The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1912-10-03
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1. Ambition

SINNERS grocery, with his feet on the
head Of q barrel and his head noddins
with drowsiness. Colonel Harper, who
had come into town and left his mule
hitched in front of the p~ostofics. came
along on his way to the drug store
and halted to say:
THAT yo'. Abe! I declar' to good
ness but I didn't know yo' at first
sight. Powerful hot day in town."
BLESS me. kurnel, bless mel" ex
claimed Abe in reply, as he slowly
lowered his legs to give the colonel
the benefit Of the barrel. II was jest
a-thtnkin about 20, kurnel-jest q,
thinkin' and a-pondering. How's cor
a-gettins on this weather."
Ought to be a little mo- rain, msh
be. but con isn't looking tall bad"
"And nevis hold their own. I reck
on to %consider?"
"Jest about hold their own, Abe:
Jest about"
That's good, kurnel. II I can't hold
my W I'm still glad to sec other
folks do IT,. Things are looking up q
bit for me. however. These yers
Pike county scandalizefs seem to have
got tired Of throwing me down and
jumping on my head. and mebbe I'll
get q chance to draw a long breath.
Dawg.gone folks who amt willing for
other folks to get along!"
"Scandalize amt right" said the
colonel as he moved his hat to mop
his forehead.
"of co'se 1t amt; of co'se not. Can't
mako a man better by scandalixing
him-can't possibly do it. Cant put
ambition into q mans soul by throw.
ing him down every week or two. He's
got to be encouraged II yo' want him
to do his best. Have, l been encour.
aged In this town, kurnel? Has Pike
county ever extended her hand to help
mo climb up?"
Reckon not, Abe"
mo. sub: no. sub, 'cept by one soil.
tary human being. whose name 10 Kur.
mel Harper. You run to con and
nevis, and yo' work 20 men on yor
plantation the year round, but that
don't prevent you from seeing and
realizing all sorts OF. situations. First.
". ]. went into the late wah AZ = pri.
vate. soldier. I came out the same
thing. Drat their pesky hides. but
they were making captains and ma
jahs and kurnels, while I was pouring
out my blood for love Of country-that
IL, I was willing to pour. which 10
the same thing, I take It."
"'Bout the same, Abe" paternally
replied the colonel, except that the
bullets don't hit yo'."
when the wah ended I run for Of.
nee, same as all the rest. They owed
mo an ONCE for having laid down my
life for my country. but what wal my
reward? Kurnel HARPER I reckon 20
can remember thst I was knocked out
-h'isted 20 feet high-snowed under
till 70 couldn't see the top Of my hat.
That's the way Pike county encour.
aged me to grab hold with both hands
and climb to the top!"
"Yes,, I remember about that"
unused the colonel. ~ he watched .
dog rolling over and over in the dusty
street.
"ThenRI turned to law" continued
Abe as he hitched the chair over to
get 4 brace for his feet on 4 post OF
the veranda. "Kurnel Harper, nobody
on the face of this big earth will ever
know how I pinched and saved and
starved and worked to get that law
business down to q nne point. DID
anybody encourage me? Not = crittsr.
Not a pesky varmint had q kind word
for me. II I'd known 20 during them
struggling times yo'd have been the
mar to open yo'r wallet and hand me
out $50 or 10. and tell mo to pay 1t
back in my good time. Yes, that
would have been 20. kurnel."
Eyes. mebbe." doubtfully replied the
colonel.
wall. I got to be = lawyer. Then
what? I wanted practice. finally
got 3 case and went into court with
It. but the pesky Jury was lying in AM
bush to throw me down. Yes, sub
had the purtisst, incest, cleanest ease
70 ever hoard tell Of. and that jury
was bound by law and evidence to
bring in q verdict for me. but I got the
cold hop instead. They brought my
client in guilty Of stealing q haws
when he was 30 miles away ct the
time. at the bedside Of bic dying
mother. Do 20 call that encouraging
. young man, kurnel! Was that CIV.
Ing me = show to climb up?
. Cant skassly call It that. Abe, but
II I remember right. they found frssA
pork In yo'r clients house."
They found meat there, Of oo'ss,
but was 1t the meat Of that ysrs hawg
or some other? They never stopped
70 consider, kurnsl-1sst thEowsd the
verdict agin me in order to crush me
out. Same way in the second casa
and the third and 10th. No matter
how many witnesses I had or how
plain l made my case. NO Pike county
Jury would md for me. How many
times have 20: to mop . young man.
kurnsl Harper. to kill OF his amba.
non and take tho night out Of hinr'
Bout TO- times. I reckon"
"Jsst about 10 times, kurnsl. After
that 10th nop I realised that PIE
county Wal asin me ~ . lawyer, and
went into politics. There I was
Topped agin."
But yo' won't have to 70 to work.
Will yoS Aha ~ 0uArfAA TIA aoynn.I