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

4 single incident n the novel, anu Is tuliy pro-
,.ded b. copyright
~HE parson held an unfinished es-
~ say In his hand, while the co.onel
stoicaily chewed his quid OF to-
- bacco, apparently indifferent TO
- surroundings. Then the parsons
.,nd dominated that of the colonel, and
~ stern colonel, looking the tranquil par
~ in the face, replied:
awaile YOU were reading youah sober
vvmarole. pahson, / wah thinking OF and
an Of case in which | wah consumed in
Al virginia, and Jest when you stopped
"a looked up / had reached the pint
where | seized the gullet OF the critter:
snd as you lowered the papah and looked
ne I'm the eve. II seemed as though that
s,sne Young fellows face rose up bafoah
me- But pshaw. what's the use OF think
~ about things that hev passed away?
maj fellow brought his punishment on his
own head"
The colonel lapsed into silence and star
n at the stove.
Tell rs all about 1t, or let Mr.. Jones
suish his essay," requested the clerk Go
On with your story" urged chorus Of
vosces II reiinquish the field and beg
YOU to obIige us" added the parson, in a
slightly ironical tone.
wall. since that day. I hewitt talked
about the episode fer as hey already
tod you. there amt no use in worrying
ever the troubles OF another fellow, espe-
elally II the other fellow IL dead. and II
6snt do no good. either. TO think about
ne mistakes that other people hey made.
and that there fellow made the mistake OF
III hfe then and here. The blunders OF
dad people should be forgotten"
Again the speaker paused. The eyes Of
the Judge and the teacher were fastened
inquirinEly upon the psrson. who now
seemed out OF Place. yet preternatgraily
calm. After few seconds he spoke ms
With authority: Continue your narrative.
Col Luridson; you have said that you are
not coward"
\ hev kinder gloomy feelings tonight.
and can't tell a story quite as well as I
fould." resumed Luridson. casting a black
lock at the parson. "Onee. over in Gle
virginia. ! wah walking along a meadow
path smoking cigar, thinking Of aothin'.
Is most people do when they air smok ng
and az many smokers do most Of the time.
when suddenly l stopped Jest as I was
about TO step on great black snake
stretched In the walk. I raised my heel
and stamped the head Of t.,at sarpent into
the earth. I am sech a soft-hearted fool.
that ! can't look back at that display OF
brutality without shuddering. Not fer the
varmints, but fer little baby snake that
then saw stretched beside the mot her--a
mtie innocent snake not longer than a
psnciL That night there was a rain storm
and I'll swear. gentlemen. that / Law
awake an hour thinking OF the poor crit
'rr perishing. I am a very tender -hea ri ed
man and am not to blame II my cheek il
rough"
Evidently the vain bragxart was lotn TO
describe the event OF honor that he had
unwittingly introduced. Were n not for
tho curious fact that Luridson was trying
70 argue himself into the place CT zen
dr-hear,ed man" his remarks would sure
" have been tiresome. As II was. the
Inconsistency of hts position. hts courteous
department and unique language, coupled
with the articles he made to escape the
"bonah episode" lent a charm to the
SCENE, In which the somber essay Of Mr.
Jones was so markedly contrasted with
the nippant conversation of Luridson.
THE story, please" quietly insisted the
parson,
"wall. Il Is not much OF a story. aftah
an and kin give Il In a few words. |
s'pose you admit. pahson. that back In
ole Virginia there Is more honah among
gentlemen than there Is In other places,
and begging pahdon OF the persons pres
snt more gentlemen 10 the acre. IL don't
require book learning In ole Virginia TO
make gentleman. neither does book
learning make gentleman anywhere
though as a rule. II does no harm; but,
al yeu know. ole Virginia turns out gen
slemen Of both kinds. gentlemen bohn
and gentlemen learned. | b'long TO the
Ayst class OF gents, which, begging pah-
don Of some OF the persons present ! con-
sldah the highnh class"
THE under class" remarked the par
son dryly, know something about your
type OF gentlemen. But We are all inn
patient to hear your episode as YOU
call n We know you are a gentleman,
but are waiting for the story"
Wall sub, a gentleman Of ole Virginia
o. the frs, class can't be insuited. If
Fellow attempts 10 insult him. either tho
FELLOW dies or the gentleman dies. In
ether case no dirt sticks 70 the gentle
nan, fer his boots air on. You see, pah
son, there Il another phase Of the. mat
'ef when n comes 20 the question OF hon
~. phase that common people low
orhn people. cannot raise themselves into
The hlghah strung the gentleman, the
,aser e h 20 AFFECT his honah, and 10
: hlgh-sttung man the smaller the re-
Hsetion the greater L. the insult Only
reuons " the hghah order can comnre-
bend this fact Now. NJ North" and
iar'dson turned directly upon Mr.. Jones
Nhere the hnah qualities do not appear
shsse gentleman f. ncvah bohn gen
usrsan Insults air taken that In ole Nir-
rah would be remembered 20 the third
ssheration, Colonel Clough OF my coun
ased the grandson or the man who
Msalied his grandfather. Not that the
vessels grandfather did not XIII hts
MAA tier he didl, not that the colonel's
.s.Asf did not Kill the mans son FER he
- not thar the son OF the man the
sos'aess father killed had done any
ssAsE personally to injure the colonel Ger
mad noO. but because every killing OF
80 family done by hts descendants rails
y ne honah Of the ole colonel There
- eesn twelve men shot with their boots
y ny The descendants 81 Colonel Clough,
- saw four OF en- bite the dust. You
~ 'eai family proposes 10 keep unfair
ASsnea me honaA Of the great colonel ~
Nns~ more the equiyocatiug speaker fal-
- and once more Mr. Jones as though
stmined 20 compel the delivery OF the
..snAsed narrative. said ga a low. insist
sat voice.
rery
:, "an 4 amt q long story. and IL Amt
- eaN episode w the kind hev expert
Sc1 cant see why I think ~ this
ss' now either fer | hev been en-
t4kfN In har ,r4t