The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-03-27
By O. HENRY

suffered. Bright. new. imposing, capa
cious. untouched. they stood. But
shades Of Jefferson Brick-the tile
floor. the beautiful tile floor.
Here L first saw Major (by misplaced
courtesy Wentworth Caswell. ! knew
him for a type the moment my eyes
suffered from the sight of him. A ra,
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 a starved dog that haC
forgotten where he had buried bone.
He had a face of great acreage. red,
pulpy and with Il kind of sleepy mas
siveness like that of Ruddha. He pos
sessed one single virtue-he was very
smoothly shaven. The mark of the
beast Is not indelible upon Il man until
he goes about with a stubbe. think
that If he had not used his razor that
day I 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 sidestepped so
promptly that the major seized the OPP
portunity to apologize to noncom-
Blatant. 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
a southerner. But 1 am not one by pro-
fession or trade. I 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 l do
not cheer.
Major Caswell banged the bar with
his fist and the first gun at Fo-t Sum
ter re-echoed. When he fired the last
one at AppomattoX ! began to hope.
But then be began on family trees and
demonstrated that Adam was only n
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 that l would be bewildered
into paying for them. But when they
were down be crashed silver dollar
upon the bar. Then. of course. an
other serving was obligatory. And
when l had paid for that took leave
of him brusqueiy. for ] 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 a handful Of silver money.
When l 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 a complaint we
will have him elected. He ia n 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 seem to be able TO hit upon
any means of throwing him out IegRl-
ly."
why. no." said 1. after some reGec-
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
a quiet one. What manner of enter
tainment. adventure. or excitement
have you to offer TO the stranger with
in your gates:'
Well. sir said the clerk. there
will be show here next Thursday
1t is-Tll look it up and hive the an
nouncelnent sent MP to your ruom with
the ice winter. Good night
After went up to my room l looked
out of the window. 1t was only about
10 O'Clock. but looked upon Il silent
town The driZzie continued. Spangled
with dim lights. as far apart as cur
rants in Il cake sold at the Ladies' ex-
change.
Nashville occupies foremost place
among the manufacturing centers of the
country. 1t is the fifth boot and shoe
market in the United States the largest
candy and cracker manufacturing city in
the south and does an enormous whole
sale dry goods. grocery and drug business
must tell you how | came to be In
Nashville. and | assure you the digres-
sion brings MS much tedium TO me as Ii
dogs to you. | was travelling else
where on my own business. but had
n commission from a northern literary
magazine to stop over there and estab-