The National tribune., 1903-09-24

Al SetsluS news IOr zen. "A. j. Smltn In
Alexandria, sLa.
Solomon Roscnbaum insisted on taking
supper the next evening with the boys
and their wives. He would not allow Ma
ria and Annabel to make any change what
ever i'll the ordinary boarding house meal.
Il won't hear of noting else he de-
clared vehemently. DE pest meals effer
ate in my life got When yoost dropt in
on de pOys When dey wasn't expecting no
pody. and shared pot-luck NIT dem. Let's
hat it dat way again, yoost for aud lang
sync.'
But just think of the change from the
glorious dinner you gave us" urged Maria.
Oats all right; dat's all right. What
l want is Il change. must half it. Din
ners like dat right along would kill me, as
it's killing lots of desc Old buffers. Once
Il week of dat sort of thing is all | can
stand. De blainer lif de peter it is for
me. I'm no London Alderman. but n
plain. hard working. effery day Chew, try
ing to make an honest lifting. l haint got
money enough yet. Ply Il long Ways. to in
dnlge i'll de luxury of govt. and haf to go
to de springs to haf de stuflin poiled out
of me-
But. with an elegant little gold watch
each for Maria aud Annabel, lie brought
along some of his fine cigars, and after a
supper which he declared he enjoyed
better than any dinner he had given at
Welcker's, he and the boys went out on
the porch to smoke and have the rest of
the story.
While old A. !. Smith and Joe Mower
we're slapping one another on de pack, and
swearing until de tears ran out of DER
eyes in der gladness at getting de famous
Fort De Russy so quick and 80 easy, /
thought it would pc good time for me to
get in some work. vent up to old A. J.
and said:
'.'Cheneral, want favor
Mention it, my poy. he answered.
You can have anything from me dat you
want. You hat earned it. Neffer dell me
after dis dat de Chews won't wight. | saw
You myself hit dat gunner init your musket
barrel. yoost in time to keep him from
pulling de lanyard Vat is it you vant?'
"'Cheneral, some vriends of mine haf
couple little jays of cotton up here ways,
dat | want to get out for dem
Cotton. Cotton exploded old A. J.
and Joe Mower. laughing and yelling,
Oats What made you wight so. If any
thing will stir up Chew to wrath it is
danger to his cotton OATS What brought
you all de way from Alexandria, to show
us de way into dc fort.
Dat made me awful mad.
'Cheneral,' said I, III let you know
I'm yOOst US much OLA batriot as you are.
and yOOst asyilling TO do anything to help
de Union. I risked my life to get Offer
here to gif you dat news. as / hat risked
my life Aprssther Chenerals. Chenerals
RosecraR Inq Thomas will dell you dat.
De cotto9 1ioyft pelong tn me at all. 1t pc
longs to eome7vriends.'
90, YES, your brother. or yOur vifc's
uncle. Mknow you Ghews' ''.'---'
'sf,en hes1ooked at me again. and his
manner changed. t.-...-...
".Nows don't take it dat way he said
4 didn't mean dat. Dat vas one of my lit
tie chokes. You shall haf your tamt cot
ton. | don't want nottiGgs to do nit de
planned stuff. Get it out quick pefore some
Of desc cussed Dreasury Agents comes
down and gets his hands on it. Raider
you'd hat if dan make dose planned scoun-
dres rich nit it., Vix up your permit, and
III sign it. But hurry up. pefore any of
dose Dreasury fellers can get down here
'IoOst den up comes Admiral Porter.
He vas raring mad because de solchers
had got into de fort pefore his pue-jack-
cts.
"Vhat's dis I hear apout cotton?' he
r0ared. L gif you all due notice dat /
CLAIM all de cotton within three miles of
de parks on both sides as brizes for de
navy
r.
\. j. L like your cheek. Where do you
puy your nerve-food| .....,s.,.....,,.
@''"'It makes no difference pout my cheek
I'm standing up for de- rights OF my men.
hat de orders from de Navy Depart
ment.'
"'Vell, don't care a sou-marquee apout
de cotton said A. J. You and de Dreas-
ury wight dat out between you. But /
think you hat more gall dan an Oak-apple
tn Gin rntfOn DAT m Inf 1nttrp1
Any way, you ought to let dis man here
dake out his cotton. He has rendered good
service for it.
"I know nothings apout his service,
said Porter savagely. and 1 haint got
notlings to do NIT him. I'm looking out
for my own men. He's only n tamt Chew,
anyway, and | care nOthings for him.
''Old A. J. vas so mad dat Joe Mower
hurried him away on de pretense of some
dings dat needed seeing to right off. /
vas sick at heart. for could see no chance
for Einkenbein & Spitzbube's cotton. Por-
ter had de whole river. clear down to de
Mississippi filled mp NIT his fleet. and dc
poats stood no more chance of getting
through dem dan hen through paIing
fence.
'''Vhere is dat cotton you're dalking
apOut? one of de naval officers asked me-
"'Vhen you Wind out you'll know
said, and it flashed on me dat I'd keep
dose poats hid awhile longer and see What
turned up. Nothing is lost by Waiting,
sometimes.
81 vent over and wound my 'Cajans
paid dem DER money, and saw dem start
off. so dat dey wouldn't let out nodings
Den l sat down to think. l heard de
naval officers shy dat dey would probably
all go on up to Alexandria, and PECAN to
hope dat would clear dem out of de lower
part of de river so dat Zimri might slip
his poats through While 1 vas sitting
dere. up comes old A. J. Smith, his mind
as usual, full of going ahead. He asked
me:
Rosenbaum, Wien were you in Alex
andra!''
"'Three days ago.
"'Who's dere?'
"Vell. Cheneral Dick Taylor has his
headquarters dere. nit a couple of prig-
AIDES. and some more at Natchitches, and
roundabout
"'Vhat's he getting ready to do? Stay
there and wight us. come out this way
and wight us, OF go down the other way
and meet Franklin
'Vrom de looks of dings when bassed
through Brashear City don't pelieve dat
'Franklinis u 100 miles of him yet
Likely neg Franklin pelongs to de day
up stagsA$o1shes. Put he vas to pc in
Alexands& "a 18th. three days from now
IN kEs6Ibrized if he's dere in week
'So'lE1. which makes it more necessary
to know what Dick Taylor means to do I
know you're dried, but want you to 20 to
Alexandria, find ont all You can tomorrow,
Snn If Iny IN hn0 ~fn IN l.