The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-03-29
THE CATAND THE MOUSE
By Aisxandsr Troy

Fort--sirei I well know. ana they do. too. that to differ with your Hign- ness is treason and that no overt act Is necessary to convict them. Still, my liege, there are some measures of great pith and moment yet to be en- acted by the LeEisiature and would 1t not be well. think you, to wait until nihiiate them by withdrawing from them in the spiendor of your smile?
 Governor---My gentle Ariel! No. ex- cuse the poetic slip. I mean my saga eious Fortl You reason well, and l will act on the suggestion, but prithee.
 Fort. tell no mag Of this, for ii must not get abroad that ever acted on
 the suggestion of any one but myself
 flor always 1 am Caesar. In attempt
 Ing. as you know, to administer at
 the same time the Executive and Leg
 isIatiye departments of the Govern
 ment, I must needs as to one of them
 act through trusted lieutenafits, and I wish to know what you think of them, taf two heads arc better than one. If one Is a-but let that so. What dc
 you think of Long? Is he to be trust cd as leader?
 Fort--Your Highness. while Mir i. Long is rather short in ability, he is tong in his devotion to your Highness. That Is his long suit.
 Governor--What say you of Merritt Frort-That he is a fellow of some
 merit.
 Governor = What of my doughty knight from the hills of Marshall. the aggressive Lusk?
 singink your Highness' praises and thinks you are the peerless one. You could not have named a better captain t0 marshal your legions. \ Covernor--Now, not least, but last.
 what of my Overton?
 Fort--That he Is but a few ounces In product but over ton in loyalty.
 Govsrnor--Fort. for Heavens sake stop your confounded punning. I be- lieve you would pun on my name, be- hind my back. Punning. my dear Fort Is the lowest order of wit and I never knew a man who was worth q straw when once he acquired the bad habit of punninR. Next to drinking, H ls the worst habit which besets the hn- man race. Avoid it, avoid it, avoid 1t Fort--I presumed, my liege, to men tion the rumblings of discontent among the faithful. This might indicate that 1 the brilliancv of your sun was not SC | bright. as it was, and that your power
 oh. pardon me. my liege. was on ths ! wane. Was not the episode with ths 1 editors . miscue Your Highness, and win 1t not tend to weaken you with I the hill billies? They may think yoL I are only human, after all.
 Governor--There. thou sticlest . dagger in me. had, as you know, exer.
 cised the right to criticize when and where and whom pleased. I have [ | playful habit of shaking my finger fl | the faces of people and telling then | what their duty Is. 1t was the ars time my bun was ever called and t l think 1t should have been done by . lo ] lot Of quill drivers. was astounded 1 and for the moment dumbfoundsd 1 Fort--I notice that the Senator iron | Mobile arose in his place and said tlI | introduction of the resolutions, some o
 which were complimentary, was an in
 suit to you.
 5overnor-Yes, I know he said so | but do you know Fort that I am no l SO certain that he is better judg, | of the preprieties than Mir. Greer ans | some of the others who were there ant | who seemed to think I had received | onlv what deserved, being a gues 1 and insulting my host, besides, Fort 1 what some people don't know abou
 propriety would fill two large volumes
 what say the rabble, the vulgar herr ahout my acting on that occasion es
 uecially in the scene when I used tn
 memorable words, "Senatori I tbanl
 YOU. thank you. I thank 'yous' whicl
 will live when Caesars veni. vid 1 xleI are forgotten.