The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1895-01-14

Iro,h Yrc -stinNc street half regretted his
enforced participation IN their conviVialty'
But sudden lowering OF the speaker >
voice into note OF gloomy significance
seemed familiar to him. lie glanced at
him quickly from the shadow OF his corner.
He was not miStaken-it VAS jim HOOKER.
Fo,. the first timc I'm his lie Brant wished
to cVade him. In the days oil ms own
prosperity his heart had always gone out
toward this old companion of ms boyhood;
in his present humiliation his presence jar
red uoon him He would have slipped
ay,av. but to do 50 he would have had TO
pass before the counter again. and HOOKER
VITA the sel-consciousness OF a story tell
err had an eye or his audience. Grant
,,itb n palm leaf fan before his face, was
obliged to listen.
". r.rtenen." said Hooker, examip-
800, 1fs class dramatically, when a mans
baen cooped up in a rebel prison. with
doatb line before him that he's obliged to
c.ces every time he wants "A square drink,
:. coor,s sort of like dream of his boy
bcod to be standin' here conf bic before his
lio,,or alongside o white men once more.
And when ne knows he's bin put 20 all
mat trouble Jest to save the reputation of
another man. and the secrets of few hlEh
and michty ones, its almost enough l"
49,, his LIQUOR so agin him." He stopped
thcatrically, seemed 10 choke euoHohailN
over his brandy smash, but with a pause
Of dramatic determination, finally ddShec
n down No gentlemen" he continue
,-loamilv. " | don't say what I'm back II
Washington for-I don't say WAdt I've bi4
saviu' TO myself when I've bin picking TIN
wCevils outer my biscuits in Libby prison
but ef you don't see some pretty big men
in the war department obliged 10 climb
down i'm tae next few days lay name amt
I'm Hooker Cf Hooker, Mcccham " Co.,
army peef contractors and the man who
saved the fight at Gray Oaks"
The smile Of satisfaction that went around
his audieuce-an audience quick to seize
the weakness of any performance-might
have startled vanity less obhvious than
Uooker's. but it only aroused Br2nts it,
dirnat.on and pity. and made his position
st,l more intclerabie. But Hooker, scorn-
fully expectoratins a thin stream of to-
bacco juice against the sDttoon remained
for an instant elocmiiy silent.
.eTev us about the fight again" said a
emiling auditor.
Hooker looked around the room with a
f certain dark suspiciousness. ana then IN
an affected lower voice, watch MS theatre
cal experience made perfectly audible, went
on: 1T amt much 10 speak OF, and II 1t
wasn't for the principle of he thing l
wouldn't be taIlin.' a man who's seen In
lin Gchtin' don't so much on this here
west Point nghtin' by rule-of-threa-but
that amt here or there. Well, d bin out
a scoutiu'-just TO help the boys along, and
/ was Slttlh IN my wagon GpJuJ Joy ~ S.ti-'
v.rsa along comes a brigadier general. and
he looks into the wagon Zap. oughter tell
vou Erat. gentleman, tdlt every mint he
v.,:. c<pgctin' an atJaCl1-but he didn't let
on a hint OF it to me. How are you, jim"
saws he. How are you, SaneraiF says l.
would you mind lending me your coat and
hatg says he. I've got a little game here
with our pickets and l don't want TO be
rero2u,zod.' 'Anythi to oplige, general
saws /, and with that l strips off my coat
and hat and he peels and pats them on.
Nearly the same iigre Jim he says look
in at me; suppose YOU just try my
things and see With that he hands me
his coat-full uniform-with the little gold
cords and lacrs and the epaulets with a
star. and | puts it on-quite innocent like.
And then he says. handin me his sword
aud belt same in- hes round the waist, too
I reckon and | puts that on, too. You
may as well keep 'em on till come back
avs he. for it's migaty damp and malarious
at this time around the swamp And with
that he Ites out. Well, gentlemen / hadn't
sat there five minutes before bang! bang!
/ rattle! rattle! kershiz and l hear yell. I
| steps out of the wagon, everylhinS's quite
| dark, but the rattle goes ON. Then along