The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-05-13

ne lelt the sting OF the bullet that let ont
ms hearts blood. that he wished he hadn't
asked the niggah of a bohn gentleman
whether his young mastah had reached
nome safely the night he drank too much
Ticker and raised hell In the village. IL
amt safe to question niggahs about their
mastahs affairs,
The Virginian here turned his eyes away
from the parson, who now stood as IL he
We're an antagonist, determined not to let
MIN escape. Lowering his tone to a key of
solemn command. Mr.. Jones pronounced
the following question and order COM
bined:
why do you evade your duty? Are you
coward, Mr.. Luridson? Your last cpl
sode. not your first"
Fire flashed from the colonels eve, for
he was not accustomed to such an adj
dress; he cast quick glance at the par
son, who with folded arms stood facing
him. and then, as IL respecting the cloth
of the man Of God. or subdued by that
placid gaze, turned his eyes toward the
ceiling, and as though speaking in reverie,
continued:
THE last affair of this date you mean,
pahson. not necessarily the last one No
man knows when he may strike q quarrel,
any more than he knows jest when he
may slip of the tight-rope you were
preaching Of" and Luridson leeered In a
sinister way at the parson. you want my
episode, and you seem TO want IL bad.
Now you shall hev II, and call these gem
tlemeu TO witness that you forced me TO
relate II. I'm not ashamed OF my record,
nor afraid to make clean breast of 1t.
but hev done all a gentleman can do to
save trouble, and II trouble comes II amt
my fault.
This is the wav II happened
81 hain't -ach schooling. but I hev
enough to ansah all the use bohn gentle
man has fer book learning. went to
school until | could read the newspapah
and write fair letter. and then | found
IT useless TO spend more time with books.
| didn't intend to write novel or edit
dictionary, and didn't propose to fool
away my time on matters that were Of no
particular value to a gentleman of leisure,
80 / dropped school and turned my atten-
ton to foxes and dogs.
wall, that ole schooihouse stood until
this war of secession came. honorable as
a schoolhouse should stand: Int aftah our
forces retired and the Yankee lines were
advanced beyond us. the house was dis
graced by this damn Freedman's bureau.
You wouldn't believe II IL a gentleman like
myself didn't certify to the fact, but a
Yankee wsh sent to our section and mig
gah school wah started In the very house
whore I had carved my name on the bench
Gentlemen. a niggah school"
We'll" said MIR. Jones, 'tel us about
the 'nisgah' school"
There amt much to tell fer II didn't
last long. meeting of neighborhood gem
tlemen followed and / wah delegated to
direct that Yankee TO close the doors and
leave the country"
"Well?"
II laid the case hefoah the young man
who taught the school. and one word led
to another until, finding that he wah de-
termined to persist In his offensive course,
| told him that he must either close that
school or fight"
And he fought you?'
mo. The long haired varmint hadn't
spunk enough to fight; he turned his back,
said insolently: 'Scuse me. please. but I
hev this duty TO perform and shut the
door In my face"
And you"
Kicked the door down, seized the strip
ling by the throat and squeezed his life
out didn't intend to kin the boy. fer he
walnut mohn half grown: but aftah |
got my clutches on his throat and thought
OF the insult he had given me and saw a
nisgah's face behind my ole desk. | grew
desperate, and when threw him onto the
floor his face was as black as the skin
Of the niggahs around him"
And then"
'Nothin' | wiped my hands on my kerr
chief called my dogs and left the fool
niggahs and their cowardly teachah
had done my duty. | had given the YAM
kee and the nigsahs lesson. and | don't
hey no squeams now over the episode. II
he had been a bohn gentleman | would
hev shot him in his tracks, but az II wah.
| choked him as would a varfpint Moth
In but coward is ever choked to death.
Perish me II any damn, long haired
Yankee shall insult Col Luridson"
What was the mans nameg'
Jones, sub, Jones. Same name as you'll
self, pahson, a very common name" land
Lnridson sneered at the parsOnl land "A
very ordinary man. sub"
Mr.. Jones stood for a moment as II I'M
concerned; no change Of facial expression.
no movement hespesking unusual interest
in the subject abruptly ended. Then
he spoke Ia a soft. low tone. so sweet and
mild that Il Is strange his voice could be
heard through the roaring OF the storm
that now suddenly fiared up-as IL the
closing OF the story had been the signal
for It's tumultuous onslaught
see" he said. the clock points 10 u.
The New Year IS upon us" and as We
turned our gaze upon the face OF tins clock.
oac hy one the husky gong struck. each
note Of the asthmatic cry quiyering hoarSe-
Is until the next peal came. Al the last
s;roAe the parson dropped upon has knees.
let us pray" he murmured. The buid-
ing trembled Ia the tempest the hanging
Stsn SlutAhru anu cfleu a. IL nappHA nACN
and forth, the wind moanci and sung
through the stove pipe, the shutters hang
ed to ana fro. but all were uaAeard ID
those who Unexpectedly we've called 10
listen 10 the sweet, solemn ssayes cl tae
man OF God.
He prayed Tor his suffering country, Low
In tie throes Of civii VAR fot tbs peor le
Of the colonel Ia Virginia. and als brave
country men In the southern army he ask-
ed blessings on the community in which
him@elf man OF the Moth chancsd 10
dwell. also on his own people az home,
and prayed for his own brethren in the
trenches. Before closing he asked tfoi to
forgive the last speaker. VINO. a se,t-cn''-
fossed murderer, stood unrepentani. and
finally be murmure3 a prayer for the soul
OF the transporting boy-teacher. who. i'm
cold blood had lost his life ny the hand
OF the murierous colonel,
Then. without rising. Mr.. Jones took his
note book and pencil from his pos ke'. and
resting his hand on the soft cushion OF
his vacant chair. carefully wrote a fe~
,~,HaN-.se fv RF4fwE~ n. NaranAg