The professional world. (Columbia, Mo.) 1901-192?, 1903-08-14
CHAPTER XI (Continued.)

CHAPTER XII (Continued.)
In p~rankishness he sought a refuge;
ne laughed, but she did not follow him.
For a moment her black eyes were
hard, then came a look Of distress
and tears. He put his arm about her.
'Why, my dear, l didn't mean TO hurt
your feelings; bless your life, l didn't.
Why, of course, he shan't marry her.
Who ever heard of such a thing? I'll
talk to him-thrash him If you say
the word. There, it's all right. Why,
here comes Gid"
She went into the house as Bats
came up, glancing back at him as she
passed through the door; and in her
eyes there was nothing as soft as a
tear. The old fellow WINGED, as he
nearly always did when she gave him
q direct look.
"Are you all well?" Gideon asked,
lifting the tails Of his long IA and
seating himself in a rocking chair.
illustrate" the Major answered,
drawing forward another rocker; and
when he had sat down, he added:
Somewhat of an ssence of November
in the air."
Eyes," Gid ~assented; "felt it in my
joints before l got up this morning"
From his pocket he took a plug of to-
bacco.
81 thought you'd given up chewing"
said the Major. Last time l saw you
I understood you to say that you had
thrown your tobacco away"
81 did, John; but, I CAD, I watched
pretty close where | threw it. Fellow
over here gave me some stuff that he
said would cure me of the appetite,
and l took it until I was afraid it
would, and then threw it away. l find
that when a man quits tobacco he
hasn't anything to look forward to.
l quit for three days once, and on the
third day, about the time l got up from
the dinner table, l asked myself:
swell, now, got anything to come
next" And all l could see before me
was hours of hankering; and l CAD,
slapped a negro boy on a horse and
told him to gallop ovcr to the store and
fetch me a hunk of tobacco. And af-
I'd have a fit there in the yard waiting
for that boy to come back. l don't
believe that it's right for a nan to
kill any appetite that the Lord has
given him. OF course l don't believe
In the abuse of a good thing, but it's
better to abuse it a little sometimes
than not to have it at all. If virtue
consists in d%eadening the nervous sys-
ten TO all pleasurable influences, why,
you may just mark my name off the
list. There was old man Haskill. |
sat up with him the night after he
died, and one of the men with me was
4 harping upon the great life the old fell
low had lived-never chewed, never
smoked, never was drunk, never gam
bled, neer did anything except to stand
still land be virtuous-and | couldn't
help but feel that he had lost nothing
by dying. Haven't seer Louise, have
your"
mo; but l have about made up my
mind to go over there, whether she
wants me or not"
81 believe l would John. We haven't
long to stay here, and nothing sweet
ems our s%ojourn like forgiveness. l
don't mean it in s%acrilege, but Christ
was greatest and closest to His Father
when he forgave the thief"
That's true" saaid the Major. "You
may not be able to think very coher-
emily, Gid, but sometimes you stroll
into a discussion and bark the shins
of thought"
Easy, John. l am a thinker. My
mind is full Of pictures when your
fancy is checkered with red and blue
lines. So you are willing to forgive
herr" he added after a pause.
Eyes, more than willing. But she
isn't ready to be forgiven. She has
some very queer notions, and I'll be
hanged II l know where she picked