South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-05-15

Prophet. curse me the blabbing lip.
And curse me the British vermin.
the rat
Let US regard the word British"
az interchangeable ad lib. A rat is a
rat.
This man was hunting about the
lobby like a starved dog that had
forgotten where he had buried a
bone He had a face OF great acre
age, red. PUPPY. and with a kind OF
sleepy massiveness like that OF Bud
dha He possessed one single vir-
tue-he was very smoothly shaven.
The mark Of the beast is not indel-
ible upon a man until he goes about
with "A stubble. / think that II he
had not used his razor that day /
would have repulsed his advances.
and the criminal calendar Of the
world would have been spared the
addition OF one murder
1 happened TO he standing within
Ave feet OF a cuspidor when Mai.
Casweu opened fire upon it. ] had
been obeervant enough TO perceive
that the attacking force was using
Gatlings instead Of squirrel rifles, so
side-stepped so promptly that the
major seized the opportunity 20
apologize 10 a noncombatant. He
had the blabbing lip In four min
utes he had become my friend and
had dragged me 10 the bar.
desire 70 interpolate here that I
am a southerner. But 1 am not one
by profession or trade. I eschew
the string tie, the SLOUGH hat. the
Prince Albert the number OF bales
OF cotton destroyed by sherman. and
plug chewing When the orchestra
plays Dixie I do not cheer. I slide a
little lower on the leather cornered
seat and. we'll. order another Wurz-
burger and wish that Longstreet had
but what's the use?
Mai Caswell banged the bar with
his fist, and the first gun at TT. SUM
ter re-echoed. When he fired the
last one at Appomattox I began to
hope But then he began on family
trees. and demonstrated that Adam
was only a third cousin OF a collat-
eral branch Of the CasweH family
Genealogy disposed Of. he took up. TO
my disgust. his private family mat
ters lie spoke Of his wife. traced
I her descent back 70 Eve. and pro-
fanely denied any possible rumor
/ that che may have had relations in
the land OF Nod.
BY this time 1 began 10 suspect
I that he was trying 20 obscure by
noise the fact that he had ordered
/ the drinks. on the chance that
would be bewildered into paying for
them. But when they were down he
I crashed a silver dollar loudly upon
h the bar Then. Of course. another
( serving was obligatory And when I
I had paid for that / took leave Of
him brusquely; for / wanted no more
4 OF him. But before I had obtained
I my release he had prated loudly of
an income that his wife received.
I and showed handful OF silver
money.
When I got my key at the desk
the clerk said 10 me courteously:
IF that man Casweu has annoyed
YOU. and if you would like TO make
a complaint we will have him eject
ed. He is a nuisance. a loafer, and
without any known means of sup
port. although nc seems TO have
some money most Of the time. But we
don't seem to be able 10 hit upon
any means of throwing him out le-
gally"
why. no." said 7. after some re-
/ Election; Il don't see my way clear
10 make a complaint. But l would
l like TO place myself on record as as
4 sorting that 7 do not care for his
company Your town. I continued.
1 seems TO be a quiet one. What man
ner of entertainment have you to Of
\ fer to the stranger within your
gates?'
Well. sir" said the clerk. there
will be a show here next Thursday.
It is-Itl look II up and have the
announcement sent up TO your room
with the ice water. Good night"
After I went up TO my room I
looked out the window. 1t was only
about 10 o'clock. but looked upon n
silent town. The drizzle continued.
spangled with dim lights, as far
apart as currants I'm a cake sold at
the Ladies' exchange.
"A quiet place" ! said to myself.
as my first shoe struck the ceiling of
the occupant OF the room beneath
mine Nothing Of the life here that
gives color and variety 10 the cities
in the east and west. Just a good.
ordinary humdrum. business town. %
Nashville occupies a foremost
place among the manufacturing cen
ters of the country II is the flfth
boot and shoe market in the United
States, the largest candy and cracker
manufacturing city in the south. and
does an enormous Wholesale dry
goods. grocery and drug business.
] must tell YOU how I came TO be
in Nashville. and L assure you the
/ DEPRESSION brings as much tedium TO
me as IL does TO YOU. ] was travel
ing elsewhere on my own business.
but I had a commission from a
northern literary magazine 10 stop
over there and establish a personal
connection between the publication
and one OF its contributors. Azalea
/ AdaiT
Adair (there was no clue 10 the
personality except the handwritingl
had sent in some essays Oost art,)
and poems that had made the edi-
tors swear approvingly over their /
o'clock luncheon. So they had COM
missioned me 20 round up said Adair
and corner by contract his or her
output at two cents a word before
some other publisher offered her 10
or 20
At 9 o'clock the next morning.