But she made me lean oyer once more — till she
kissed me*

"Don't hurry. Don't hurry too much," she
said in a flustered voice when I went out. "Not
in less than half an hour, anyhow."

When I left I stumbled over two or three more
great bouquets being brought in — for which two
or three more gardens had been ravished.
I went back into the room where I had left Cole
Hawkins. He was shaking all over.
"You're a real bad man, ain't you?" I said to
him. "You're a dangerous-looking customer."

"Quit your fooling, judge," he said. "What
did she say to you?"

"I expect," I told him, "she might see you
in about half an hour from now. Now — wait
a minute," I said. "Hold on! You've got to
wait for us to get your clothes on before you go.
And don't knock that arm, either! There's
plenty of time — twenty-five minutes anyhow before
she can see you."

I stayed with him till his time was up.
"You'll need a best man," I said, "to take
you over there."



4



282 WHITE SHOULDERS

And I went with him down the corridor and
knocked at the door.
"Stop shivering and shaking," I said to him.
"Haven't I told you it's all right?"

And then the nurse opened the door and it closed
after them.
I saw old Judge Pendleton on the street that
noon, the first time I'd seen him off his old plan-
tation for years. The whole town had come down
to see that black and twisted Child of Hell backed
up in the culvert.
