The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-08

cry he procured pair of artificial limbs
 started out life anew and sought other
 means of making a livelihood. Branching
 out in the mercantile business ne gained
 a footing after years of struggle and by
 judicious investment in real estate has
 secured a competency and an income sui
 ficient for his modest wants.
 Rufe Is of genial disposition. has a
 laugh that is worth going miles to hear
 Is fond of good company and a good joke
 He knows not the taste of intoxicants
 and is sparlng in his use of tobacco. He
 is happiest when entertaining a company
 of friends, and always has some joke to
 tell or story to relate. But with all that
 he never neglects business for pleasure,
 and having made a success of his own af- l fairs, his friends predict he will be equally successful in attending to the business
 of the county
 On one occasion Rufe and party of friends were seated in the lobby of the Hotel Hillman discussing current events
 when they were joined by a man well known for his boasting proclvities also for his pedestrian feats. While in no way intoxicated he had taken on enough joy water to make him talkatlve, and the more he talked the more boastful he got.
 He was a stranger to Rufus, so friend introduced him. For various reasons We
 will call him MT. Walker.
 The conversation drifted to the good roads movement, in which Rufe has al- ways been interested, and immediately he made the statement that Jefferson coun- ty had more good roads than any county in the state. MT. Walker immediately took issue and said that the roads of Jeffer- son county were bad, and offered to bet Rufus s25 that he could take him within six miles of Birmingham and show him road that was almost impossible, to which MT. Bivins replied that he didn't care to get, but that he still stuck to his original statement that the roads of Jeff ferson county were the best in the state.
 You have feathers on your legs" said MT. Walker
 T may have feathers on my legs, but no one can accuse me of having cold feet retorted Rufus.
 Speaking of feet" commented MT.
 Walker, "I have the best pair of feet in the country" as he held up his two pedal extremities that were encased in tan shoes of generous proportions "As you all know, I can outwalk any one in the county, and have always taken especial care of my Trilbys. Napoleon was wrong when he said that an army travelled on its stomach, for anyone knows that it travels on it's feet"
 When MT, Walker showed his feet, Rufe smiled and said, T believe 1 have pair of the hardest feet in the state; in fact my feet are impervious to either heat or cold. l can walk barefooted through ice and snow or stand them in the hottest water for an indefinite period; in fact, while it is against my principle to bet, will wager dinner for the crowd that can hold my feet in a tub of hot water longer than you can"
 MT Walker accepted the challenge with gleeful alacrity, so the party adjourned to
 a room in the hotel and preparations were made to carry out the unusual contest. A bellboy procured two foot baths and filled | them full of water hot enough to boil eggs. Each of the contestants removed his shoes, and without a moments hes itation Rufe plunged his foot in the water and sat back in his chair smoking a cigar as calmly as though his foot was on a footstoo. MT. Walker glanced at the | steaming foot tub with a somewhat doubt l ful glance, then he looked at the 1lacid countenance of Rufus, who gave Jim a | tantalizing smile. Gathering up his .cour-
 age MT. Walker plunged his foot in the | steaming foot tub. The plunge was quick, but he withdrew
 his foot quicker; he gave a yell that | startled the inmates of the hotel and al- most caused the fire alarm to be turned
 on. Good Lord, I'm scalded,'' he cried while he hopped about the room on one l foot, holding the other in his hands Get 1 a doctor quick, I'm ruined,' he. cried; ] that water is hotter than h-lr' A doctor was quickly procured and on | examination 1t was found that the man s foot was not injured beyond a little su- perficial scalding. By this time he was completely sober. You win, said the victim, but l can't understand how you could sit there with your foot in that tub of water; it is hot enough to scald a pig Just then he noticed something pe- | culiar about Rufe's feet he made a fur ther examination, then said, "Well, I'll be -" but words failed him, he hob bled to a chair and sat down. Soon the
 rldieulousness of the situation dawned on him and he joined in the general laugh. Rufe let out a suffaw that could have 1 been heard four blocks, and the party ad- I journed to the dining room and took the
 dinner which Rufe insisted on paying for