Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-04-07
Colonel
TODHI)NTER;
Of Missouri
b RIPLEY D. SAUNDERS
Copyright. lsll, By the Bookseller
rill Company.

z Copyright. ls1l, By the Bobbs.Mer- :
8 rill Company.
ssssssssssesssseessssssses
Colonel Strickland wiped the tears
from his eyes.
You're all wrong, Thurs-honest,
you areP' he protested. There amt q
line In that story that don't speak good
OF you, and what you say there is as
sound % dollar. It's you talking. to
the life, old fellow, and you're talking
Tor me, and every word you say helps
% more than column Of ordinary
newspaper stuff. I wouldn't take ST.
600 for It, right noww
It'd sell it for blamed sight less'n
that, snh!' holly replied Colonel Tod
huntsr. "And didn't warn you
didn't tell you beforehand that they'd
shoFsiy size mo up a 4 country jake
from the very bsginnin' and that I'd
bungas you all up here in st. Louis,
suh1 Didn't say that a. sure a.
came to these here city headquarters
o. ycur'n I'd play the very old blue
hlazss and Sam Hill fore got through,
subj Yes. suh-and I'm a-headin'
straight back for Nineveh this very
day, suh!'
mo. you ain't-not by a jugfulv' re-
torted Colonel Strickland, manfully
striving to straighten his face into
gravity. mo, sir. You'll speak at the
coliseum this very night, just as we've
planned. Thurs. and I'll tell you an
other thing: You'll speak to the big
sest and most enthusiastic audiences
the coliseum ever held, or else don't
know the signs Of a mans popularity
when l see 'em, sir!'
Colonel Bill Strickland prophesied
truly. The coliseum was packed to the
doors.
Great Scott and Maria, subj" said
Colonel Todhunter, describing the scene
TO Dick Canrr1il upon mis- return hone,
you couldn't ha' wedged knife blade
in between any two men in that there
crowd, sub. And the way they cheered
and hollered when was introduced by
the chairman Of the meetin', sub.
Blamed II you wouldn't ha' thought l
was the original roarin' ring tailed
guyasticutus Of Calaveras county, sub,
and the only one in captivity, sub.
never saw grown men behave that way
and It made No hotter'n blazes. But 1
kept my shirt on. sub, sayin' to myself
that was there 10 help old Bill Suick-
land all knew how. So 1 just took 1t
cut Il ts!k!n' to 'em like a Dutch
uncle, sub, givin' 'em the straight Dem
ocratic doctrine and tellin' 'em they
needed II blamed bad, too, sub. And
laid the law down to 'em, sub. that 1t
want me, but old Bill Strickland, they
ought to be a-hollerin' for by rights, If
they was the good Democrats they per-
tended to be. sub. Yes, sub. and then
they holIered louder'n ever. But let
me tell you one thing, Dick Cantrill,
I'll be shot full o. holes II didn't have
'em every one up on their hind legs
a-whoopin' themselves black in the face
for old Bill Strickland fore I got
through With 'em, sub. tell you, Dick,
that there Satan straddled newspaper
done its durndest to ruin me, but got
even With It right then and there, suh?'
"Bully for you, colonel" vociferated
Dick Cantri1. his humorous lips trem-
ulous With mirth. I'D gladly give the
last dollar had in the world II
could have been there and heard your
But the coIonel's face fell "Dick," he
said, would You believe it? Them there
Internal cartoonists came back at me
the next day worse'n ever, sub. They'd
been there at that meetin' and got me
In action. I'll be eternalIy condemned
II ever saw such pictures Of Twin
human bein' as they drew Of me then,
sub. It;was a sin and a shame. What's
. man eoin' to do these days, Dick
Cantrill7 I tell you, sub. the present
frivolity Of the American press is ut
terly. destroyin' the dignity Of public
life. suhy'
at is, .colonel-it Isl" agreed the edi-
tor Of the Nineveh Weekly Blade con-
tritely. And it is to Dick Cantrill's
everlasting credit that he held himself
in until Colonel Todhunter had stalked
away. Then he laughed as he had not
laughed in many day.
God bless him" he said to himself
chckin9ly. 'tHe and his speeches have
xained ave thousand votes for Colonel
strickland in st. Louis just as sure as
tie sun rises and sets! And they're
worth It, too"