The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-01-12

confidence of Governor Faulkner until
 they have made it well nigh impossible
 for him to see the matter except as they put 1t. They will get his sigma ture to the rental grant of the lands
 make getaway with the money and
 let the state crash down upon his head
 when 1t finds out that he has been led into bringing 1t and himself into dis honor. Why, dash it, sir, I'd like to
 have every one of them, especially
 Jeff Whitworth, at the end of halter
 and feed him raw mule, hoof and
 ears. I'm probably going to be done to
 death all alone before the pack of
 wolves, but I'm going to die hard-for
 Bill Faulkner, who holds in his hand
 the honor of his state and my state, I'll
 die hard" And he spoke the words
 with such flerceness that his white
 mustache, which was waxed with the
 propriety of the world, divided like crossed silver swords beneath his
 straight nose with it's thin and trem-
 bling nostrils.
 "It will be that I can help you pro- tect this honor of the Gouverneur
 Faulkner and the state of Harpeth.
 will it not, my Uncle Robert?' I asked with great anxiety. eff you must fall on the field of honor it will be the glory of Robert. Carruthers 1f Greg and Bye to fall beside you, sir. am a very good sport, my father has said"
 God bless my soul, how like Henry you are, boyr' exclaimed my uncle, the General Robert, and he did lay one of his long and very strong arms across my shoulder and give to me the em- brace for which I had so longed, but for not enough time for me to yield myself to 1t. Henry always wanted to- tag Brother Bob,' and he, too would-have died-fghting for meat my side. I've been hard-and when I heard of his death-I wanted you, boy, wanted you more Now, what do you mean, sir, by making me for get for one moment the fix Bill Faulk- ner and I are in?' And my uncle, the General Robert, gave to me 8 good shake, as he extracted his very large white handkerchief and blew upon his nose with such power that the black chauffeur looked around at us and made the car to jump even as he and had done.
 And those mules that it would be your wish to feed to that MT. Jeff Whitworth, my Uncle Robert, will you not tell ne further about them? In Paris it is said that they are a very good food when made fat after being old, or wounded in the army. Ihave"-
 'That will do, sir. If you've had to eat mule in Paris don't tell me about it. My constitution wouldn't stand that, though during our war, just be- fore Vicksburg. I ate-but we won't go into that either. Now this is the situation. as much as a lad from the wilds of Paris could understand it. The French government wants 5000 mules by the fall of the year, and there are no such mules in the world as this state produces. They are send ing a man over here to try to make a deal with the state of Harpeth to pur- chase the mules from private breeders, graze them on the government lands and deliver them in . lot for shipment the 1st of August at Savannah. There is no authority on the statute book for the state to make such q deal, but Jeff Whitworth has fixed up a sort of contract, that wouldn't hold water in the courts, by which the governor of the state, Williamson Faulkner, grants the grazing rights on the states lands to a private company, of which he is to be 8 member, which in 8 way nf ho AA him believe it to be a good financial thing for the state, and he can't see that they are going to buy cheap stock, fatten 1t on 8 low rate from the state and hand it over to the French gov ernment at fancy rakeof, and then leave him. with the bag to hold when | the time for settlement and complaint | comes. There Is q strong Republican | party in this state, and they're keep l ing quiet, but year after next, when | Bill Faulkner comes up for re-elec- | ton, downright inegality will be al. legged, and he will be defeated in dis | honor and with dishonor to the state. | am his secretary of state, and I'm | going to save him If can. And you 1 are going to help me, sir!' And as he spoke my uncle, the General Rob ert, gave to me distinguished shake of the hand that made my pride to rise in my throat, which gave to my speak ing a great huskiness.
 "I will help in the rescue of the hon. or of that Gouverneur Bill Faulkner, my Uncle Robert, with the last breath in my body, and I will also assist to feed mule to that MT. Jefferson Whit. worth, though not to his beautiful wife, whom do so much admire"
 That's just 1t; she'll have to eat mule the first one. She's at the gov ernor day and night with her wiles, and in my mind it's her dimity influ- ence that is making him see things with his slant. They say she put her brand on him in early youth. He's the soul of honor, but what chance has mans soul honor got when a woman wants to cash it in for fortune with which to lead gay life? None! None, sirv' And the countenance of my uncle, the General Robert, became so fierce that it was difficult to find words to answer.
 "Oh, my Uncle Robert, is 1t that a woman would make cheat in giving the mule animal of not sufficient strength to carry food to poor boys of France in the trenches when there is