Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-12-03

4 . & z Harper, I've known yo' a good many years"
 ''Yes, Abe"
 ".And in all those years have never asked yo' to loan me any money
 "No."
 ''If had yo'd have accommodated me, knowing that I'd have kept my word about paying it back. Now, then, coloner'-
 ''Scuse me, Abe,'' interrupted the colonel, "but I'm powerful short this nawnin' powerful short. Reckon I won't have cent to carry home with me-"
 "Rut yo'-yo'
 "Couldn't do it, Abe couldn't pos sibly do it." @
 Colonel Harper said Abe as he drew himself up with great dignity, ''yo' would take my word as gentle man, reckonY
 "Yes; reckon would.'
 ''Then that's all right. That's what I was getting at. If I wanted to bor- row any money of yo', which don't, yo'd take my word, wouldn't yo'?"
 "Oh, for shore for shore" replied the colonel, evidently much relieved in mind. "Yes, if yo' wanted to bor- row any money and had any to lend should have confidence in yo'. To hain't looking any too peart this mawnin', Abe. Pike county hain't been throwing yo' down ag'in, hope?'
 Didn't yo' hear what happened last Tuesday night colonel?".
 'tNo, not word. Was it mo- scan dalizing?"
 "Wuss than that, Colonel Harper. Pike county rose up ag'in me en masse and tried assassination for change"
 'Shoo, shoo Did ever! Some body shot at yo', eh?"
 "They attempted to assassinate my reputation, suh, which was wuss than shooting at my body from behind a stone wall Yes, suh, tried to do me up for good and all, and they can't see how I possibly stayed on top of the ground. Yo' know about the Pike County Literary club, of co'se."
 ''Yes; I reckon I've heard of it, though as yo' know I run mostly to con and mewls."
 !" 0Ii, SpuJ III LIy AdGuc tO Uc Od1- loted on for membership, and they throwed me down-throwed me with crash. Out of fo'ty members pres ent thirty-nine blackballed me. How was that for giving young man a show, .colonel?"
 "Shoo. do declare"
 That was spite work and jealousy, colonel-just spite work and jealousy but right on top of that Majah Rogers read paper to the meeting, a paper which he reckoned would bury my dead body ten feet below the soil wasn't there, of co'se, but heard all about it."
 Pitched right into yo', did heW, ask ed the colonel.
 Couldn't be wuss. Colonel Harper, yo' run to con and mewls and have a box at the postoffice, but have yo' ever heard of Plotinus?"
 Seems like had. Reckon I heard of him in Arkansas few years ago. Used to raise power of hawgs, didn't he?
 '9Skassly, colonel-skassly. Plotinus was bon in Egypt in the year 205 and died in the year .270. That was about 1,200 years befo' Columbus discovered America. He didn't run to hawgs, but to philosophy and was mighty smart chap Colonel Harper, was bon in the year 2O5?"
 Reckon not, Abe"
 "Was I bon i'll EgyptT
 Couldn't be-"
 Have I got any show over a man who was bon 1,2OO years befo' was?''
 Mot much, Abe"
 But yo' foller me, Colonel Har- per-you rolIer me- continued Abe as he waved his hands in the air. "Majah Rogers wouldn't allow these things, but went on to say that certain young man In this town, meaning me, could have been a second Plotinus if he had had energy, ambition and ap- pIication.
 sIle went farther. colonel~-a hemp farther. He wanted to know why I slidn't take olf my coat and ga to work why dt1n't pay buck borrowed mon, cyl wiag t.tiun't seek to climb up in.