Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-06-23

terms from Others scarcely less ignorant.
When Ike appeared in sight down the
road. she ran to meet him and welcomed
him with:
"Hurrah far Gineral Ike Baxter. who
fit and fit till the Yankees dun run
away!"
Don tyo un know nothin?" ancrily
demanded Ike as he came nearer.
Didn't yo' un fit and ft?''
'of CO Sc fit. but yo' needn't pab it
All over sirSinny and make other folks
jealous"'
WARS yo'r stripes:" she asked.
What stripes:''
On yo arins-yo'r gineral stripes?'
II hahn no gineral."
"lo' hain't: Why. l thought yo'
was boss of the hull army. What's the
matter yo' hain't no eIneral:''
Whats the matter yo' hain't got no
sense in yo'r head:"
But yo' un's corporal!"
NO"
"A major?"
mo"
"a leftenant?''
"No."
"Hain't yo' un nothin but jest COM
mon folks:' she persisted.
No"
Didn't l allus say yo' I'm had no
speerit about yo', and that's why We
was alluS pore and low down." she
bitterly exclaimed rs they passed into
the house. Ike Baxter, yo' hahn t
y lie . =
like to stay right thar! Everybody else
Is comm home with gineral's and cor
poral's and majors stripes on thar
sleeves, but yo' has dun let ein walk yo'
inter the mud and hain't got no speerit
to resent il. II I'd gone down thar, ID
a come back as big as anybody. I've
dun told everybody yo' un was q gin
eral, and now-now yo's only jest com
mont"
Mrs. Baxter sat down and wept and
used her apron for a handkerchief. Ike
had expected just such reception, and
he had plan to develop at the proper
time. While she continued to weep he
helped himself to Il bite to eat from the
cupboard and maintained silence.
And why didn they make gin
eral of yo':" asked Mrs. Baxter after
about 10 minutes.
If yo' un dun had any sense in yo'
head, could tell yo'," he sullenly re-
piled.
Sense! Sense! If i hain't got sense,
who has? If it hadn't bin fur my sense,
We uns would hav bin right down to
tater skins airs ago! It's my sense that
has kept us outer the porehouse and let
Us hold our heads up with the best of
'em! Leastwise I've allus held my
head up, even if yo' hain't!'
Its this way" said Ike as he con-
tinued to eat and reflect. Its cor
poral. sergeant, orderly sergeant, leften-
ant, captain, major, kurnel and gin
eIal. Takes heap o time to git up
thar! Everybody has got to begin way
down"
But yo's not even corp-corporal
yi'!' she exclaimed as one eye filled
with tears of disappointment.
And what's the reason l hain't? Do
yo' I'm remember that Yankee lawyer
who lived yere-feller named Kenton!"
Seems like did
He un' TO blame. Tried to git us
all captur'd at Bull Run. Tried TO put
all the officers down. Got in with Gin
cral jackson and talked agin us, par
ticllarly me. Reckon he un said heap
bout yo'. too, while he un was at it. If
it hadn t bin fur he un, I'd hev had
stripes on my arms-heaps O. stripes
and yo'd bin proud o. me. It's jest he
un that keeps me down. We all hate he
I'm, but him. got Gineral jackson on
his side."
The pesky varmint!' she gasped,
with uplifted hands. He un's all to
blame them"
IAN to blame"
Talked about me to Gineral Jack
son! What could he un say?"
Dunno, but reckon he un went on
bout yo'r gwine b'arfut to church and
dippin snuff and gaddin bout and COM
plainin. He un rubbed it in on both o
us powerful hard. most likely. Befo'
that Gineral jackson was as good as
pie to me, but afterward he I'm wouldn't
dun notice me tally
"Then-then it's the Yankee who
dun keeps yo' all back?" she asked aft
er taking a couple of minutes for refiec-
ton.
jest he IN alone" answered Ike as
he finished his snack.
And yo' all hain't got spunk huff to
drive he un out! Ike Baxter, yo' un
allus did dun let folks walk yO' inter