The Bossier banner., 1910-01-06
:nes Eldon, have YOU gone plum

! :nes Eldon, have you gone plum
crazy! You know l can't afford it,
with my crop all at skies and sevens
and the niggers wantin' the earth in
two week rations''
Its one or the other Of u.s." persist
ed Elslon. You know, squire, we've
only got to post your name, and Jim
ingalls, might as we'll go back to his
crop for all the votes he'll get in this
county, much less the Barraclaw."
The squire jumped to his feet and
took turn up and down the long gal
lery. His round red face grew seri-
GUS as he reflected that Eldon was
speaking the simple truth. After all,
why not help the boy? He was too
young, but he rather liked his "stand
and deliver methods. Then he was
Jim EldOn's sOn-old Jim, who had
| slept under the same blanket, foraged
for chickens and starved with him
during the mad days of 1863, and they
had been shoulder to shoulder IN the
dark years or reconstruction until old
Jim went to his rest in the little grave
yard beside the Barraclaw.
"See here, Barnes Eldon, l want to
know what put this dun foolishness
into your head a-runnin' to represent
this heah county and you not six
months over the age limit?''
1.-TWO years, squire" cheerfully re-
sponded Eldon.
"That amt no answer to nv uueS-
tiOn." And the shrewd gray eyes
bored deep into Barnes Eldon's blue
ones until the red wave went up the
tanned face to lose itself in the roots
Of close cropped dark hair. Make a
clean breast of it. boy. There's some
woman at the bottom of this"
Eldon grinned. II reckon l will
have to make a confidant Of you.
squire. Ever since Jessie Eldridge
and ! went up to that Missouri col
lege together we have been sweet
hearts, but you have heard reckon,
that old man Eldridge is dead set on
making Jessie marry Dick Brantley.
Brantley has the money, and he has a
record, but the money makes anything
go with the old man. Jessie won't
hear to a word of it, and the old man
has been leading her life of it for
the last year. She says If get elect
ed she will marry me right away, dad
dy or no daddy. We want to show old
man Eldridge that Dick Brantley's s
not the only man in this part of the
world that can make living for his
daughter. That's why, squire.'
Thought SO. Well, yessies {, mighty
nice little gal: You've got more
sense'n / give you credit for. Barnes,
and I'll think 1t over. Hal Eldridge
always was ready to sell out for a
flea's hide and taller Been a-huntin'
lately?"
Eldon took the hint mot much
haven't. ingalls, and Robinson AIM
putting In timess on deer and bear
He laughed easily. shifting his SIX
feet of stalwart body over the gallery
railing. dropping to the ground be
meath, "You'd better think fast
squire. My minds Oh politics, and it's
bent on seeing decent man so VI
from the Barraclaw. You don't seen
to favor me, so reckon might as
we'll order the handbills struck. John
sou IL be likely to charge extra on ac
count of having to rush them. W.
haven't any time to lose.'
Now, look heah, Barnes Eldon. In
busy man, with no time for you
blame fOolishncss; sides, want yOt
to understand this heah county ain
no boys football l amt a-gOin' ont
step. and you might as we'll drop tina
fool talk"
Eldon sprang into the saddle. ''Thel
. it'll have to he me. I'm young. bu
I've got a clean record on cows Ant
before the squire could get in a pro
!. test he had disappeared down th'
) south road in cloud Of dust.
"Weu, I'll be- And the squir'
mopped his face energetically. Thel
!. his .eyes began to twinkle, and b
, broke into huge laugh. "1ts sc
and blamed good way to even up o'
! Hal Eldridge for sneakin' my laho
while ! was up there with some NOR
, fools a-tendin' to other folks hus1
ness"
, The crisp fall morning bristled wit
: the keen winds that swept up TN
Barraclaw. centering around Was
Evans store, where the primary wa
held. All the antagonism of the elet
l.. ton was concentrated in the race TO
: the county judgeship. 1t had its bt
ginning in an old feud between tn
, two candidates that had more tha
t once occasioned bloodshed. Neithe
Of them was there, but there wer
plenty of their supporters on tn
ground, and a wave of eXcitemer
: went through the men as a rune
y spread and gained ground that tn
: Judge of the election had been threa
: encd by the opposition-that he woul
I be shot if he attempted to serve.
: The Rarraclaw being the large.
township in the county and therefor
< the most important rallyins pofn
D most of the other candidates wei
present except Ingalls,. who had gor
). home to the ST. Jean. Jack Robinso
8 and his henchmen were lined up Ion
4 before the polls opened. prepared
i give both ingalls, and Eldon sti
e fight. Mcpherson. the threatened judg
!. rode in on the stroke of the clock an
a dismounted amid general hush. 4
4 eyes followed him as he strobe throue
$ the doorway and took his seat. Wi
chester across his lap.
s BY IL O'Clock the crowd had increa
u ed until nearly every voter in Il
;. township had collected around tt
d polls. The squire sidled in and o.