Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1913-04-04

bOEEttt ioNes ioHa
Stamford Tucker pays attention to Mary.
He and Tom are rivals. They clash at the
Todhunters'.
CHAPTER III.
~For Governor. William J. Strickland
of Nineveh.'
~OLON MEL TODHU NTER'S
heart sweled with an unselfish
pridefulness.
The favorite old Mississippi
steamer Gray Eagle. now in fun view
from where ha stood at the Nineveh
landing. was bringing homeward the
Hon. William ]. Strickland Of Nineveh.
at last an avowed candidate for the
Democratic nomination for governor of
Missouri.
Colonel Todhunter himself had or
ganized the public reception at this
very moment awaiting the most distin-
guished of Nineveh's citizens. I'll be
shot full o. holes. subj he said to Dick
Cantrii. editor and proprietor of the
Nineveh Weekly Blade. "if we don't
show the people of this here state what
old Bill Strickland's home folks think
of him. anyway. TIL amt nothin' more
helpful to a candidate than provin'
that them as knows the most about
him has the least against him, subj"
'What about Squire fuckers opposi-
tion. colonel" asked Dick Cantrill.
That's better'n his Endorsement,
suhr' retorted Colonel Todhunter.
"Long as I've known Bill Strickland
II / knew old Eph Tucker was sup
portin' him I'd be against him or sus.
picion. sub, blamed If wouldn'tw
Knowing the speaker better than he
knew himself. Dick Cantrill laughed.
Colonel Todhunter and Colonel Strick-
land were friends from boyhood.
Friendship was something In the ma
ture Of a religion with Colonel Tod
hunter. In his simple creed he did not
simply like" his friends. He loved
them with trustful steadfastness that
knew no limitations Of loyalty or Of
potential sacrifice.
"Barrin' his wife and children. subj"
Colonel Todhunter was wont to say,
- mans friends IL all that's worth
while in this here world Of our'n. And
his old friends, them that was young
with him when he was maxim as many
different kinds Of fool Of himself as
the law allows-well, sub. tn amt no
price can be set on 'em, neither gold
nor rubles nor jasper nor frankincense
and myrrh. as the good book says, suh!'
Colonel Todhunter had been vastly
impatient for the return of the Hon.
William ]. Strickland. When the
Gray Eagle rounded the bend in the
river two miles below Nineveh and
walked the Missouri echoes with the
mellow tunefulness Of her famous bari
tone whistle the colonel's face became
splendidly illumined.
There he comes. folksw he cried.
There comes old Bill Strickland, the
man we're a-goin' to nominate and
elect governor of Mizzoorah! All
ready, now? Flip. hip. hoorayw
A mighty cheer rose from the crowd
assembled on the Nineveh wharf boat
and sm0te afar the ears of Colonel
Bill Strickland where he stood beside
Captain Beverly Leigh on the Gray
Eagles upper deck. The candidates
eyes twinkled us they met those Of the
weatherbeaten riverman.
That's old Thurs T. Todhunter's do
ing, Bev," he spoke. "I'll bet he's got
nigh about all the male population OF
Nineveh rallyin' around him at that
landing. The old rascalr'
Once more the cheering from Nine
web threats rose as the Gray Eagle
neared the landing, and the Hon. VIII
liam ]. Strickland waved his hand to
ward the waiting multitude. 1t in
creased in volume as he made his way
downward until he stood pictorially
framed in at the farther end of the
lowered gangplank. 1t was a grea
moment for Nineyeh.
Already the Nineveh brass band was
playing Hail to the Chief!' with ire
mendous fervor. The gorgeously uni
formed Nineveh Light infantry stood
in company front at parade rest be
hind the band. All Nineveh. it seem
ed, was assembled back of them or
the wharf boat and along the imme
date river front The ardent gather
ing split the air with shouts Of higf
acclaim as the well known figure OF
Colonel Bill Strickland crossed the
steamers gangplank. The next mo
ment Colonel Thurs T. Todhunter, ad
vancing, was seen to grasp his hand.
Each man accomplished splendid
cavalier sweep of his wide brimmet
soft hat. Then they stood facing eacf
other in a fine attitude of cordial dig
nifty. They We're prime types of two
of the four strains of pioneer BLOOD
that are blended in the Missouri type
itself Colonel Todhunter coming OF
Kentucky stock and Colonel Strick
land of Tennessee Virginia and New
England We're the other contributor.
to the blend. The three southern
states named are responsible for tbs
emotional endowment that has made
Missouri ''spelIbinders'' long famous
on the stump. The eastern states have