The Savannah morning news., 1903-10-25

SufBIlSCu VI HCllH4Oty Sclob 4O"AA' 1900
fairly foreseen it all. You may ques-
tion why, then, 1 made this vigorous
head; and Eaton my friend.
1t is a proper curiosity. Freely,
am constrained, as / review the past,
to regard myself as sometimes the VIC
tim of self-foolery. On this February
evening with the General, 1 make no
for his veal and peace. And Yet
was clear before 1 spoke, how my
words would win to no effect. ana
Eaton for the cabinet it would BE-
Thus, now see that my impulse, IN
dubitably, was one wholly OF vanity as
the friend privileged to frankness ana
who-as he said many times and until
I consented to the fact myself-more
than any other had builded him up 10
be a president, 1 would tell my mlnd'
air my gifts of prophecy, and arrange
myself for future wherein the Gen
eral might say, when the winds pieW
high, You saw the tempest coming
and you told me-" That, as L now see
was the very conceited, small, cheap
reason of my interference; although at
the time in no sort beheld it by that
light, but felt somewhat noble and
high and as might a loyal friend.
The General for ten full minutes
smoked up and down. silent, and the
room otherwise still save for the TICK
ticking of the clock. At last ne SPOKE
snilingly and off to one SIDE.
You remember that sagacious doc
tor who was yesterday called from Bal
tinore to amend me after my journey!
I'm do anything you say L told nlIn'
save give up coffee and tobacco. Then
you'll die he retorted, since II is COL
fee and tobacco which are killing you.
Then I'll die I replied, since colIee
and tobacco are all that are lett worm
living for He quit the place IN
fury of heat, did that doctor.
The General grinaed. There was an
other pause; then he swung back TO
my Eaton warning. while his face
again showed grave and firm.
"Sir, Mrs Eaton-Peg, as we call her
knew her. loved her" His tone was
tender, while his glance sought the
miniature where from the table 1t tol-
lowed him up and down with its eyes.
''Timberlake's habits We're unfortu-
nate; his suicide was due to that.
There was never a doubt of Peg IN ms
soul; never a question of her conduct.
1 know this: 1 do not guess. What"
here his voice began to rise with
choler-"what! are we to guide by
nameless ISLANDERS? Eaton is my friend,
honorable, high of mind, honorably
married to the woman he loves! l
will not, by anything do or fail to do,
arm villfication. Into my cabinet he
goes, though every bow in hell be
bent against it"
Smash! went the Generals pipe upon
the hearth. 1t was the manner Of the
man when driven to anger. First and
last he smashed pipes by the gross,
THAT is not the song of it!' L stub
bornly protested.
Then l put out what was true; that
he should look at this thing from the
e lii y1--acidoOPU There
the public interest; his faith to the
public must be dwelt on.
eff there be faith to the public"
he retorted. there is also a faith to
a friend. 1t is a widest rumor that
Eaton is to be of my cabinet. FOLK
are morally sure of it as much as
folk may be of what sits in the ante
chamber of time. Should he not
be named, that fact will be held as
an Endorsement of these ISLANDERS. 1t
will destroy Eaton: worse, 1t viii de-
stroy Peg. Do you counsel that? Must
that be done in the name of Public
Good?" The General now was speak
ing in cold, contained way for all
his late pipe-smashing, and you are
not to infer from any verbal force
displayed, a shouting anger. Wroth
he was: but, natheless, low-voiced and
steady as with kind of tranquility OF
fury Must my friend be abased,
insulted-must a sweet, true woman
suffer harm for that you say public
interest asks it Sir you speak folly
and propose disgrace. There can be
no public good to come from private
wrong. And if it were so, still l should
stand the same. I've suffered many
tests for the public you pirate of; I've
abode the death-chanceS of a hundred
battles I've marched to the public's
wars when. spent and weak. l must
tn,
have l spared or saved myself. But /
will spare my friend: I'll save a
woman's honor: aye! spare and save
them though your public interest per-
ish in their steads. You could name
no altar wherein I would make such
sacrifices. The honor of woman-to
safeguard her good fame-is the first
duty Of man. IL is before friend
ship. before patriotism; it has prece-
dence over things public or private.
What you offer spells ruins for a wom-
an-rlin for Peg, whom my wife has
loved and kissed I will not do it. l
say it again. Eaton for the cabinet it
should be though it were the last act
of my life. More; if 1 were capable
of beginning my administration with
treason to friend, I might surely look
to conclude it with treason to the peo-
pie"
You are to know that the General
made these long orations walking the
floor, and in a manner jerky and de-
clamatory, though not loud. There
might be spaces of silence between
sentences measured by two and three
steps; and much of the time his eye
left me and he was like one who de-
bates with himself. l ramble off his
utterances somewhat in full: for I
not only regard the sentiments eX-
pressed as creditable to the General
himself, but am disposed to give you
the truth of him as one who, while
right oftener than most men. and as
set for Justice as d pair of scales, on
this as on every other strong occasion
did his thinking with his heart. Also,
while he never said the word, it ran
in him like a torrent that his wife,
were she with him, would shield poor
Peg at whatever vital cost: and of
itself that was equal to the sweeping
down of reasons strong as oak or ada
mant.
Who was the unobserver to say that
familiarity breeds contempt? He
went wide of the truth; he should have
said that familiarity breeds self-con-
fidence. Now I knew the General-I
knew the windings of his thought as
one knows his way about a house.
so to me. And yet, more than any,
knew him to be even better and brav-
err and broader than was his fame in
the worshiping mouths of ones who
uplifted him to be a god. No. the
General and I neither looked uD nor
looked down when we dealt with one
another; we met ever on level terms.
He was President, or shortly would
be- but what then? AS he himself