The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-07-08
A MAN WITH AMBITIONS.
nv M Ouad1


of a barrel and his head nodding with
drowsiness. Colonel Harper, who had
come into town and left his mule
hitched in front of the postoff1ce, came
along on his way to the drug store and
halted to say:
but I didn't know yo' at first sight.
Powerful hot day in town"
BLESS me, kurneI. bless mer' ex-
claimed Abe in reply, as he slowly
lowered his legs to give the colonel the
benefit of the barrel. 81 was jest a.
thinkin' and a-pondering. How's CON
a-getting on this weather."
Ought to be little mo- rain, mebbe,
but CON isn't looking tall bad
"And nevis hold their own, reckon
to consider?''
Jest about hold their own, Abe; lest
about
That's good, kurneI. If I can't hold
my own I'm still glad to see other folks
do 1t. Things are looking up a bit for
me, however These yere Pike county
scandalizerS seem to have got tired of
throwing me down and jumping on my
head, and nlebbe I'll get a chance to
draw a long breath. Dawg-gone folks
who amt willing for other folks to get
alongI"
"scandalize amt right" said the col
onel as he moved his hat to mop his
forehead"
of co'se it amt; of co'se not. Can't
make man better by scandalizing him
can't possibly do it. Can't put a am
Ditlon into a mans soul by throwing
MN down every week or two. He's got
to be encouraged if yo' want him to do
MS pest. Have L been encouraged in
this town, kurneI? Has Pike coun-v
ever extended her hand to help me
climb up?''
Reckon not, Abe"
tary human being, whose name IS
hurnel Harper. You run to con and
nevis, and yo' work % rner on yo'r
plantation the year round, but that
oon prevent yo' from seeing and
reanz1ng all sorts of situations Firstly,
went INTO the late wah as a private
soldier: came out the same thing.
Drat their pesky hides, but they were
making captains and majahs and kr1r-
nels, while l was pouring out my blood
icr love OF country-that is, L was will
ing to pour, which is the same thing, I
take it,
Bout the same. Abe" paternally
replied the colonel, "except that the
bullets don't hit yo''
&C. When the wah ended I run for
ONCE same as all the rest They owed
me an office for having laid down INV
NE Tor my country, but what was my
reward? Kurnel Harper. I reckon vo'
can remember that L was knocked out
-,1I isted 20 feet nigh-snowed under
III I'll 70 couldn't see the top of my hat
Ihat,s the way Pike county encourage
ed me to grab hold with both hands
and climb to the topl"
Yes, l remember about that"
unused the colonel, as he watched
street. "O'''
Then I turned to law" continued
ape as he hitched the chair over to
get brace for his feet on a post of the
Veranda- ''Kurne1 Harper nobody on
the face of this big earth will ever
know how I pinched ard saved and
starved and worked to get that law
business down to a fine point. Did
anybody encourage me? Not a critter.
Not pesky varmint ha6 a kind word
Tor me. If I'd known yo' during them
man to open yo'r wallet and hand me
OUT $50 or so, and tell me to paw it
pack IN my own good time. Yes, that
would have been 70, kurnel."
the colonel.
wall, 1 got to be a lawyer. Then
WhatE L wanted practice. I finally
got case and went into court with
II, put the pesky jury was lying in am
push to throw me down Yes. sub
mad the purtiest. incest, cleanest case
yo' ever heard tell of, and that iury
was bound by law and evidence to
o ooiits ina IN verdict for me, but got the
colo Hop instead. They brought my
client in guilty of stealing a hawg
when he was 80 miles awav at the
tinle' al the bedside of his dying moth |
er. DO yo' call that encouraging a |
me show to climb up?''
cant skassly call it that Abe. but |
II remember right, they found fresh |
pork In yo'r clients house"
Ihey found meat there Of co'se
out was it the meat of that we're hawg
or some other? They never STONED
20 consider. kurnel-jest throwed the |
vefo1ct ag1n me in order to crush me |
out. Same way in the second case. and |
the third and 10th. No matter how
many witnesses 1 had or how plain |
Lhdde my case, no Pike county Jury
YOU'D md for me. How many times
nave yo' to f1op a young man, Kurnel !
Harper, to kill off his ambition and |
take the fight out of him ~
Bout To- times, reckon"
that 10th flop I realized that pike conn
~ was agin me as a lawyer, and I went |
mo too Po4 nj There was Topped agin. |
many times did lecture? Jest once. krr.
mel. Then came the flop. 1t has been
Hop, flop, flop right along, no matter what
We turned to, and how much longer do |
yo' think can stand it?''
But yo' won't have to go to work will
20. AbeT queried the colonel, with a
nnge OF sarcasm in his voice.
Never in this world, kurnel; never in
ms world. That's what Pike county
wants to drive me into, but she shall
never succeed. I've got IDEAS suh-ideas.
I've got a scheme for putting mo- water /
n whisky, and thus doubling production.
We invented bar'l with fo' bungholes |
instead of two. I've got a horshoe with
spring to it to help start the horse off
We got scheme to do away with all
1oorknobs and save $50, 900 900 a year. I've
got a scheme to make all forks with two
tines only, and thus save every household
20 year. I've got fo'ty different good |
-hlngs to work on, Kurnel Harper, and
I'm telling yo' I'll yet see the day I can
BUY and sell this crowd that's trying to
keep me down. I'll do 1t, for shore, kur-
1el: do it for Shore
II reckon yo' will, Abe-leastwise, I
never saw yo so stirred up befo'. What
yo got in yo'r throat to make yo' gasp
and gurgle that way?''
Cant yo' understand, kurnel?''
Not skassly. Haven't swallowed one of |