Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1909-01-29

tors lCuS mine" gentlemen of the
county present when Sanders entered
and who had no desire to witness fur
Their the unpleasant episode rose to
leave, in spite of the urgent request of
Colonel Langdon that they remain,
The only one reluctant to go was Dea-
con Amos Smallwood, who, coming to
the plantation to seek employment for
his son, had not been denied of his de-
sire to join the a%ssemblage of his
neighbors.
Last to nov toward the door, he
stopped in front of Sanders, stretched
his five feet three inches of stature on
tiptoe and shook a withered fist In the
boss firmly set, determined face.
'Infamousr" shrieked the deacon.
you're a monsterI You're upright
eOus! You should have belonged to the
political machine of Catalina or Pom
thus Platter
"Never heard tell o. Them" muttered
Sanders, deeply puzzled. Guess they
was never in Mississippi in my time"
His accompanying gesture OF per-
plexity caused the deacon to hasten his
exit. Tripping over the leg of a chair,
he fell headlong into the arms of the
watchful jackson, who received the
deacon's blessing for uplifting the
righteous in the hour of their fall"
Relieved at the departure of the wit
nesses, Sanders showed increased ag-
g-ressiveness. ITO be sure, senator,
you were careful not to personally
promise me anything for my support
at the election, as you say" the leader
sneered, "but you had Jim Stevens TO
make promises for you, which was
smooth, absolute an artistic smooth
"Stop, sir" Langdon furiously shout
ed. "You forget, sir, that your insinu
alton is an insult to a man elected sen,
ator from Mississippi, an insult to my
state and to my friend Senator Ste
vens, who l know would make you no
promises for me, for he had not my
authority"
Certainly you're a senator, but
what's a senator anyhow? I'll tell you.
Mr.. Colonel Langdon, a senator is a
man who holds out for his own pocket
as much as us fellows that make him
will stand for. When we don't get our
rightful share, he's through"
With a sudden start, as though to
spring at Sanders throat, Langdon,
with compressed lips and eyes blaz-
ing, grasped the edge of the table
with a grip that threatened to rend
the polished boards. With intensest
effort he slowly regained control of
himself. His fury had actually weak
ened him. His knees shook, and he
sank weakly into a chair. When he
finally spoke his voice was strained
and laborious. Sanders, you and /,
sir, must EVE meet again because |
might not succeed again in keeping my
hands off you. What would my old
comrades of the Third Mississippi say
If they saw me sitting here and you
there with a whole body, sir, after
what you have said? They would not
believe their eyes, thank God, sir.
They would all go over to Stuart City
and buy new eyeglasses, sir" A sus-
picious moisture appeared on the colo
nel's cheeks which he could not dry
too quickly to escape Sanders obserya-
ton.
But I had to let you stay, sir, be-
cause you, the sole accuser, + the
only one who can tell me what 1 must
know"
"What do you want to know? asked
Sanders, who had realized his great
mistake in losing his temper, in talk
ing as openly and as violently as he
had and in dragging the name of Sen
ator Stevens into the controversy. He
must try to keep Stevens from hearing
of this days blunder, for Jim Stevens
knew as well as he, didn't he, that the
man who loses his temper, like the
man who talks too much, is Of no use
in politics.
81 want to know how you formed
your opinion of political matters--of