“That boy, square, comes o’ the shif’lessest kind o’ stock, ye know, ef his gran’father was my own brother,” he said, in conclusion. “You ’member Ezra?”
“Oh yes, I remember Ezra,” said the judge, grimly.
“Wal, then, ye know what a shif’less loose j’inted critter he was in business matters, an’ Anson an’ Horace was as like him as two peas aout o’ the same pod. An’ now this ’ere Brandon hez got th’ same traits o’ no ’count shif’lessness.”
“Very likely, very likely,” said the other, with sternness. “I’ve seen the youth, I think, out gunning quite frequently—a most objectionable practice.”
“Ye’re right, square,” old Arad exclaimed, with eagerness. “Jest er firin’ erway good powder an’ shot ’t cost money. Thet boy hez airnt money erhelpin’ of the neighbors lots o’ times, ter waste on powder an’ shot. He’s a dretful bad boy.”
“From what you say, neighbor,” said the judge, with confidence, “I should say that the proper place for the young rascal was the State reform school——”
“Oh, no, no, square,” exclaimed Arad, in sudden terror at the thought of losing Don’s services in this way. “’Tain’t as bad as that. I kin manage him, once give me legal ’thority.
“Ye see, his pa left him ’ithout a cent, an’ I thought it didn’t make a bit er diff’rance ’bout his havin’ a guardeen—’twould er been some expense, ye know, ter hev th’ papers made aout; but since he’s got this ’ere wild goose notion o’ leavin’ me, I begin ter see that I sh’d hev some holt on him fur—hem!—fur his own good, as it were.”
“Quite right,” declared the judge confidently. “And so the boy—this Brandon—proposes to go away at once, does he?”
“So he has th’ audacity ter tell me,” responded old Arad. “He declared he was goin’ termorrer mornin’. Ye know, square, I’m too broke up ’ith the rheumatiz ter tackle him as he’d orter be tackled. A good hidin’ would be th’ best thing fur him, in my ’pinion.”