Liquor's a bully thing to keep the holes in your pants, and your toes out where you can look at 'em if you want to.

I dunno as I'll ever take up whisky-drinkin' again," concluded Mr.Montgomery, with a self-denying shake of the head.
"Are you glad to be back, Joe ?" asked Langham.
It was anything to gain time, he was thinking desperately but to no purpose.
"Glad! Stick all the cuss words you know in front of that and it will be mild!" cried Montgomery feelingly.

"It's pitiful the way I been used, just knocked from pillar to post; I've seen dogs right here in Mount Hope that had a lot happier time than I've been havin'-- and me a married man! I've always tried to be a good husband, I hope there won't be no call for me to make a rough-house of it to-night!" he added playfully, as he looked off across the bridge.
"I guess not, Joe," said Langham.
His fears assembled themselves before him like a phantom host.

How was he to deal with the handy-man; how would Gilmore have dealt with him?
Had the time gone by to bully and bribe, or was that still the method by which he could best safeguard his life?
"Say, boss, what they done with young John North ?" Montgomery suddenly demanded.
"Nothing yet," answered Langham after an instant's pause.
"Ain't he had his trial ?" Montgomery asked.
"Yes." "Well, ain't they done anything with him?
If he ain't been sent up, he's been turned loose." "Neither, Joe," rejoined Langham slowly.

"The jury didn't agree.