, 1917-01-04
By SAMUEL MCCOY

Illustrations BY DeAiton Valentine

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And he dragged he reluctant youth
toward the lights and music.
The gracious lady of the house re-
ceived him at the old mans introduce
ton, with kindly smiles for David's
shyness; but he was acutely i'll at
ease, nevertheless, among the group
of young matrOns who clustered at
Mrs. Bullets side in their silks and
dainty muslins-treasures in the will
derness-and he was glad to escape
to the narrow veranda, where a group
OF older men ~conversed in quiet tones
upon the affairs of the Territory. Da-
vfd stared at their yellow nankeen
trousers.
Harrison, the governor, who had
come from Vincennes to oversee his
spring planting, and had tarried for
the evening, was among the group.
He turned to a young a
Mr.. Blackboard" he said, 81 believe
that you nave the distinction of be-
Ing graduated from the same college
which President Madison attended. 1
myself was a student at Hampden-
Sidney college; but l remember hear
Ing my father once say that, besides
the institution which was the first
born of all American colleges-his
own college of William and Mary
there was but n which II Virginian
might attend without doing violence
to his family traditions: he might, If
he had no soul, go to Harvard, or, If
he had no stomach, go to q nutmeg
institution Mt New Haven; but as a
Virginian and a gentleman he would
go to Princeton"
BlackfOrd laughed. He was a young
lawyer who had just arrived in the
territory, the first of the galaxy of
young men bred in the eastern col
leges who were to achieve distinction
In the new country. His face had at
tracted David Laurence singularly;
there was something in the mans
fine, straightforward look that drew
him like n brother. And here was an
opportunity; he could now crafty
through Blackboard an ambition he had
secretly nOurished for some time. to
study law in the evenings. He was
growing restless with no greater oc-
cupation than measuring silk and cal
icuts over n store counter And the
law would be Il step-One step at
least-tOward Toinette.
Have o ever met the president.
Mr.. Blackboard" Harrison went on.
"Once only, Governor Harrison. 1
shall never forget seeing him at our
commencement exercises last Septem-
Der; he was there with his two class |
mates, Philip Freneau n Judge
breckenridge of Pittsburgh. They
were great cronies while in college,
1 believe. One saw them wandering
under the elmS with their arms
around n a%nother'S shoulders, laugh
Ing at some n"onsensical ballad about
smoking that Mr.. Freneau had writ
ten"
"Freneau Is our greatest poet" said
Harrison. surely his beautiful lines
on The Indian Burying Ground his
exquisite ode to 'The Wild Honey
suckle,' and that matchless dirge for
the dead who fell at Eutaw Springs
will live forever"
And In his deep and esona voice,
his face shrouded in the shadow of
the veranda, he began to recite that
splendid elegy. Fol II while no one
spoke. Each was thinking of the
shadow of war with England that
seemed deepening with the days; of
the closer, more terrible shadow of
the Indian.
Someone began to speak of Presi-
lent Madlson's policy Of diplomatic
correspondence with England. and his
attempts to settle the maritime dis
putes ~peaceably.
Spier Spencer, the hOt-headed-Da-
d host at the tavern-was about
to reply that 1t was more intolerable
TO endure the insults of Britain than
TO plunge the country into honorable
war, when his young wife and ii bevy
of radiant women made n sudden rush
from within and the gentlemen were
led captive to the great silver punch
bowl, where otlicinted n %grinninR,
ducklng, berufled durky.
David was swept into the midst of
n group of young people hut the chat
ter in his ears Ccnscd, as far as he
was concerned, when he saw Toinette
radiant among the rest. Ike Bluck-
ford Joined them, and when she had
heard what the men had beer discuss
ing. the girl demanded why the two
had not yet joined Spencer's company
of militia.
$ you want us to get shot, do
youT' teased Blackford. 81 know
that we're a worthless pair, but 1
didn't think we We're that bad"
stop being funny. Mr.. Blackford;
l should think you two great, strong
men would be eager TO enlist and help
drive out these terrible Indians for
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