The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-11-03
IN THE MIDDLE WEST.
A Story of Life in the Great
Mississippi Valley.
BY AlVA MILTON KERR.
fCoPYRIGHr, 1896, BY THE A. N. KELLOGG
NEWSPAPER CoMPAHY.1
CHAPTER XI.-CoNrINuEp.

CHAPTER XI.-CoNrINUED.
Ether fingered little, but when Alb
SALON. declined, saying he never drank
any thing stronger than water, she
tripped merrily into the kitchen and
began to futter and sing about the
dinner.
'Well, 1 don't suppose it's the best
plan in the world to be guzzlin' this
stuff" SAID Joel, "but it ceols a man
off, you know. Here, Popp, fill up
your tumbler again. 1 don't indulge
in this very often, Heater, only occa-
sionally when I'm hot, you know"
Julius drank several glasses, talking
volubly most of the time, and when the
bottles were exhausted he departed,
still talking volubly, and went down
the street on kind of rickety hop skip
and jump, with his tall hat on the back
of his head and twirling his cane. He
halted every one that he met in his ella
ton. regardless of occupation or ac-
guardianship, and striking an atti-
tude told them with great gusto of the
unexpected arrival of, .my son-in-
law, Captain Heater, one of the slick
est and most brilliant specimens that
the war afforded, sir" and upon his
arrival at his wife's place of business,
he literally umbfounded the remain
der of the Popps with the latitude of
his panegyric and the glitter of his ad-
jectives.
Harry Whitney, coming from school
at the noon hour, heard of Absalom's
arrival, and hurried up into the office
of Bower & Woodlnan. John Earl
ing was writing busily. "Who do you
think has come homer" he said, ex-
cited out of his usual rather lettering
drawl. John Earling looked up Won
deringly.
"Guess!' said Harry.
John EARRING tapped the table with
his penholder and shook his head.
"Old Ab!'' cried Harry, slapping him
on the shoulder. John Earling sprang
up, put on his hat, and the two went
away toward Joel Whitney's at a ire
mendous pace. Absalom and Joel
were standing in the yard talking when
they came up. Joel was telling him,
with a good deal of flourish, of new
house he intended building on some
lots over on the knoll, and Absalom
was listening in a not very interested
way.
"ls that him?" whispered Harry,
dou5tfully, as they went in at the gate.
EYES," said John Earring, and the
two ran forward and caught the be-
wildered Absalom by either hand, with
delighted cries and EXPLANATIONS. The
soldier looked at them in curious
half-frightened way. "W-w-whatn' he
stammered, cit amt the kids?'
Eyes, it is!' cried the young fellows.
He held fast to their hands and
looked from one to the other. "B-
blamed if it ain t!' he exclaimed, and
the first tears he had shed came into
his eyes. He held them off and looked
at them and pulled them about, not
seeming to be able to stand still with
his emotions. "Why," he said, "only
a little while ago was rolling you kids
around on the grass here and you
wasn't much bigger than my fists, and
now your most as big as I amr' and
ever and anon, during the dinner al
which Mrs. Whitney graciously pre-.
sided that day, Absalom ceased eating
to look affectionately at the two youn
men and mutter: BLAMED if it ain'i
the kids!'
A feast was made that night at the
residence of Mrs. julius Popp, which
was attended by deal of good cheer
and seemingly enjoyed by all, save
perhaps with the sole reservation of
Absalom, who suffered not little from
the superlative plaudits of the vain
glorious Julius.
In the morning Absalom pushed his
chair back from the table after break
fasting, and said to the happy-hearted
Ether: "Well, Poppy, guess 1 may
consider the war over now, and
change these blue buds for white mems
clothes"
But Ether, together with the other
Popps, protested at once; he looked
SO distinguished and splendid in his
Captains uniform, they said. Absa-
lom, however, reminded them, with a
shake of the head, that they had not,
like himself, been blue on the outside
and blue on the inside, worked in blue
and slept in blue; seen blue dead men
and blue living men about them, and
had little but blue sky over them, to-
gether with large quantities of blue
smoke to breathe, during the better
part of five years, else he mag
ined their admiration for that particu-
lar rim of the rainbow would
be less pronounced; for himself, he
most emphatically thirsted for some
quieter color, and proposed to proceed
forthwith to quench that particular
desire The Pops severally and
singly held their breath, while Absalom
fetched these sentences, and, at the
finish, broke into agitated APP
plause, for Absalom never before
had been known to attempt the de-
livery of dozen words at time,
seeming quite able to convey all he
wished to say in very meager me-
dunn, so that this lingual burst of his
was something quite startling. In
deed, the effect was so electrical the
vent-pipes of julius eloquence were
Immediately opened and proceeded to
flow. Absalom was eminently a per-
son of action and not of words; in
evidence of this he jumped up and
proceeded down town, coming back
presently tall, sun-burned, ordinary
looking individual, clad in civilian s
dress, with his uniform dangling over
bis arm.
Very happy were Ether and he as