The Detroit times., 1911-12-05
- COLONEL -
~ TODHUNTER ~
@<MSSOLz1 N""|
B1Rlnn D. SAUNDERS
c.vyrxht Bobs Merrill Company
10EMSSOLR
CHAPTER I.
BY PIntY DSAUNDtR5.
Copyright. ISTI. The Bobbs- Merrill Company

COLONEL IOonuUter campaigns HhS"o
the confederate Daughters.
Colonel Thurston T. Todhunter was
Incidentally the distinct embodiment
1f that picturesque native American
/vDe. the Kentuckian born and MIS-
.ourian bred, as he entered old Judge
Holilne's law Office in Nineveh and
. .alufed It's white-haired occupant
Min a cordially impressive wave OF
I Inc hand In friendly greeting.
Il II Was the morning of the day pre-
<.eding the return from st. Louis OF
| Ihe Hoaorable William J. Strickland,
law mariner OF Judge Boiling and now
al avowed candidate for the Demo
<rafic primary nomination for gov
<rnor OF Missouri and Colonel Tod
hunters buoyantly aggressive bear
md was due TO his delight that his
lifelong friend had at last yielded TO
.nonnIar pressure and made open an
nonncement OF his candidacy Inc
/ecept of political battle in the Strick-
land cause was hot In the Colonel
'noslrils and he shifted its SAVIOR with
militant Joy.
Tall and erect, Colonel Todhunter
/carfied his spare but stalwart frame
|xifh an ease that somewhat belied
Inc arizzIed gray of his hair and the
white OF his soldierly mustache and
|6ld.fashioned imperial" One conld
Inot easily have failed 10 recognize
him for lust what he was--a lineai
<dckcendant OF that colonial Nirginian
|>,ock whose grandsons followed The
Fl ojoneer trail that led from the Ola
Fl I,ominion. first TO North Carolina,
. |then 10 Kentucky and Tennessee, and
fheuce TO Missouri; a stock that has
H Remained distinctively American
riuce the time OF it's first taking root
in american soil
TINE 70 this tyne, the colonels
s <Iress in itself proclaimed his caste.
n vas that of the well-born rural
e ,narican OF long.estabIished landed
oofate n trifle Quaint and out OF date,
,et ~ = certain unmistakable dignity.
,The wide-brimmed hat of soft gray
( nooi the full-skirted and ample
breasted dark frock-coat, the waist
coaf OF white duck. the wide White
/{1nen collar and carefully knotted
Ilack crayat. the generously shown
and many pleated shirt bosom. the
coinfortabiy cut gray trousers, fall
inr easily oyer low shoes tied with
broad ribands OF black silk, the gold
. headed cane swung leisurely in rhyth-
mic unison with its owners tranquil
progress through life-these seemed
~ much A part of Colonel Todhunter
and the class for which he stood as
f The Colonefs frank and clear-featur-
/ ed countenance itself
Colonel Todhunter laid his cane on
Judge Bolling's ONCE table as he en-
tered and executed his gesture OF
courteous salutation.
well. Judge" he said jubilantly,
1.-THE fights begun, and we've got TO
rally around old Bill Strickland to
fare-you-well sub, I-gad, sub, | amt
n.gain' TO be content with nothin
1ess'n whippin' that-there Stephen *.
Yancey outfit to a frazZle, sun.
Especially in his speech was Col
onel Todhunter's fidelity TO type in
evidence. II was a blend OF the soft
ly-blurred speech OF the fully accred-
tied Southerner, some OF which Is
frankly borrowed from the liquid
vernacular OF the plantation Negro.
IT had a touch of western vigor at
times. and, most curiously distinc-
tive of all, II revealed more than a
few colloquial survivals OF that Sew
enteenth Century England whence
came Colonel Todhunter's first Amer
lean ancestor, Geoffrey Todhunter,
younger brother OF Sir Giles OF kind
Is and humorous Sussex memory.
Old Judge Boiling smiled at the
Colonel's zestful hailing OF the immin-
ent combat. You're right, Colonel
Todhunter," he agreed. And the soon
or we get plump into the middle OF
the fight, the better, sir. IL can't be-
gin too soon to please me-"
Colonel Todhunter nodded. Then
his gray-blue eyes twinkled signi-
ficantly. Judge" he said. ''the Nine
veh Daughters of the Confederacy
are givin' picnic down at Indian
Springs today, and they're goin' to
set a dinner at dollar head for
the benefit OF the Confederate Sol
diers' Home at Higginsville, sub.
reckon all that amt no particular
news to you, but / thought maybe
YOU'D epSsy goin' down there with me,
sub. I'd be tickled TO death to have
( you"
old Judge Boiling scowIed Zero.
+ cfously at the Colonel. Look here,
Thurs, II you think I'm going TO start
in on this fight by working the Daugh.
ters of the Cenfederacy as a political
proposition. you're very badly mistak'
en-. You ought TO be ashamed OF your
self, you old campaign fox"
"who said was proposin' to work
the Daughters?" retorted Colonel Tod
hunter. 'Tm just sayin' that you and
me could have mighty good time
down there at their picnic. tn amt
no law compellin' us TO do any cleo
tioneerin' work among 'em, subj"
Judge Bolling's lips twitched. You
old devil, you! You couldn't any more
keep from campaigning among the
Daughters than a yearling colt car
keep from kicking up its heels in the
pasture. and you know II. You CAM
fool me-"
What ] can't do and what a year
I'm colt can't do are two mighty diff
ferent things. Judge" answered Col
onel Todhunter. But amt connect
ed with old Bill Strickland's cam
paign IN no oficial capacity that In
aware of, and II I see At to turn 8
= trick on my own hook, that's nobody
blame business but mine, sub. Be
sides. maybe fits Nineveh I'm a-work
m for, t'stead OF old Bill Strickland
Maybe Nineveh amt nothin' but ;
one-hoss river, town, sleepy and old
fashioned like some folks say
hut tMizzoorah sent Ninevel
man to the United States senate