I shall kill you. I was born in Missouri twenty-eight years ago. I'm not a renegade, as you seem to think I am, but a gentleman. I've come to New Richmond for the sole purpose of practicing law. Just why I chose this place, in preference to a thousand others vastly more to my liking, is none of your business. As to politics or religion-you're too base and ignorant to understand what I'd say on those subjects, and so I shall say nothing. This, however, I shall say to you, and you shall not interrupt me, and if you dare open your mouth to contradict me I swear by the eternal God you shall not leave my presence alive. Now, hear me: I am no man's agent, emissary, or representative-not Davis', not Lincoln's. I have never had speech with either of them-with neither have I ever had communication, either epistolary, or from hand or mouth of either's agent, emissary, or representative. To the best of my knowledge neither of them knows even of my existence. I hold no man's brief or commission, none except my Heavenly Father's to be a Man, true, upright, honorable, and that, thank God, I am. Therefore it is morally impossible for me to be a spy, or traitor, or double-dyed villain, as you declare me to be. Were I not a gentleman I would now apply to you a few epithets which you eminently deserve, and that would aptly characterize you. But I desist, not wishing to put myself in your class, or on your level. Now I give you sixty seconds, just one minute"-taking out his watch-"to get out of my presence. Go, or by the God I worship I shall send your soul to hell!"

Amsden Armentrout was no coward, but some men are not safe to interrupt or contradict when angered to a cold and calculating blood-fury, a fact the bravest men recognize. Nor was Amsden the brutal bully, the ill-bred cur, his speech and manner would indicate. But he was high-tempered

and, sometimes, exceedingly irascible. He was also a man of violent prejudices, but, at heart, the soul of integrity.

Armentrout's bête noir was Jefferson Davis; his object of supreme veneration, Abraham Lincoln; his shrine of worship, the Federal Union. He was known to be in correspondence with Lincoln, and to enjoy the great Commoner's boundless confidence. The young lawyer's deliberate sentences, uttering a rebuke that would have crushed a weaker man, or goaded him to violence, had given him time to realize he had used opprobrious epithets and made charges that were at once cruel and without sufficient proof; and had inflicted a wound that might never heal, a breach that might never be repaired; and when the curt, incisive, peremptory command to "get out" was given he quietly pointed to the yet unopened letter on the table, and saying, "Ah'll leave you' t' read yo' lettuh fr'm Mistuh Lincoln," Ah wes t' gang beck tae 'iz orfus ahgin hu'd puhrf'rate meh retired.

Dazed and trembling from the reaction from his excitement and fury the young lawyer tore open the envelope and extracted a single sheet of common note paper. As through a mist he gazed for several minutes on the fine, neat chirography. Gradually the words took form and combined into coherent sentences. At last he was able to grasp the full meaning. The communication was as follows:

"Samuel Simonson, Esq.-Dear Sir: I have requested several of my trusted friends, among them Justice Higdon, late of Harvard University, to furnish me the names of a number of young men who, by education, training, courage, and moral integrity, are qualified to be my steady, reliable right arms at divers strategic points. Among the names thus submitted I find yours. Justice Higdon informs me he has known you about ten years, and speaks of you in a manner that causes me to desire to meet you personally. The fact that you have become a citizen of New Richmond adds to this desire. Should you accept this invitation to visit me,

I would suggest: 1. That you keep the matter of receiving this invitation a secret, except to one Amsden Armentrout. 2. That you show this letter to said Armentrout, and confer with him as to what course you would better pursue. You will like Armentrout, for he is a loyal citizen, a man of the strictest integrity, and a friend in whom you can always fully and safely confide. Yours resp'y, A. LINCOLN."

The young lawyer's resentment now was all gone. "What a fool I was to quarrel with such a man as Lincoln declares Armentrout to be," was his first thought. Under the spell of Lincoln's letter, and in the glow created by the knowledge that his Harvard friend and professor had commended him to the President-elect, he took on himself all the blame. "I trifled, trifled with this high-souled, valorous patriot," he said. "And when he could no longer endure my quibbling, and silly evasions, and denounced me, what did I do? Became melodramatic, raved like a fool, and threatened, actually threatened-murder! I wouldn't have Mr. Lincoln and Justice Higdon know this for anything. I must see this loyal and unswerving Roundhead and make this matter right with him-if I can." And thrusting his hat on his head, he rushed down to the street.

In the meantime Armentrout, himself penitent on account of the merciless castigation he had administered to the strange young lawyer, had gone to the postoffice. There he, too, had received a letter from Lincoln. It was brief and to the point:

"My Dear Old Friend: I want you to turn diplomat for me-not the shirt-sleeves sort, but the suave, ingratiating, heart-winning kind. There's a young man in your town, a newcomer, by the name of Samuel Simonson, by profession a lawyer, whom we wish to enlist in our holy cause. is a young man of splendid education, great ability, high moral character, and à stranger to fear. If you enlist him under our banner you will place me under renewed obliga

He

tions and, I am persuaded, render the Union an inestimable service. I have just invited him to come to Springfield and confer with me, but I am not sure he will come. Please see him at once and hasten matters, as I am preparing to go to Washington in a few days. I have asked him to advise with you immediately. Yrs Aftly, A. LINCOLN."

"Thar, A've gang un dune't, noo, bloonderin' auld blockheid 'at Ah aim! W'at'll guid auld Abe think o' meh noo? Meh!-'suave, ingratiating, heart-winning!' (Reading from Mr. Lincoln's letter.) Ah'm uh dodderin' auld gaberlunzie, 'at's w'at Ah aim. 'Win him to our cause'-hell! Ah've fu' aye tarned 'im ahgin ut, 'n' ahgin meh, 'n' ahgin auld Abe, 'n' ahgin ilka thing 'igh 'n' 'oly. 'Confer with' meh-yus, Ah seez 'im 'furrin' wi' meh! Th' deil 'n' Tom Walkuh. Oh, sallymyjackuhlum! 'Please see him at once'-No' un yuh life, Fathuh Abruh'm! Guess Ah ken muhduh gin Ah seez ut-'n' 'iz een wuh juist twa raid oshuns o't, juist uh sloshun ower wi' ut. Face 'im ahgin? Ruthuh face Jaiff Davus 'n' th' hale Southun 'Fud'r'cy, wi' auld fahr 'n' brumstene Bob Toombs thrown in fuh gude maishuh. W'y, ef Ah wes t' gang beck tae 'iz orfus ahgin hu'd puhrf'rate meh wi' laid tull Ah cudna b' used fuh uh salt-saileh, uh er nailsieve."

Thus absorbed with bitter musings, and mentally flaggellating himself unmercifully, he suddenly found himself face to face with the young lawyer. Each held in his left hand a letter from the hand of Abraham Lincoln.

"Ah wuz uh dodderin' ass," said Armentrout.

"I was a damned fool," replied the young lawyer. "Shake!" they both exclaimed; and, hand in hand, they returned to the young lawyer's office.

CHAPTER VII

SAMUEL SIMONSON THE GUEST OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN

ELL, Sammy, my boy, how are you?"

WE

The young lawyer was pleasurably surprised at the familiar greeting of the President-elect, and all the more because Mr. Lincoln's tone of voice and manner were so convincingly unaffected and sincere. Too, there was something about the tall, gaunt figure that was singularly appealing, wistful. Homely unquestionably he was, even more than he had anticipated-the cartoonists had not greatly exaggerated his angularity, or the size of his hands and mouth and feet. He also had an old look that was out of keeping with his years; his shoulders were drooped, and his face was deeply wrinkled. His voice was thin and wiry and pitched to a minor key. There was no evidence of weakness or indecision in his speech or bearing, and yet that he was temperamentally melancholy and subject to seasons of deep dejection was manifest. When the young lawyer recalled the many vile and cruel things he had heard and read regarding him, aspersions of which the President-elect could not possibly be ignorant, and looked at the deep-set eyes, and somber face with corners of mouth slightly drooped, involuntarily he thought of the words of the Prophet: "He was despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised and we esteemed him not."

Four years later, looking into the same face, then limned into pathetic beauty by "the deep damnation of his taking