fourteen months that he had been married. Also Marie was awarded
the custody of the child and, because Marie's mother had
represented Bud to be a violent man who was a menace to her
daughter's safety--and proved it by the neighbors who had seen
and heard so much--Bud was served with a legal paper that
wordily enjoined him from annoying Marie with his presence.

That unnecessary insult snapped the last thread of Bud's regret
for what had happened. He sold the furniture and the automobile,
took the money to the judge that had tried the case, told the
judge a few wholesome truths, and laid the pile of money on the
desk.

"That cleans me out, Judge," he said stolidly. "I wasn't such a
bad husband, at that. I got sore--but I'll bet you get sore
yourself and tell your wife what-for, now and then. I didn't get
a square deal, but that's all right. I'm giving a better deal
than I got. Now you can keep that money and pay it out to Marie
as she needs it, for herself and the kid. But for the Lord's
sake, Judge, don't let that wildcat of a mother of hers get her
fingers into the pile! She framed this deal, thinking she'd get a
haul outa me this way. I'm asking you to block that little game.
I've held out ten dollars, to eat on till I strike something. I'm
clean; they've licked the platter and broke the dish. So don't
never ask me to dig up any more, because I won't--not for you
nor no other darn man. Get that."

This, you must know, was not in the courtroom, so Bud was not
fined for contempt. The judge was a married man himself, and he
may have had a sympathetic understanding of Bud's position. At