The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1891-11-07
TAs ooLoNEL HAp rHE pRoP.
And There Was Nothing for the Stranger
to DO but Apologize.


81 met real kentucky colonel the
other day from Louisville" said young
Washington man to Star writer. "He
was in all respects most admirable
representative of that peculiar type
which only such social conditions as ex-
listed before the war could have pro.
duced, and hich is so rapidly passing
away never to return. 70 me the old
gentleman was quite study. His
dress was faultless, though old-fash-
ioned and after a mode of elegance
which was of years gone by, and his
manners we're of the true courtly style.
OF such as he few indeed now are left,
fancy, so mild of manner and yet
subdued suggestion about him of the
true fire-eater.
"The colonel invited me to take
drink 1t was at bar-room near the
capitol. AS well as l could perceive dur
ing the short time of my acquaintance
with him he invariably extended like
courtesy to every one he met. Doubt
less he had followed the practice long,
inasmuch as the end of his nose was of
a redness such as no mere casual pota.
tions could have incurred. He took
Bourbon whisky of course, and it is
| unnecessary to say that he took it
straight There wasn't tremor in his
| long and well-made though wrinl5led
hand as he held the liquor up between
his eye and the light. With an elabor-
ate compliment and an accompanying
gesture, he drank it off and plunged
anew into story he had been telling
| about the war.
"'Wc were in the trench just under
the redoubt,' he was saying, and only
six men in my company were lett alive.
| Close by where | stood group of n
dozen brave fellows had been blown to
fragments by shell, so that the ground
was literally bestrewn with bits of
flesh, and SO slippery with blood that
| -
"'Humphr
'rhe exclamation came from tall
and loosely builtman with dark mus.
! tache, who stood at the other end of the
bar. The colonel turned on his heel
slightly, stared ut the person through
his gold-rimmed eyeglasses, dropped
them from his nose again, and went on.
"'As l was saying, the ground was
literally piled with dead, by gad, sir!
But Just at that moment the tide of bat
tie turned The Yankees fell back,
and
"'That's blamed lier
"Again it was the tall man with u
dark mustache who spoke, drawing out
the words which to Kentucky colonel
have an import of insult the deadliest
conceivable. The dcmeanor of the lat
ter was one of perfect calmness, but
the repressed passion which ragged be-
meath his ruflled shirt bosom was be-
trayed by his nose which suddenly
turned perfectly white. Once more adj
iusting his eyeglasses and gazing
through them for Il moment steadfastly
at the interrupter, he said:
"'Sir, this is conversation of gem
tlemen, in which you could necessarily
have no part l may go SO far as to
say that in any conversation of gentle
men you would be out of place Paus-
ing for moment to cough slightly, he
added: Furthermore, sir you will
withdraw that remark which you have
Just made, or you will not leave this
room alive
I'm concluding his remarks the
colonel placed his hand on his revolver,
half drawing it from his hip pocket
and in that attitude, while still gazing
intently at the tall man with the dark
mustache, awaited Il reply. 1t came
very promptly. The tall man apollo.
gized profusely and wanted to shake
hands.
"'No, sirr said the colonel, drawing
himself up with his hands behind him.
You are blackguard, sir, and a Ken.
lucky gentleman does not shake hands
with person of your kind. The best
thing you can do is to get out of here al
once
when the tall man had skunk out o.
the room the whisky bottle was agar
set forth upon the bar. The old gen
tleman lifted his tumbler to his lip
! and | noticed that there was not tn,
slightest tremor in the fingers thai
held it.
81 don't see how you could do a thing
like that so well, off f-hand, colonel,
, said. 1t seemed to me that life ant
death might be the question of mo
ment and your nerve astonished me-
my dear boy he replied, 1.-The mat
ter was less extraordinary and perhap!
less dangerous than it appeared to you
) The minute that the insulting word.
were said my entire line of action wa!
planned out in my mind in flash. TC
begin with, you will remember tina
l taunted the fellow, saying that ht
was not gentleman. l even repeated
the taunt and paused a moment to give
him an opportunity to attack me- l
he had not been a coward-if he hat
been going to fight at all-he would
have attacked me then. What was IN,
object in that? Simply to give mysel
a plea of justitiable homicide whicl
would hold good before jury. Whei
= l demanded his apology or his life haC
the drop on him and there was onl,
one thing that he could do. There wa
not moment during the disagreeable
> ness when was in any danger. 1 hav,
= been through great many troubles o
a tragic nature and tell you that th
: man who keeps his head wins. Neve
lose your nerve in quarrel and Away
keep in mind the plea of self-defens
, which you will need if you kill your ad
: versary. Washington Star.
About Preserves and JelIies.
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