The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-03-17
! Colonel
TODHUNTER
of Missouri
by RIPLEY D. SAUNDERS
Copyright. 1911. BY the BObbs-MerriN
Company
(Continued.)


at Lott1e-May and her companions as
he brought his horse to halt.
Where in the world have you been
TIL this hour of the night, Lottte-MayP'
he asked ct was on my way to town
after you What have you been dom,
grip
Ioftie- May stood sha mefaced. "Why,
granddaddy,'' she replied nervousIy, 81
just stayed to the political meetfn',
that's all There was to be brass
band there and speaKin' and all that,
and L just couldn't come away till it
was over!'
ON the girls face for moment Then
he turned and looked searchfngfy first
at STAN Tucker and then at Tom
Strickland Tom felt a sudden and
overwhelming sense of shame and self
reproach and pity for the good old man
whose dread, harFied eyes were SO SON.
berIy bent on him.
There was a moment of silence.
well. seem all there was to gee," old
Rafe Doggett resumed then. what did
you do after that, girl? How comes it
that you're here on the road with Siam
Tucker, facfH' Tom Strickland like
there'd been a quarrel7 Tell me the
TRUTH
Lottie-May Doggett flashed a quick
appeal OF her eyes at Tom Strickland.
It was plainly q mute and Desperate
ontreaty for his forbearance with what
ever she was about to say.
Then. ~Why. granddaddy," she made
answer, ''Stam offered to escort mo
home, and we met Tom on the way,
and wa just all three stopped to talk
for q minute-that's all Quarrel1a'2
STAN and TEN wasn't thinkin' of such
a thing; that's the truth 1 cross my
heart, please, STRIP
The girls voice trembled with fear
Of her grim old grandfather, to whom
her mothers memory remained but as
meaning a lifelong disgrace and hunnil-
Eation. The old man seemed not en-
tirely satisfied with her explanation.
He sat silent, still studying the group
confronting him Then he sighed
well, Lottis- May he spoke at last,
'-since STAN wants to escort you home
he can still do 1t, reckon But you
both better come along with nae in the
wagon There amt no sense In your
vFaIkin' now"
Lottie-May's frightened eyes were
pleading with STAN and Tom to abide
by her story ana comply with 1asr
grandfather's wisheS
"AH right, Mr. Doggett,'' spoke STAN
finally. 'I'n be specially glad for Lot
tie-May to ride L reckon she's pretty
tired by now, SO I'll just see her home
that way, along with you-''
Tom Strickland stood silent as Lot
tfe-May was lifted into the wagon by
STAN Tucker, who mounted to the seat
beside her. Old Rafe Doggett clucked
TO his horse.
Good night, TomP' cried the girl.
7 10 Sza
Tom Good night, Mr.. Doggettr'
The next moment they were gone.
And Tom Strickland, shamed to the
soul at thought OF what he had seen in
old RATE Doggett's worn and wasted
face, made his own way homeward-
The Hon. William J. Strickland and
Colonel Todhunter were parting COM
pany for a few days after a final con-
ference concerning preliminary cam
paign plans
"FH have to get back to St Louis
and see how things are starting of at
my headquarters there" said Colonel
Strickland Then it'u be necessary to
take a run across the state and estab
Iish headquarters in Kansas City, right
under Steve Yancey's nose. III want
you to make a few speeches for me in
st. Louis about next week, Thurs, old
fellow. And don't forget-Pm going
TO hold you 70 your promise to stump
the state for me-"
at amt forgettin'," responded Colo
mel Todhunter 'I'm cooked and primed
for a campaign that'li bring every old
time Democrat in Dfizzoorah out o. the
brush and set 'em to whoopin' things
up for you to beat the band, sub. The
80
that talks in this here state yet-not by
a jugful-and I'm a-goin' to prove it,
BILL
ITS what we've got to beat, though
commented the candidate. Things
amt like they used to be in Missouri
politics, my friend"
That's why we got so many o. them
professional politicians and so few real
statesmen nowadays" replied the 9th
err But, all the same, the people of
Mizzoorah's honest, if the politicians
amt, and this here new primary laws
a-goin' to give 'em their best chance to
name their own choice for governor,
subj
TT will. if there's no crooked work
ut the polls" said Colonel Strickland
~I'm afraid of the cities for that rea-
son.
Colonel Todhunter nodded his head
emphatically. 'T'n just be Jig whitfield
u all the corruption in American poll
tics don't seem to come from the big
towns, sub. 1t looks like it's plumb
natural for cities to be sinful. It's been
that way ever since Sodom and Co
morrah, subj Do you reckon the Old
AGarster up above couldn't ha' found
zen honest men among the shepherds
watchin' their fiocks and the husband
men tillin' their fields in the country !:
He couldn't ha' missed findin' 'em
Iess'n he'd struck bunch of 'em like
Did Eph Tucker here in Nineveh, suh!''
Then. after reflective pause: THE