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Show AWAY UP. A Stranger Who Tltla Produced Sr - prbe lu Tennemee. . A dignified looking stranger entered the ticket office of the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern railroad yesterday, yes-terday, and stated that he wished to purchase tickets for himself and family to Texas, and also wanted to secure se-cure rates for the transportation of a carload of household furniture. Col. Harry Wilson waited on tho gentleman, and ascertained that his name was Martin. Mar-tin. He negotiated a trade with him for the tickets, and referred him to the freight office on Monroe street for information infor-mation about freight rates. As tho stranger displayed a goodly role of boodle it was incumbent on Col. Wilson to treat him with the consideration considera-tion due his importance, and so ho told Hilly to take the colonel over and introduce intro-duce him to Mr. Bartley, and he took care to lay the accent on the colonel. Billy got the stranger safely over to the freight office, and in his politest manner presented him to Will Bartley as follows: "Mr. Bartley, allow me to introduce to you Col. Martin." Tho stranger drew himself up haughtily, haught-ily, and striking an attitude, with his right hand over his left breast pocket, said: "I am no colonel, young man; I am something higher than that." "Excuse me; I meant to say brigadier," briga-dier," apologized Billy. "I have a higher titlo than that," said the great man. Billy was equal to the occasion, and came again with "I really meant to say major general, you know." He was knocked out again, however, by the supposed officer remarking with heightened dignity, which, however, was softened by a quiet, amused sinilo: "You have not got up high enough yet." "You must be the commander-in-chief of the army," suggested Billy in a doubtful doubt-ful sort of tone, but the stranger paralyzed par-alyzed him by the announcement that he held a still higher title. Billy was stumped. He thought the distinguished dis-tinguished visitor was no other than the president travelling iu cog., but he dismissed dis-missed that idea, and then his curiosity got the better of his reverence, and he blurted out: "Well, who are you, any way?" -. The stranger softly replied: "I am a minister of the gospel, sir," and Billy fainted dead away, while Will Barney made a half rate for tho divine on account ac-count of his high title. Memphis Avalanche. |