The professional world. (Columbia, Mo.) 1901-192?, 1903-09-25
CHAPTER XVIII (Continued)

Il
eyes; but, I CAD, our disadvantage
wouldn't be as great as his. NOBODY
would be willing to swap places with a
man that's hanged"
"That's all very well, but we would
be he aggressors, and distant eyes
would look upon him as a martyr"
Eyes. I know; but isn't it better to
have one man looked upon as a martyr
than to have a whole community bath
ed in blood?"
at might be better for us, but not
for our children. A blood-bath may
be forgotten, but martyrdom lives In
the minds of succeeding generations
John, there spoke the man OF busi-
ness. You are always looking out for
the future. l have agreed with myself
to make the most of the present, and
so far as the future is concerned, 1t
will have to look out for itself-it al
WAYS has. Was there ever a future
that was not prepared to take care OF
itself? And is there a past that can
be helped? Then let us fasten our
minds to the present. Let me see.
wonder if we couldn't train a steer to
gore that fellow to death. And CAD,
that would do away with all possibility
Of martyrdom. What do o say?"
Nothing more on that subject; but
I can say something concerning an
other matter, and it will interest you
more than the martyrdom of all his
tory"
'Then out with it. I demand to be
Interested. But don't trife with me,
John . Remember that an old mans
hide is thin"
'Ill not trile with you; I'll startle
you. Sixty years ago, the grandfather
of Admiral Semmes made whisky in
the Tennessee Mountains"
"But, John that was a long time
ago. and the old man is dead, and here
we are alive. But he made whisky
sixty years ago. What about it,"
"The brother of the Admiral lives in
Memphis" the Major continued, "and
the other day he sent me a bottle Of
that whisky, run through a log before
you we're born"
"Gid's mouth flew open and his eye;
stuck out. "John," he said, and the
restraint he put upon his voice ripplet
1t, John, don't tamper with the affec
lions of an old and infrm man Driv'
me off the bayou plantation, compe
me to acknowledge and to feel that
am a hypocrite and a liar, but dom
whet a sentiment and then cut m!
throat with it. Be merciful unto
sinner who worships the past"
He sat there looking upward, a fe
ure of distress, fearing the arrival o
despair. The Major laughed at him
Don't knock me down with a stick @
spice-wood, John"
The Major went to a ~sideboard, too
therefrom a quaint bottle and two thi
glasses, and placing them upon
round table, bowed to the bottle an
said: Dew of an ancient mountain
your servant, sir" And old Gid, wit
his mouth solemnly set, but with h
eyes still bullying, folded his arm
bowed with deep reverence, and thu
paid his respects: Sunshine, gathere
from the slopes of long ago, you
slave"
Mrs. Cranceford stepped in to loo
for something, and the play improvise
by these two old boys was broken sho
off. The Major sat down, but G.
edged UP nearer the table as if prepa
ing to snatch the bottle Upon Il
odd-shaped flask she cast a look
passing interest, and speaking to Il
Major she said:
ooh, that's the whisky you got fro
Memphis. Don't drink it all, pleas
want to fill up the camphor bottle
Gid sat down with a jolt that jarr'
the windows, and she looked at him
alarm, fearing at the instant that dea
must have aimed a blow at him. Ca
phor bottle!" he gasped. "Mercif
heavens, ma'am, fill up your camph
bottle with my hearts blood"
At this distress the Major laughe