The Washington herald., 1921-04-10

D
. for q boarding place a house that
stood nifty yards back from one of
the quietest avenues. 1t was an old
fashioned brick building, with a .por-
/. tico upheld by tall white pillars.
The yard was shaded by stately To-
, casts and elms. and a eatalpa tree
in season rained its pink and white
blossoms upon the grass. Rows of
high box bushes lined the fence and
walks. 1t was the Southern style
Rnd aspect Of the place that pleased
the eyes Of the Talbots.
; In this pleasant. private board
ing house they engaged rooms. in
eIudipg q study for Mai. Talbot, who
was adding the finishing chapters
to his book. Anecdotes and Remi-
niscences Of the Alabama Army,
Bench. and Bar"
! Maj. Talbot was Of the old, old
Sonth. The present day had little
interest or excellence in his eyes.
His mind lived in that period before
the Civil War, when the Talbots
owned thousands of acres of fine
cotton land and the slaves to till
them: when the family mansion was
the scene OF prince1y hospitality
and drew its guests from the aris-
toocracy of the South. Out Of that
period he had brought all it's old
pride and scruples of honor, an
anttquated and punctilious polite
ness. and (you would. think) It's
wardrobe.
such clothes were surely never
made within fifty years The major
was tall, but whenever he made that
wonderful. archaic genufiexion he
called . bow, the corners OF his
frociz coat swept the floor. That
garment was a surprise even to
Warrington. which has long ago
ceased to shy at the frocks and
broad -brimmed hats of Southern
Congressmen. One of the boarders
-christened II a Father Hubbard"
and it certainly was high in the
waist and full in the skirt. s..
-Bpt the major. with all his queer
clothes, his immense area of plated.
rayetling shirt bosom. and the little
black string tie with the bow always
slipping on one side. both were
smiled at and liked in Mrs. Varde-
mans select boarding house. Some
Of the young department clerks
would often string him." as they
called il. getting him started upon
the subject dearest to him-the ira
dftions and history of his beloved
Southland During his talks he
would quote freely from the "Anec-
dotes and "Reminiscences" But they
were very careful not to let him
see their designs. for in spite of his
6s years, he could make the boldest
of them uncomfortable under the
steady regard of his piercing gray
eyes.
- Miss Lydia was a plump. little old
maid of 35. with smoothly drawn.
tightly twisted hair that made her
look still older. Old fashioned. too.
she was. but ante bellum glory did
not radiate from her as it did from
the major. She possessed a thrifty
common sense. and it was she who
handled the finances of the family,
and met all comers when there were
bills to pay. The major regarded
board bills and wash bills as con-
temptible nuisances. They Kept com
ing in so persistently and so often.
why, the major wanted to know,
could they not be hled and paid in
a lump sum at some convenient pc
riod-say when the Anecdotes and
"Reminiscences" had been published
and paid for? Miss Lydia would
calmly go on with her sewing and
-sey."we1l pay as we go as long as
the money lasts, and then perhaps
they'll have to lump it,"
Most Of Mrs. Vardeman's boarders !
were away during the day, being |
nearly all department clerks and
business men, but there was one of
them who was about the house a !
great deal from morning to night. |
This was a young man named Henry |
Hopkins Hargraves-everyone in The |
house addressed him by his full
name-who was engaged at one OF |
The popular vaudeville theaters.
Vaudeville has risen to such a re-
spectacle plane in the last few years,
and Mr. Hargraves was such a mod |
est and vell-mannered' person that
Mrs. .Vsrdeman could find no objec-
ttsn to enrolling him upon her list
or boarders.
AZ the theater Hargraves was
knsFn as an aII-round dialect CO.
.rnsdian, having a large repertoire
of German. Irish, Swede and black
race specialties. But Mr.. Har-
zraves was ambitious, and often
.speke Of his great desire to succeed
IN legitimate comedy,
This young man appeared to con-
cetve. a strong fancy for Major Tai
sotss Whenever that gentleman
weuid begin his Southern reminis-
ceness. or repeat some of the liveli
esSof the anecdotes, Hargraves
,cotH always be found the most at
tentive among his listeners
For a time the major showed an
ineiination to discourage the ad-
vsneas Of the play actor" as H.
privately termed him: but soon tn,
Sonng mans agreeable manner and
inxubitabls appreciation Of the old |
gentfeman's stories completely won
hi# over, !
Hwas not long before the two
wskA like old chums. The major
ap6et each afternoon to read to him |
thsznanuscript of his book. During |
the anecdotes Hargraves never fall |
edfo laugh at exactly the rich
point The major was moved to de-
clsfe to Miss Lydia one day that |
ysnng Hargraves possessed remark |
ab5e perception and gratifying re-
sreet for the old regime. And when |
itStafne to talking Of those old days |
k-If Maj. Talbot liked to talk. Mr., |
HaIgraves was entranced to listen. |
sI1ike almost all old people who |
-talltsof the past. the major loved to |
Hnser over details. In describing
theSSple ndid, almost royal. days OF |
The. Old planters. he would hesitate |
Ehtn he had recalled the name of !
The negro who held his horse, or the |
sxscf date Of certain minor happen i
1ExssSor the number OF bales of cot |
.f6n~rafsed In such year: but Har-
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