The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1923-01-18
Two Southern
Gentlemen
By JOHN PALMER

Joe may be black" said Colonel
Lamont. 1but he's a gentleman through
and through. The only decent. hard
working man around here"
III all the colored people were like
Joe and Aunt Mary, there'd be no
racial problem In this part Of the
country" said the coloneps lady.
Joe Lamont-his father had taken
his masters name after emancipation
had purchased his ten acres, which
had once formed part Of the estate.
Aunt Mary worked as cook for the
Lannon'S. Steal? OF course; only
she didn't think Of 1t In that way, and
there were hungry mouths to be fed
In Joe's cabin.
Everybody liked Joe, except young
Rountree. Rountree's father had been
wholesale grocer In the town and
made pile Of money-"heaven knows
how" said the colonel. II didn't know
there was any money In these parts
since the war" (By that he meant
the Civil war; And young Rountree
had bought the old Cleaver estate, and
had broken a local pool about cotton
and squeezed the district dry.
Joe hated him for that, and be-
cause Joe staggered when young Roun-
tree tried to make his horse cut ca
pers before Cicely, the coloners daugh-
ter, and tumbled off, Rountree, white
with passion, flicked Joe over the
shoulder with his whip.
That showed bad blood and made
bad blood. Nobody strikes colored
man; nobody had ever struck Joe be-
fore. Joe just stood still Rountree
apologized afterward. But Cicely
couldn't bear it.
That was months before. Colonel
Lamont had been one Of the pool.
Rountree admitted that he had broken
1t, but pleaded-Oh, something or
other. Anyway, 1t looked as If the La
mont place was going the way of the
Cleaver place.
Young Rountree came riding oftener
than before. Generally when he left
Cicely was In tears. There were anx-
ious consultations In the Lamont
cabin. '~'---~sa,-+~
"Dat white trash Is a-holding a pls-
toll to the masters head" said Joe.
''Ef he don't marry Miss Clcely, he's
a-goin' to sell him up"
"Shore, you of your head. Niger"
exclaimed Aunt Mary. dc Lannon'S
has set dere sence God made Caro-
lima, and I guess dey'll set dere till |
Judgment day."
Up in the big house young Rountree |
faced Colonel Lamont.
"YOur inference Is unwarranted.
SIR" he sneered. II am exercising my
right If I call in your mortgage
am not threatening you, as you sug-
gest. I merely stated that, were 1
your son-in-law, I should, Of course,
view the matter from another angle"
I'D rather be bundled into the poor
louse, and so would my wife, than
'ell our child!" Numbered the colonel.
Young Rountree rode away in hot
age. But Cicely, walking under the
naples with Harry Beechcroft, her
hum since schooldays, did not even
lance up at him as ne galloped by.
| black shadow seemed to have passed
ut of her life.
The Lamont place was for sale. :
he family had months grace, but
hat did not prevent the old house and ,
state from passing under the ham, n
Ter. The bidder was Jim Bryce,
zeal real estate man. He winked por- >,
when he was asked whom N
e was acting for. Ia
"A southern gentleman" was all he fl
ould vouchsafe. Il guess We'll still
ave the right sort Of people in the il
ace" 81
"How can dey be right sort of pe6- "
e eff dey ain't Lamonts?" asked Aunt 70
airy Indignantly. What you latin B
/, nigger?"
The purchaser had approached the ba
lionel through Jim Bryce, asking If Sc
would stay on three months. The Tn
lionel declined. He wouldn't be be- te'
lden to any one. UNLESS It was 0''
lex joe" he said, after pause. ~.
u Oiu cOC SNCllicQ ucdIeT 10 In0 fb.
onel in those days than anyone ne
e. sol
)ne day Joe stood before the me
onel, hat IN hand. "You see, it's me
way, master;' he said 81 CANT CIV
d dis piece of paper, but mebbe
I'd tell me what 1t says, MASTER" ~.
Why, you've been buying property, 7
. didn't know you had money!" !.
laimed the colonel. Z,
Well, you see. master, it's dis way.
We saved mighty hard all our lives, \
so did my old father, and den Tue
N dis cotton pool coined along, I Uta
Eff dat crook Of a Rountree's tim
min to swindle master, why, I'll ota
on de right side, and if master .er,
$, why my money don't count, and :" a
~
of
Toe! The colonel clutched his Sac,
llder. you have bought the La moo
t placer M
Veil, master, it shore had to stay speI
de Lannon'S black or white. and