The sun., 1919-10-19
7. B. of Dee
By the REV. c. w. WHITMoRE.

By the REV. c. w. WHITMORE.
THE Reverend Theodore Blunt, bet
ter known as at. B. Of Dee"
first drew my serious attention
few years ago in the little cross
roads post Office OF Dee, where I had
stopped to inquire about roads. The
mail had just arrived and the post
master was lazily reading Off the
names as he clumsily assorted the con-
tents Of the sack.
A small crowd Of typical country
| store loungers, supplemented by
farmers who had come In for their
| mail, gave a one cared attention to
the roll call while they took listless
part in the murmur Of gossip and
comment as one by one they received
their mail and selecting the newspaper
first Of all read over the headlines.
A brief furry threatened once to
disturb the peace Of the quiet scene.
A farmer had opened a gaudily printed
envelope OF q well known commission
house and held up short string of
postage stamps.
"See what / get for two crates Of
chickens!" he growled. indignant but
not hopefully indignant. THE dirty
robber says that six were dead. re-
mainder in poor condition and a glut
in the market spoiled the price"
| Then followed a chorus Of anathema,
a spirited contest in which each ex-
pressed in the fullest rhetoric the
things he wanted to do to any and all
commission men. One of the least
violent apparently welded to orthodox
traditions and stunning the pitfalls OF
originality, would have them drawn
and quartered. A moro ingenious and
implacable hater would compel them to
eat each day all the produce they re-
ported spoiled. But all gave way be
fore the superior attainments OF thai
ruthless avenger who would have them
chained within sight, but out OF reach
Of an endless file of farmers. each one
| counting out a complete and honest
return for his shipment.
At any rate 1t was agreed that some
day somebody would have to do some
thing about it, after which solemn but
not very OMNIBUS resolution the squat
passed and quiet resumed It's former
| sway. A bluebottle fly buzzed above
the murmur of commonplace talk.
screen door banged as some one went
out. A rooster voiced his defiance tc
the world-from a distance. Another
ariswered--from a great distance. The
postmaster took up again his inter-
rupted roll call and all was peace. II
was a parable.
Then a name was called which
caused a significant stir Of attention
II was parked out rather than dronec
in his former manner by the burly
postmaster and there was an unmis-
taxable trace of malice in the way he
pronounced Reverend Blunt" dis
daining initials.
"Parson not here to-day" noticed
ono.
Thought missed somethin!'
| chuckled another. "He usually drops
In about this time for his mail and
stirs things UP a Bit"
Went down the road this mornin
with the county agent to speak TO the
corn club boys" explained a third.
Jaw, he makes me tired!" snarled 9
sour looking individual from a darh
corner where he had draped himself
over some flour barrels.
Amt him as does that" chortled
an oldtimer from a seat before the
empty stove into which he sent at reg
ular intervals with astounding accur-
acy a marvellous stream Of rich brown
essense of cut plug, "Ain't T. B. a;
does that. Abner, you've been tired
ever since can remember"
And so they fell into battle array
one against the other, for and agains,
Theodore blunt. All listlessness was
gone. Heated argument developed
flashes Of surprising wit and eloquence
from these natural masters of debate
upon whom alone seams to rest the
mantle OF a forensic past. 1t was I'M.
possible for stranger to follow the
full course OF the argument, but whilt
some approved and some disapproved
of him they called 7. B. 1t was per-
fectly evident that all were interested
Frequently I heard the expression
"Well what won't he be doing nextr
sometimes In admiration, sometimes II
disgust, occasionally in Amusement
and once 1t drew the retort you'll
never guess 1t. but you can bet you
last dollar without violatin' any scru
pies against games Of chance tina
he'll be doin' somethin'! by golly
he'll be dom somethin'!"
you said II, Dick Rudo.ph" ex
citedly shouted one Of the most activ,
supporters OF the rector. Hes a doe
all right" Then with a signifcan
look towards the postmaster who nov
anlshed with the nall and was idl,