The Portland daily press., 1898-02-09
(z 1A|;4:N2:IS,3!;!IIlllGz aazpcz:.
u. 49, \ 81 JEAAhErrE II WALwoRTh3
~ = Aszzzzzzzzzz3zz E5T~=====z==22
COPYRIGHT 1898 BY THE AuTH0a}
DOWNRIGHT. 1898. BY me AUTHOR

gentleman in the mirror with an angry
demand:
"Whose business is it but my own.
| confound it all? Tell me that. " The
gentleman in the mirror glared back
His great flashing gray eyes said plainly:
"You are in devil Of a mess, old
fellow, and no one knows it better than
do. I'm tremendously sorry for you,
but how can help you out of it?'
This uncomfortable state of affairs
lasted until high swung wagonette,
! with swiftly revolving yellow wheels,
drawn by two proudly stepping trotters,
spun around the graveled carriage way,
depositing the first installment of the
colonel's guests upon the broad succeed
front steps,
The colonel's scorn for tardy din
ner guest was we'll known. No one ever
risked his frown by keeping his table
waiting. Cabs, saddle horses, sulkies
dogcagts. followed the yellow wheeled
wagonette in rapid succession. Their
occupants were received at the head Of
the steps with beaming smile and a
4 jocularity totally at variance with the
colone1's recent private exhibition of
! gloom or nervousness.
"All here?" he asked, wringing the
hand of the last conner as fervently as
the first 'sNow, like this. Looks as if
you wanted to come. No dumb driven
cattle business, you know" His fine
gray eyes wandered over the group Of
men affectionately. every chair ac-
counted for and the clock on the stroke
of 8. We might as well see what sort
of mess my people have botched up for
us. Idont promise anything for them. !"
This was his usual formula. Then he
lifted his voice Justify. "Here, you,
| Oscar, dinner at oncei"
An immaculate expanse of shirt front
was almost Immediately framed in the
open front doorway and soft, cour-
| teous voice announced, DINNER, Marse
Merry
Promptly following this announce
ment IS chairs were drawn up to the
colonel's table, and Is napkins were
carefully arranged over as many waist
coats.
Talk never languished at the colonel's
table, but on this occasion he seemed
bent upon keeping it going with nervous
energy. There was no lack of material.
The time was 1859. Already the war;
cloud was looming above the political
horizon with portentous blackness. The
irrepressible conflict was assuming such
real proportions that they as good and
loyal Mississippians should be deciding
what attitude they would assume. In
those days whenever two or three were
gathered together there was matter of
grave import to discuss. The pros and
cons of states rights were clamorously
agitated. There was the probability of
war and the consequent effect upon the
price of cotton to be anxiously predicat-
ed, each man giving his own opinion
with an air of fnality which, from his
standpoint, left little or nothing for any
body else to say.
Theoretically, said Thatcher from
the foot of the table, ''we are all agreed
as to the right of secession, but when it
comes to looking at it from the point of
expediency we had better go little
Slow
The colonel showed dish of olives
toward his left hand neighbor with a
gesture of irritation.
"The devil fly away with expediency.
Right is right and wrong is wrong. Is
secession right Or wrong? Morehouse,
you are nibbling at that crust OF bread
like a starved mouse. What will YOU
have, MANI No. sir, / am teetotally OPP
posed to looking at this tremendous
question from any standpoint but prin-
ciple, and until gag law goes into effect
or my tongue is paralyzed I'll lift my
voice against the outrages about to be
perpetrated in the name Of love Of coun-
try.
Apparently a gag law of some sort
was at that moment applied to the
colonel's jaws. for they closed With
snap as Oscar bent over him.
Oscar, who would no more have
thought of breaking in upon his mas
ter's oratory without adequate excuse
than Of facing battery, WAS whisper
ing something into the colonel's ear
with an air of great importance The
word Immediately" came across his
THICK lips Win SuCH u1PuSS4o 90 w w
distinctly audible to those nearest the
head of the table
Colonel Bascom put down his glass
of claret with thump that sent
shower of ruby drops over the table
cloth, drew his napkin nervously across
his handsome mouth and pushed his
chair back from the table. His smile
was somewhat forced as he said:
Gentlemen, make yourselves entire
~ at home. have rather inopportune
caller who demands immediate audi
ence. I'll be back with you before you
have had time TO discover how villain
Gus this claret is. Thatcher, tell the
boys about Ackermann and the donkey.
Oscar, you scamp, look at Mr. Acker-
mann's empty glass.
Oscar sprang forward with the wine
bottle in his hand, and the colonel pass
ed through the door leading immediate
Iy into his private study.
Thara he foUnd his Unfortunate visit