[ADodb-general] D recalled it to him in a way that imperilled even

[Papineau <rea...@ew...>]

Without attempting to read it, turned its pages over and over with the
unfamiliarity of an illiterate man in search of the signature. This when
found apparently plunged him again into motionless abstraction. Only
once he changed his position to pull up the legs of his trousers, open
his knees, and extend the distance between his feet, and then with the
unfolded pages carefully laid in the moonlit space thus opened before
him, regarded them with dubious speculation. At the end of ten minutes
he rose with a sigh of physical and mental relaxation, refolded the
letter, put it in his pocket, and made his way to the town. When he
reached the hotel he turned into the bar-room, and observing that it
happened to be comparatively deserted, asked for a glass of whiskey. In
response to the barkeeper's glance of curiosity--as Uncle Ben seldom
drank, and then only as a social function with others--he explained:--
"I reckon straight whiskey is about ez good ez the next thing for blind
chills." The bar-keeper here interposed that in his larger medical
experience he had found the exhibition of ginger in combination with gin
attended with effect, although it was evident that in his business
capacity he regarded Uncle Ben, as a drinker, with distrust. "Ye ain't
seen Mr. Ford hanging round yer lately?" continued Uncle Ben with
laborious ease. The bar-keeper, with his eye still scornfully fixed on
his customer, but his hands which were engaged in washing his glasses
under the counter giving him the air of humorously communicating with a
hidden confederate, had not seen the school-master that afternoon. Uncle
Ben turned away and slowly mounted the staircase to the master's room.
After a moment's pause on the landing, which must have been painfully
obvious to any one who heard his heavy ascent, he gave two timid raps on
the door which were equally ridiculous in contrast with his powerful
tread. The door was opened promptly by the master. "Oh, it's you, is
it?" he said shortly. "Come in." Uncle Ben entered without noticing the
somewhat ungracious form of invitation. "It war me," he said, "dropped
in, not finding ye downstairs. Le