The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-04-17
CHAPTER WI.
Colonel 1odhunter Cuts Wide Swath
In Missouri's Metropolis.


man born and bred and of an
| innate ruSticity of soul that
| was an essential part of his
being. contact with the throhDins life
| of big city was SO rare ana Foreign
picturesque unlikeneSs to the urban
that it never failed to emphasize his
| type. He stalked into the busy st
Louis headquarters of the Hon. VIII
! liam J. Strickland Oh the parlor floor OF
the Laclede hotel, the living enbodi
ment Of that political figure dear t.
| the amused metropolitan imagination
| "the delegate from the rural districts.
| 1t was a brave and honest face that
showed itself in Colonel Bill Strick'
| lands private office, but somewhat dis
mayed at thought of an impending
| ordeal.
IN just be eternally whipsawed il
you amt a-tryin' to make Il round peg
fit into square hole Bill he protest
ed earnestly, something like awe OF
his surroundings stamped upon his sun
| burned features. I'm wi!lin' to do
most anything in the world for you,
and YOU know it, But when YOU turn
me loose in Il big town like this and ex-
pect me to behave like anything
more'n 4 wall eyed pillow horse with his
tail full O. cockleburs I'll be everlast-
in'ly condemned if you amt maxim a
mighty serious mistake, subj
"Nousense. Thurs laughed Colonel
Strickland. I'm counting on you for
some st. Louis speeches thatll be
worth their weight in gold, my friend.
We need you here, sir--a man that
talks old fashioned American Democ-
racy straight from the shoulder. City
politicians have forgotten what the
real Democratic doctrine is, Thurs, and
we've got to revive it in the peoples
| hearts if we expect 'em to vote right.
That's why l want you to help me
open my st. Louis campaign. IOuVe
got to do it, Thurs
Colonel Todhunter gaZed ut his friend
pensively. BILL he said. I'm a-goin'
to do it. as YOU well know. I'd strip
the shirt otf'n my back and head II per.
cession wavin' it for a Strickland ban
| ucr if YOU asked me TO. whether |
thought it was the best thing to do I'M
der the circumstances or not. But |
biz! YOU remember, Bill, that l warned
You in time. It'll be your fault II you
have occasion to regret havin' brought
me in from the pasture and stacked
me up against these here bang tailed
city thoroughbreds, subj
I'n take the chances, old fellow,
said the candidate. his eyes twinkling
You Just oblige me now for OM
friendships sake and III be RESPONSE
bic for everything that happens after
ward. amt the least bit afraid
"I'll eat my hat if | don't wish
; could say the same, suh!' calculated
Colonel Todhunter. a vehement panic
in his tone. I'm skeered to the mar
row, sub. because I'm out O my baill-
, wick and Up against proposition that
) | don't know any more about II a hog
knows about holiday, sub. And
you're a-goin' to discover. sub. before
we get through with this piece of fool
ishness that I had mighty good rea'
sons for hein' Skeered too
"Shucks. YOU old warhorsew laughed
Colonel Bill Strickland. "Once you
get into the fight you'll warm up like
a two-year-old and show these ST.
Louis folks what a real Missouri Delll-
ocrat is. You're going to make the
hit of your life, sir!''
Maybe l am and maybe I amt.
Bill Strickland" quoth Colonel Tod
hunter moodily. But all ask at the
finish is that you'll remember 1t
WANT me that made the prediction,
sub I'm natural born optimist,
sub. but that don't necessarily mean
that I'm a natural born jackass at all
times and under all circumstances and
on all subjects, as some folks seem
, to think, subj
| And in this frame of mind Colonel
Todhunter returned into the general
headquarters Offices and was intro
. duced to his Nineveh friends st.
; Louis hackers and campaign staff.
J A quiet young newspaper man who
! happened to he drifting through the
rooms seemed instantly impressed by
Colonel Todhunter's picturesque per-
sonality. He studied the colonel in
| tently, growing appreciation in his
thoughtful and latently humorous
eyes.
After exchanging few words with
this new addition to the Strickland
forces the journalist went into one OF
the private telephone booths at the
end of the reception room and called
ND his paper Then he came back to
Colonel Todhunter, engaging him IN
conversation. A few minutes later a
second man casually appeared and un'
obtrusively stationed himself where he
had good front view of the colonel
| who was being deity led into political
dissertation by his new acquaintance.
Colonel Bill Strickland, passing
through the main room at one moment
saw the two with their heads togeth
or. Something like CLEAN of laugh
4 ter leaped into his eyes. and he nod
I a., ,Ylv,r