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The Little Brown Jug at Kildare

Chapter 5 MR. ARDMORE OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED

Word Count: 5551    |    Released on: 06/12/2017

d it; she nev

d into the bargain that he resolved to lead a different life and be very heedful of the cry of the poor in the future. His emotions had never been taxed as to-day, and he hoped that he might never again suffer the torture he had experienced as he waited in the governor's drawing-room for Miss Dangerfield to appear. After that agony it had been a positive relief to be ordered out of the house. Her anger when

d he remembered all these things now, but more than anything else her wrath, the tiny fists, the flashing eyes as she confronted him. As he sat dejectedly on his park bench he was unaware that Miss Geraldine Dangerfield, walking hurriedly through the park on her way from the governor's mansion to the state house, passed directly be

shed me to say that she'd like to see you f

th the rope already on his neck, could not experience greater

f it-that there

angerfield told me I w

rfield awaited him. He was ready to place his head on the block in sheer contrition

ning, Mr.

get this mornin

to have you thrown out of the house

persons to lie to that I have ever met. I didn't come to Raleigh just to wa

field started forward in her chair so

anything about your father. I ne

at!" ejaculated

ted in him-why should I be? I don

or. But"-and she folded her hands and eyed him searchingly-"here's a lot of telegrams f

h the governor, and they began passing me jugs. Then the man who gave the jug with th

buttermilk f

te than anything else. I've written a reply to the note and p

infamous effort to intimidate my f

lot of cowards, and that the governor will ha

ly splendid! Did y

hat the governor would say-he'd have to say

e jug now,

med to be one of them called on me this morning, demanding the jug; and if he's the man

e enveloped him, was almost as domestic as the house in which she lived. The secretary had vanished, and a Sabbath quiet was on the place. The white inner shutters swung open, affording a charming prospect of the trees, the lawn and the monument in the park outside. And, pleasantest of all, and most soothing to his weary senses, she was tolerating him now;

, can you ke

e, but I think I can, Miss Da

lease s

oolboy who fears blame and praise alike. Miss Dan

nt you my private secretary, and may God have mercy

already. And besides, I don't write

o Atlanta to find papa. He's alre

ur father would b

ndow upon the park, then into the silent o

to-morrow night, or the night afterward. I'm not

possible-" and Ardmore stared in astonishmen

s. That's what's the matter with papa! And I guess they're en

letters and telegrams the secretary had left behind him; with a nod of the head she indi

e absence of the governor the lieutenant-go

n the absence of the governor, I am governor! Don't look so sho

you said, Miss

't want to know anything about you. I'd be ashamed to ask anybody I know to help me. The people of North Carolina must never know that

wouldn't do for you

sking you to do it for the Old North State. Our relations, Mr. Ardmor

you now that I s

ou at any time I please. Now do you understand that this is a serious business? There's like

epeated Ardm

grand jurors were all friends of Appleweight and the indictment was only to satisfy law-and-order sentiment and appease the Woman's Civic League of Raleigh. Now, papa doesn't-I mean I don't want to offend those Appleweight people by meddling in this business. Papa wants Governo

hat did

upest thing! And I'd like Barbara Osborne to tell me how she got into the Colonial Dames, and what call she has to be inspector-general of the Granddaughters of the Mexican War; for I've heard my

gravity of the offense so novel in his simple experiences, that Ardmore was bound in chains before her speech was finished. The little drawl with which she concluded gave hei

emptible ruffian," declared

and settled back in her chair the better

Confederacy and a Colon

me again; papa sent three expensi

! Horr

e Potomac on his way south and was drowned.

but what did your ancesto

poor guesser. He died during Washington's second adm

s the war between the states? I advise you to be caref

ned it either way, so I'm will

-bred Southern people say Rebellion they refer to t

ed. Now that you are the governor, what ar

d running across the state line to rob and murder people in North Carolina. Papa told Governor Osborne that he must break up the Appleweight crowd or he would

answer th

have been afraid of hurting Governor Osborne's feelings. He wrote the letter, expecting to send it, but when he went o

nd the signature of William Dangerfield, governor of North Carolina, affixed in a bold hand, were sobering in themselves. The dignity and authority of one of the s

orker, al

tate and mine, I am, sir, awaiting your reply, very respectfully, your obedient servant.' Now, I wouldn't trust to his sense of anything, and that traditional friendship business is just fluffy nonsense, and I wouldn't be anybody's obedien

gag

ater, the adjutant-general of this state. You couldn't be my

engagement to be married with a cool finality that took his breath away; and not realizing

to the 'obedient servant' and there's no room. But I'm g

y rolled the sheet into place; then, with Ard

an imedia

I reckon a postscript like that doesn't need to be signed. I'll just put 'W. D.' there with papa's stub pen, so it

ut the state seal on

like him; he has such funny whiskers, and calls me little girl. Besides, you

reat and good of North Carolina fell from her lips; for they were as strange to him as an Abysinnian dynasty. It was perfectly clear that he was not of her world, and that his own was insignificant and undistinguished compared with hers. His spirit was stayed somewhat by the knowledge that he, and not the execrable Gillingwater, had been chosen as her coadjutor in the present crisis. His very ignorance of the royal families of North Carolina,

opy-press, had been carefully sealed and stamped. "Governor Osborne will get

rst thing to-morrow," Ardmore suggested. "It costs money to

old Barbara Osborne about it, it would make her angry, too, and maybe she wouldn'

the typewriter, and several times

igh,

ble Charle

of South

bia,

in Appleweight matter. Your va

m Dang

of North

work with approval. "And now, Mr. Ardmore, here's a telegram from M

led delighted

tter. If payment is not made June first your state's

P. Bi

a and the state were both going to be ruined. There's a quarter of a million dollars to be paid on bonds that are coming due June fi

shi

t along together, and Mr. Bassford says he's run off just to le

re is such a thing as credit in the world, and that it is something that must not be trifled with; but these considerations did not weigh heavily with him. For the first time in his uneventful life ven

ix Billings. Just let me

suggestions from Miss Jerry, the following

y you to do your worst. If you come into North Carolina or bring legal proceedings for the collection of your

thought your family and the Bronx Loan and Trust Company were th

ke me ask his permission when I wanted to buy a new necktie, and when I was in

at he will cause papa trouble and b

he gets over his first stroke of apoplexy he will lock himself in a dark room and begin to think hard about what to do. He usually

te him, and he was so angry that he ran off so that papa would have to look after those bonds himself. Then this Appleweight case came up, and tha

with profound interest. It was signed, but the space for the da

ieve we ought to call the special session just yet. It would be sure to injure the state's credit,

't find out, for the clerks in the treasurer

ith the principals-I heard a banker say that once, and he was a man who kne

l minutes, and she asked with some i

government has war or any kind of trouble. It's s

mean the writ of habeas corpus?" The twinkle in his eye left her unable to

st comes to worst. Then you can put anybody you like into a

sked Jerry. "It must be here som

ke a Thanksgiving proclamation, and you order out the militia, and the soldiers have to leave their

people," said Jerry. "That would do the

d to it. And then, after we have exhausted all the means at our co

a review of the military power of the states which he had heard once from Gris

son of this state? I should have you know that the state of North Carolina is big enough to take care of herself, and if any president of the

ears. "Of course, we've got our own troops, and we'll get through all our business without cal

produced a diary in which Governor Dangerfield

t be there, so we'll send a telegram of congratulation to be read instead. Then he was to preside at a convention of the Old Fiddlers' Association at Goldsboro the next day, and he can't do tha

state militia?"

eld-they always name the camp for the governor-and father was to visit the camp next Saturday

as when his ignorance was exposed,

ust like a king or an emperor. I've seen Emperor William and King Humbert inspect their soldiers, and they go galloping by like mad, with all the soldiers sal

by the breadth and splendor of Ardmore's knowledge. His comparison

times," he continued. "The queens are always honorary colonels of reg

e that, and he's the adjutant-gene

nel of?" asked

ever, and so he couldn't go to Cuba, and papa appointed him adjutant-general

itle," murmured Ardmore. "I had typhoid fever o

y fiancé. It's quite impertinent in

go to Camp Dangerfield and inspect the troops yourself, and they wo

your appointment carried no social recognition. You mu

making-believe such thi

se, if you were a gentleman I knew and had been introdu

ou certainly wouldn't be talking to

atter, Mr. Ardmore. A gentl

rets and asking me to help you play being governor?" and Ard

maginative sort of liar than Mr. Bassford. He can only lie to callers about papa being engaged, or write encouraging letters to people who want appointments which papa never expects to make; but you lie because you can't help

ld, had taken advantage of a wait in Raleigh to disembark and show themselves at the capital. They were already halted and at parade rest at the side of the street, and a mounted officer in khaki, galloping madly into view, seemed to focus the eyes of the gathering crowd. He

sked Ardmore, wi

rd Gillingwate

a moment later, and the militi

s caller of the morning striding rapidly across the street. Ardmore started forward,

matter?" s

he girl in the pink sunbonnet, goes my little brown jug. That lank individual with t

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