Morris tribune., 1914-09-11
By o. HENRY
Copyright by DOableday. Page q Co.

suffered. Bright, new, imposing, capa-
cious, untouched, they stood. But.
shades of Jefferson Brick-the tile
floor, the beautiful tile floor!
Here first saw Major (by misplaced
courtesyl Wentworth Caswell. knew
him for a type the moment my eyes
suffered from the sight Of him. A rat
has no geographical habitat. My old
friend A. Tennyson said. as he so well
said almost everything:
Prophet, curse me the blabbing lip
And curse me the British vermin, the rat.
Let us regard the word British" as
interchangeable ad lib. A rat is a rat.
This man was hunting about the
hotel lobby like starved dog that had
forgotten where he had buried bone
He had a face of great acreage, red,
pulpy and with kind Of sleepy mas
siveness like that of Buddha. He pos
sessed one single virtue-he was very
smoothly shaven. The mark Of the
beast is not indelible upon man until
he goes about with stubble. | think
that if he had not used his razor that
day ! would have repulsed his ad-
vances, and the criminal calendar Of
the world would have been spared the
addition of one murder
happened to be standing within five
feet Of a cuspidOr when Major Caswell
opened fire upon it. had been Observ-
ant enough to perceive that the attack
ing force was using Gatlings instead Of
squirrel rifles, SO l sidestepped so
promptly that the major seized the Op-
portunity to apologize to a noncom-
batant. He had the blabbing lip. In
four minutes he had become my friend
and had dragged me to the bar.
| desire to interpolate here that am
a southerner But am not one by pro-
fession or trade eschew the string
tie, the slouch hat, the Prince Albert.
the number OF bales of cotton destroy
ed by Sherman and plug chewing
When the orchestra plays Dixie do
not cheer.
Major Caswell banged the bar with
his fist and the first gun at Fort Sum-
ter re-echOed When he fired the last
one at Appomattox l began to hope.
But then he bega0 on family trees and
demonstrated that Adam was only a
third cousin of a collateral branch Of
/ the CasweIl family. GenealOgy dis
posed Of he took up to my distaste his
private family matters. He spoke of
his wife. traced her descent back to
Eve and prOfanely denied any possible
rumor that she may have had relations
in the land of Nod.
By this time began to suspect that
be was trying to obscure by noise the
fact that be had ordered the drinks on
the chance that | would be bewildered
into paying for them But when they
were down he crashed IA silver dollar
upon the bar. Then. of course, an
other serving was obligatory. And
when l had paid for that took leave
of him brusquely, for l wanted no
more of him. But before had OBJ
tanned my release he had prated loud
ly of an income that his wife received
and showed handful of silver money.
When | got my key ut the desk the
clerk said to me cOurteOuSly: "lf that
man Caswell has annoyed you and if
you would like to make a complaint we
will have him elected. He is nuis-
ance. lOafer and without any known
means Of support. although he seems
to have money most Of the time. But
we don't seem To be able to hit upon
any means OF throwing him out legal
ly."
"Why,. no." said l. after some reflec-
ton. Il don't see my way clear to
making a complaint But | would like
to place myself on record as asserting
that | do not care for his company
Your town." | continued. seems to be
quiet one. What manner Of enter
tainment. adventure or excitement
have you to offer to the stranger with
: ia your gates?"
We'll. SIR" said the clerk, there
: will be show here next Thursday
1t is-I'li look it up and have the an
nouncement sent up to your room witt
the ice water. Good night"
After went up to my room loOket
: out of the window Ii was only abou
; 10 O'Clock. but | looked Upon Il siIen
, town The driZz;e continued. spanglet
A with dim lights. rs far apart as cur
rants in cake sold ut the Ladies' ex
4 change.
p Nashville occupies foremost plac
q among the manufacturing centers of, tn
- country. 1t is the fifth boot and sho
. market in the United States. the larges
( candy and cracker manufacturing city /
L the south and does an enormous whole
It sale dry goods. grocery and drug business
| must Nell you how l came to be i
r Nashville. and assure yon the digres
e sion brings as much tedinm Il, ME as
# does to you. | waS travelling else
} where on my own business. but hi
q commission from a northern Iiterar
: '''' sazI:'s' '.'9 over t',"rc and Il.