The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1917-01-20
Breckenridge of Pittsburgh.

breckenridge of Pittsburgh. The,
were great cronies while in college
L believe. One saw them wanderins
under the elms with their arms
around one anOther's shoulders, laugh
Ing at some nOnsensical ballad abou,
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 resonant voice
his face shrouded In the shadows of
the veranda, he began to recite that
splendid elegy. For a 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-
dent Madison's policy Of diplomatic
correspondence with England, and his
attempts to settle the maritime dis
putes peaceably.
Spier Spencer, the hot-headed-Da-
vid's host at the tavern-was about
to reply that It was more intolerable
to endure the insults of Britain than
to plunge the country into honorable
war, when his young wife and bevy
Of radiant women made q sudden rush
from within and the gentlemen were
led captive to the great silver punch
bowl, where officiated . grinnfng,
ducking, berufled darky.
David was swept into the midst Of
a group of young people but the chat
ter In his ears ceased, as far as he
was concerned, when he saw Toinette
among the rest. Ike Black
ford Joined them, and when she had
heard what the men had been discuss
ing, the girl demanded why the two
had not Get Joined Spencer's company
Of militia.
$50 you want us to get shot, do
you" leased Blackboard. 81 know
that we're a worthless pair, but I
didn't think we were that bad"
"Stop being funny, Mr.. Blackford; ::
should think you two great, strong
men would be eager to enlist and help
1rive out these terrible Indians for.
good"
swell, I'm as ready as the next man
% have the Indians leave us in
peace" declared David slowly, 'but
we never been a soldier and I don't
believe that I'd make a very good
me-"
"Pshaw!" cried Toinette indignant
y, you're just as able to be SOL
Ter as anyone in the territory. You
re, you know you are"
Measure Is for our collins, David"
aughed Blackford, 1--WE may Just as
veil give in to her first as last"
David laughed too. But he was ST.
emit, thinking more Of Toinette's
words than of Blackford's. Ike con-
inued his chatting:
'sNo, we're neither of us soldiers.
)avid's fast becoming the merchant
'roesus Of the West, and I'm a law
er, though I'd hate to have the late
Blackstone hear me say
hat. He'd roll over. I've spent the
est years of my young life cooped
p in Judge Ford's Office In Norris
own, wrestling with McNally's
RuIoc of Eysdopoov x,rho,. rLo..,ss |
ave been shedding a luster over the
'cial life Of New Jersey, and I don't
eel as If it would be right for me
throw away all this mighty erudi-
on just to give some red-skinned
entleman the pleasure of wearing
he scalp Of future chief justice
his belt, or even the pleasure of my
expect to have very
w clients among our red brethren,
cry few. Somehow, they seem to
refer retaining Ratchet, rather
ian a hatchet-faced attorney.
hough. for the matter of that, I
mt believe can blame them. Judge
urst tells me that in spite of all of
overnor Harrison's efforts to put the
tile unpleasantries Of the frontier
decision by the courts, there hasn't
ZEN one white man hanged for the
urder of an Indian since the terri :
ry was begun, and that there never ,,
III be.
"But seriously, Miss O'Bannon"- :
ackf0rd went on-'there can't be so
eat a necessity for drilling around =
tn lot Of militiamen just now,
n there? They make me think of =
llstaff's opinion of his ragged re-
nits: I'll not march through Gov q
try with them, that's fat" ~
Necessity" cried Toinette. "Oh, u
u haven't been here long enough to '
ar the reports of all their crueltiesI =
went you talked with any of these =
whose families have .
en- cut down and massacred and y
.tured? But 4 don't CARGO on e
d practice your old law! There1l =
plenty of other lawyers to shout J
: gun. II they get killed there'M L
just that much more chance for y
i to succeed
3lackford WINGED Toinette was so
NJ 1