Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1914-07-14

/ happened TO De stanuinS Withih u'e
feet of cuspidor when Major Caswell
opened fire upon 1t. l had been observ-
ant enough to perceive that the attack
Ing force was using Gatlings instead OF
squirrel rifles. 80 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.
I desire to interpolate here that am
southerner. But am not Oneby pro
fession or trade. eschew the string
tie. the SLOUGH 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 Caswcll banged the bar with
his fist and the first gun at Fort Sum-
ter re-echoed. When he fired the last
one at Appomattox ] began to nope:
But then he began on family trees and
demonstrated that Adam was only
third cousin of q collateral branch OF
the Caswell 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
he was trying to obscure BY noise the
fact that he had ordered the drinks on
the chance thar | would be bewildered
into paying for them. But when they
were down he crashed a silver dollar
upon the bar. Then, Of course. an
other serving was obligatory. And
when had paid for that took leave
of him brusquely. for l wanted no
more of him. But before l had OBJ
tained my release he had prated loud
ly of an income that his wife received
and showed Il handful Of silver money.
When ! got my key at the desk the
clerk said to me courteously: "If that
man Caswell has annoyed you and If
you would like to make n complaint we
will have him elected. He Is nuis
ance, a loafer and without any known
means Of support. although he seems
to have money most Of the time. But
we don't srtin to be able to hit upon
any means of throwing him out legal
ly."
"Why, no." said !. after some retiec-
tion. 81 don't see my way clear to
making u complaint. But would like
TO plnce myself OH record as asserting
that | do not care for his company
Your town" I continued. ''seems to be
quiet one. What manner Of enter
talnment. adventure. or excitement
have you to offer to the stranger with
in your gatesY'
"Well. sir" said the clerk. there
will be a show here next Thursday
It is-In look 1t up and have the an
nouncement sent mp to your room with
the ice water Good night"
After | went up to my room looked
out of the window. II was only about
10 o'clock. but I looked upon silent
town. The drizzle continued. spangled
with dim lights. as far apart as cur,
rants in a cake sold at the Ladies' ex-
change.
Nashville occupies a foremost place
among the manufacturing centers OF the
country. 1t Is the fifth boot and shoe
market In the United States. the largest
INDY and cracker manufacturing city 10
| the south and does an enormous whole
sale dry goods. grocery and drug business
I must tell you how / came to be In
Nashville, and assure you the digres
sion brings as much tedium to me as II
does to you. was travelling else
where on my own business. but l had
a commission from northern literary
magazine to stop over there and estab
lish a personal connection between the
publication and one of its contributors.
Azalea Adair.
Adalr there was no clew to the per-
sonality except the handwriting had
sent In some essays dost art9 ana
poems that had made the editors swear
approvingly over their o'clock lunch
con. So they had commissioned me to
round up said Adair and corner BY
contract his or her output at cents a
word before some other publisher or
fered her 10 or &c.
At 8 o'clock the next morning. after
nv chicken livers en- brochette (try
them If you can find that hotel,
strayed out into the drizzle. which was
still on for an unlimited run. At the
first corner | came upon Uncle Caesar
He was stalwart negro. older than
the pyramids, with gray wool and 9
face that reminded me Of Brutus and
n second afterward Of the late Kin2
Cetewaye. He wore the most remark
able coat that ever had seen or ex
pect to see. 1t reached to his ankles
and had once been Confederate gra!
In colors. But rain and sun and ag'
had SO varlegated 1t that Joseph's Goa
beside 1t would have faded to a pal'
monochrome.
Once It must have been the militar!
coat of an officer. The cape Of 1t hat
vanished. but all adown Its front 1t hat
been frogged and tasseled magnificent
w. But now the frogs nnd tassel
were gone. In their stead had beel
patiently stitched u surmised by som
surviving "black mammy) new frog
made of cunnlugly twisted common
hempen Irvine. This twine was fraye'
and disheveled. 1t must have beel
added to the coat as a substitute 10
vanished splendors. with tasteless bu
painstaking devotion. for 1t follOwe'
faithfully the curves Of the long miss
ing frogs And to complete the coined
and pathOs Of the garment all Its but
tons were gone save one. The secon
button from the top alone remained
The coat was fastened by other twin
|, strings tied through the buttonholc
| and other holes rudely pierced In tn
, opposite side. There was never sucn
! weird garment 30 fantastically bedeci
ed and Of so many mottled hues. I'll
, lone button was the size Of half do
. lar, made Of yellow horn and sewed o
with coarse twlne.