The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1910-11-08
Pooh Bah Begins Work.

W AAeeJ $o1A u4IL, lJEGSGuL6u
himself to Hoyt and in rather a surly
manner introduced the subject of the
Intended purchase. He said he sup
posed that Hoyt thought he was slow
about reporting and perhaps he was,
but as he was not paid for doing this
work he did not know why he should
be in hurry. He had plenty of pri-
Vate matters which took his time.
Besides, he thought that the amount
fixed by Hoyt was a very handsome
price and more than the lot was worth
After few more remarks about the
heavy burden of public work which
he was doing for which he was get
ting no pay, to which Hoyt made no
reply, Pooh Bah withdrew, and Hoyt
saw him no more. A day or two
after that, just as Hoyt was leaving
his store for the railway depot to go
home, he received telephone mes
sage from doctor with whom he was
on friendly terms asking him to come
down to quiet sample room for a talk.
Hoyt is not drinker, but quiet nip
with friend behind colored glass
doors and in front of a magnificent
mirror with a polished resting place
for your elbows when there is no one
to see or hear except an Immediately
clean, white aproned, imperturbable
and gentlemanly barkeeper has its at
fractions for him, and he went. This
physician is himself not tyro in poll
Ind o6a6 F1r f1o
Tornado, as illustrative of his ire
mendous popularity. and in certain
circles his reputation may be said,
ike Puck, to have girdled the globe.
In recommending him to the presi-
dents consideration his letters would
all of them refer to his high reputa-
ton in the community Tornado ex-
planned to Hoyt that a friend had
asked to be introduced to him; that
on inquiry as to what the purpose was
the friend had said that Hoyt wished
to have public committee report ia
vorably the sale of his lot, and the
friend thought that he could assist
Hoyt and secure the report for the
small sum of $3.50 Tornado said that
he declined to bring about the intro
duction for such purpose until he had
seen Hoyt. Hoyt said that he was
not in that kind of business and mani
tested surprise that Tornado should
think he was The only difference be-
tween him and the board was $500,
and he did not feel highly compli-
mented that Tornado should deem
him likely to barter his standing as
an honest citizen for the paltry sum
of $3.50, even if he thought that every
man had his price.
Bride Is offered.
''Why." said Tornado, you need
not lose any standing. You need not
see my friend. I'll be the middleman
myself and handle the money" The
friend, whose interest In Hoyt's sue
cess was SO surprising at first and so
easily explained now, was also prom
inent citizen Of high standing in the
politico business circles-i. e., he was a
gilt edged business man among the
politicians.
He, too, had filed Office without Wis
Ible emolument and was known as the |
bosom friend of Pooh Bah, who, with |
The Tornado, had been for some time
Joint trustees of very important char
table trust.
Hoyt refused Tornado's kind offices
and. much disguised, went to mis-
store to think it over. He concluded
that as he wanted the money for his
and he would simply accept the first
ofer Of the board and give up $500 of
his price. He so wrote to the board,
md the offer was accepted without
again securing Pooh Bah's valuable
services as a negotiator Now, the evi-
fence as to Pooh Bah's honest inten-
ions or otherwise in the negotiation
$ not of such character as to be adj
nissible in court Much of it would
be refused on the ground OF
'es inter altos aeta, but the coinci-
lences are such as would cause ref1ec-
ion in the case of any one who had
lot Pooh Bah's high reputation.
As for Tornado, he committed no overt
ct except that of solicitation, and per-
laps If he were an attorney he might
all what he did only professional
ervices for Hoyt. As to the friend of
Tornado, perhaps he was only like
FRS. Camps Mrs. Harris, although the
OF Tornado and Pooh
sah's having such a common friend
4 the flesh might have an undue
weight against this common friend
nth persons not acquainted with the
eayen made rules Of evidence as adj
mustered in courts of blind justice.
Hoyt and I were considerably shaken
p by this experience of his, and we
Or day or two became pessimistfc
nough to get seat In that street
ar said to contain all the mugwumps
Ohio. But we recovered in a short
ME, coming to the comforting conclu-
lon that probably there might be
EarHing revelations concerning men
high standing in any profession or
usiness and that one instance or a
oxen would not lead us to wholesale
eneralizaki0ns Or condemnations.