Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-05-07
Colonel
TODFiUNTER
of Missouri
BY RIPLEY D. SAUNDERS
COPYRIGHT. 1911. BY ffe BobAs-Merii
COMPANY
CHAPTER vii
COPYRIGHT. 1911. BY the BobAs-Msrii
COMPANY

~
was an essential part OF his
being, contact with the throbbinz life
Of big city WIS so rare and foreign
picturesque unlikeness to the urban
that IL never failed to emphasize his
type. He stalked into the busy st
Louis headquarters OF the Hon. VIII
liam ]. Strickland on the parlor 6oor OF
the Laclede hotel. the living embodi-
meDt of that political figure dear to
the amused metropolitan imagination,
the delegate from the rural districts"
1t was brave and honest face that
showed itself IN Colonel Bill Strick-
lands private office, but somewhat dis
mayed at thought Of an impending
ordeal
I'll Just he eterraIly whipsawed II
you amt a-trrin' to make a round peg
ut into n square hole. Billr' he protest
ed earnestly. something like awe of
his surroundings stamped upon his Sud
burned features I'm willin' to do
most anything In the world for you,
and you know it. But when You turn
me loose IN a big town like this and ex-
pect me to behave like anything
norm a wall eyed prov horse with his
tnil full o. eoekiebOrs I'll be everlast-
in'ly condemned II yOa amt maxim q
mighty serious mistake. subj
Nonsense. Thurs.- laughed Colonel
Strickland Pm counting on you for
some St Louis speeches thatn be
worth their weight In gold. my friend.
We need you here, sir-a man that
talks old fashi0ned American DemOc-
Hacy straight from the shoulder. City
politicians have forgotten what the
real Democratic doctrine is, Thurs, and
we've got 20 revive il in the peoples
hearts IL we expect 'em to vote right
That's why want you TO help me
open my 81. Louis campaign. You've
got 10 do it. Thurs.
Colonel Todhunter gazed at his friend
pensively Pin" he said, I'm a-goin'
20 do #. as 700 well know. I'd strip
the shirt on'n my back and head per
cession waVfn' It for a Strickland ban
ner n yom asked me to, whether |
thought it was the best thing TO do I'M
der the circumstances or not But !
bid you remember, BIN, that j warned
you In time. TIN be your fault II you
have occasion to regret hRvin' brought
me in from the pasture and stacked
me up against these here bang tailed
city thoroughbreds, suhr'
'T1l take the chances, old fellow"
said the candidate, his eyes tw4nkfing.
You Just 6biige me now for old
friendships sake and III be RESPONSE
BILE for everything that happens after
ward. I amt the least bdt afraid"
-IT eat my hat II ! don't wish
could say the same. subj" calculated
Colonel Todhunter. a vehement panic
in his tone I'm skeered to the mar
row, sub. because I'm out o. my baili-
wick and up against a proposition that
/ don't know any more about n a hog
knows about a holiday. sub. And
you're a-goin' % discover, sub, before
we get through with this piece of fool
ishness that had mighty good rea-
sons for bein' skeered too"
"shucEs. you old warbOrsei'' laughed
Colonel Bin Strickland Once you
get into the fight you'n warm up like
two-year-old and show these St
Louis folks what a real Missouri Dem
ocrat Is You're going to make the
hit OF your life. str!"
Maybe ! am and maybe ! STINT
Bill Strickland" quSth ColSnai ToA'
hunter moodhy. But all I ask at tbs
finish II that you'll remember II
want me that made the prediction
sub. I'm natural born oDt4aaist
sub. but that don't necessarily moan
that I'm q natTrrai born 5aci<nss 81 al
tines aud under all circumstances and
on all subjects, As some folks seen
u think. suhr'
Ard IN this frame Of mind OOisne
Todburtsr returned into fhs geneTH
headcnartorE otaces aud was intro
ducsd 20 his HineVeh fneB6s Ct
Louis hackers and campaign star.
guiot youug newspaper man ~hs
happsHed 20 - drifting throrgh fhi
roSms Ssefned instantly jfHpfeAzed b
Coioaci .rodsruatcT's picturesque POT
sonailfy, He STABBED mo colonel 10
tsntiy. q growing appreciation IN hii
tnsusbtfui and latsntiy huHlorsS'
eyeN,
AfseF exchanging . few words ~tt
this new addition 60 ths Stresinne
forces the journalist vent into ops d
the private telephone booths at IN
end ~ the reception room aHd sailed
Up his paper. Tlrsu he eaass bask n
coiSasi TodhuHtsF. sHssgiag him IL
conversations, A few minutes later I
seesaa man casualty appeared and "a
ObtF7isiFsiy stationed himself where b
had = good front view % the e9teHsi
who was being Geftiy led iBto peiitiea
dissertation by has aew acquaintance.
CoisAel Bill Strickland. pssSiBI
tlFsssts the maiH FooTn at one moment
say the two With their heads t0geth
e. Something like = giesB Of laugh
teF ieaPed into his eyes, sRa he nod
dad, aialsst imPeFeePtibiy, an approx
Tag sigasi % GSleael 'FsdhBRter's com
Paaiea. Then, foF aR hsgr o. more
the tvs yese left aRdiseBFbed.
They etstfed Biessa stiF - assay tSP
ics. Tie esisasi tiEsssa ~as isd 4
tsit dissEFsiseiy sR tie RsiiHeai stu
Etids "a Missouri, the sistiRctiFs tyre
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