The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-07-06
BY j. H. PITMHN.
.~IS*.


practicing law in Reubenville about two
years, during which time he had won
several verdcts in the justice court on
appeal to jury, and on one occasion the
circuit judge had sustained a certiorari
with complimentary remarks about the
commendable energy displayed by the
young lawyer in his conflict with the
vicious magistrate who from the begin
ming Of his legal career was Of course his
natural enemy. Though bearing proud
name associated with naval history, the
colonel had never been q soldier. In JUS
tice to him it must be said that he laid
no claims to a war record. He was will
ing to let the law of custom have its
way, however, and in Georgia that of
itself had already passed him from
Squire Lassiter" to Colonel Lassiter,"
and when he was so introduced by the
principal of the Reubenville high school
last June his patriotic speech had ST.
fenced all inquiry, if any, us to his right
of title, and the school children if nobody
else were satisfied that at some time or
some place, Notwithstanding his youth,
he must have been gallant colonel of
something, leading his charging conf
mand right into the lannon's mouth.
The coIonel's boarding house was just
across the street from the residence of
Major Barnes. The major had seen serv-
ice, and on tho front piazza of the old
Barnes homestead he was accustomed to
relate how his troop Of cavalry had been
right with Jackson when the grim old
Presbyterian had knocked out Fremont
and Shields and was like to have ended
rhe5 war before. anybody knew what he
1f,n fa Misc rorohal thu ~
jor's only daughter, would smile at the
major and then at the colonel, who sat
on the opposite veranda with a great:
sheep bound law volume, over the print
ed page of which he. was alternately cut
ling his eyes toward the white neck and
brown curls of Miss Corabel and with.
his pencil making some sentence that
would sound well in a commencement
Grafton.
The colonel was violently in love with.
Miss Corabel, had written an ode to her
knocking bird and once ventured to tell
her she was "fairer than the flowers" She
sent when he was ill (the colonel had
been to a barbecue given by the major
ON his plantation, and mint julep and
fresh meat gave him cholera morbus next
day., but beyond these sporadic out
breaks had suppressed all manifestation
of his real longing because, he said,
Poverty chills the affections and dwarfs
the soul. I'll wait till l can lift myself
above their old, withered aristocracy."
He had evidently been reading some of
DIR. Johnson's philosophy, not in regular
sequence, but as bits of it cropped out
in a volume entitled "a Thousand and
One Gems of Poetry and Prose-" which
lay always alongside his code and from
which he quoted copiously in conversa-
tion and argument. ] had almost for
gotten to state that Colonel Lassiter's
father was the overseer on Major
Barnes plantation and had won and still
bore the reputation of the best manager
of negro laborers in that district and was
noted more as q leader of the "Regu
lators" (organiZcd just after strike of
the cotton pickers and the incendiary
burning Of some ginhouses) than for his
literary attainments. The colonel did not
inherit his political and legal ambitions
from his sire. In fact, between sire and
son there were rather strained relations,
though the one declared "Paul was either
4 mighty smart boy or fool, he didn't
know which," while the other was COM
plimentary enough to say, 1.-The old man
is rather rough, but he amt scared of
the devil"
The colonel had long hoped for an op.
portunity to show his mettle and his skill
in the forum or OH the hastings, had
dreamed of standing on the marble thing
OF the statehouse representing his county
in the legislature, had let his fancy soar
into that proud season when he could
say to Corabel: II have won place and
fortune. 1 lay my laurels ut your feet"
In the next chapter will be told how the
man and the occasion met.
The autumn season had come, and
Reubenville was the storm center of the
approaching county fair. The schedule
of the prizes included among the numer-
Gus awards for agricultural skill and
energy "For best red petroleum goat,
ST." and For the largest white head cab.
bage, free ticket to state fair" Just
what "red petroleum" goat is nobody
knew, unless it be Joe Swami. one of the |
committee on management and awards,
and l have since been informed that ZOO |
both title and goat to work |
out the conspiracy whereof the innocent |
victim was to be the colonel after the |
following manner: 4 common billygoat, |
foraging on tin cans and guano sacks. il !
tradition may be trusted. was dyed with |
n bright solution OF cochineal. vermilion |
hued. His abundant whiskers were
streaked with the colors of the rainbow, |
his tail-what there was OF it-supple- |
mented and suffxed with q rosette of lis
sue paper of gorgeous dyes and his horns |
wound with the stripes of barber pole. |
II any such breed of goat had ever
dwelt in that county, the secret orders |
had monopolized them for service in the |
lodges. Even Joe Swami could not trust |
the mock gravity Of his own face in the /
presence OF the goat, so he had him caro- |
fully concealed under the speakers stand /
until the proper time for his entry on the |
stage of action. Colonel Lassiter was to /
deliver the prizes with fitting Grafton. |
That part Of his speech which was to de-
clare the premium won by Allen Piper,
by SWANS decision, was duly embellish-
ed and memorized. Allen sat prominent /
in his rows Of benches prepared for the
in front of the speakers stand,
the whole ceremony being outdoors on
the bermuda sward. Allen was believ-
err in cent cotton, frequent barbecues
and the third party" Given to hilarity /
by nature, Joe had warned Allen to look
solemn on this occasion, but had made
Inc mistake OK suppOSlnS tDaL the 1rult
OF corn liquor might add to his grip on
Allen struggled to contain
his disabilities, but the result was only
more redness of face and n certain swell
ing Of neck that made explosion certain.
Near the speakers stand Joe had tied
with convenient slipknot certain spe-
cies of dog hard to classify by ancestry,
but facile princeps in local reputation for
tackling any form of man or beast he was
set upon and for holding on like a mud
turtle. His tail had been amputatcd
while young, and what remained stuck
out and up like a banana inverted. His
neck was biggest in the middle, and his
ears, about the size of n peach leaf and
mostly gristle, except a little flop at the
top point. lay close to his head. The
shade of his sides suggested the brindle
slate color of souse meat. and that part
Of his nose between the tip and eyes was
Trinkled and sunken, giving his phz the
appearance Of being all mouth. Trim Of
legs, bowed Of neck and eyes as big as
two glass marbles, his upper lip snarled
by nature to show his teeth.
The colonel: II now come to prize No
Z, for the red petro'- Here billy was
released and prsnced into the arena. Miss
Corabers spaniel. lying sleepily at her
side, looked up, then bowed his back and
srowled. Aliens jaws swelled out like
\ faofhoI xvbiia Lao hold bis hopJ an met 4