deal. For to watch me, pa took me to his
office where I had to sit all day mostly, and tell where he was, if I
knew; and run errands, go over to the clerk's office for papers. And
just now there was a good deal to do for court was comin' on, and they
were getting ready to try Temple Scott for killin' Joe Rainey.
At last the judge came. He came right in to see my pa. He lived way off
in Jerseyville in a different county. I don't believe Mitch and me was
ever any gladder to see each other than pa and the judge. They talked
politics and cases and about makin' speeches to juries; and they agreed
that when you get up to talk you don't know what you are goin' to say,
but you get started and you know when you get the swing, and are really
cuttin' ice. So the judge was invited to our house for dinner, and ma
bought a new lamp for the center table on account of it; and Myrtle was
all dressed up, and so was I. And ma put on a lot of airs, stretchin'
things a lot about her folks and her do'n's in society and pa's
wonderful speeches--some the judge hadn't heard. And pa told some
stories that I had heard him tell before; and when the judge spoke,
every one was quiet and scared like, even pa seemed a little
embarrassed. The judge asked me if I was goin' to be a lawyer, and I
said no, a steamboat captain. Then they all laughed and pa said:
"There's a story about that that I'll tell you, judge." Then I blushed
and Myrtle giggled and ma looked mad, because she was really ashamed of
me.
And finally the court opened. I went up to see what it was like. There
sat the judge on a high seat. And different lawyers would get up and
say, "Docket number 8020" or somethin'. And the judge would turn over
the leaves of a book and say, "Kelly _vs._ Graves," or somethin' and
wait. Then the lawyer would say, "Default of Nora Kennedy" or somethin'.
Then the judge would write, and so on. And my pa acted as if he didn't
know the judge at all. He always said "your honor," and the judge didn't
call him Hardy like he did at our house, but always Mr. Kirby. Nobody
could tell they knew each other.