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Show MY FAVORITE STORIES By IRVIN S. COBB !- (Copyright.) Absolutely No Hurry About It rphe other day somebody told me a , 0f ( man under sentenc ot lath to whom the JaUer came wlth L word that he misht follow any congenial con-genial occupation ne pleased during the m which would elapse before the fatal date. The prisoner had only to nominate his choice and the facilities (or prosecuting It would be provided. Udeed, there was rather a suggestion ilat If the condemned man had not tonpleted the favored undertaking by ibat dav, there might be a delay In the necutlon of the law to give him an opportunity to finish it. The situation having been made clear, the messenger awaited the captive's cap-tive's decision. "Well, old man," he said finally, "what Is it you want to do?" I think," said the prisoner, "I'd like to learn Chinese." The hearing of this story remlndi me of another a blood brother to it which was current in Tennessee yean ago-One ago-One chilly evening In the early part of March the sheriff entered the county coun-ty jail and, addressing the colored person per-son who occupied the strongest cell, said: "Gabe, you know that under the law my duty requires me to take you out o( here tomorrow and hang you. So I've come to tell you that I want to make your final hours on earth a easy as possible. For your last breakfast break-fast you can have anything to eat that you want and as much of it as you want. What do you think you'd like to have?" The condemned man studied for a miDUte. "Mr. Lukins," he said, "I b'lleves Ti lak to have a nice wortermelon." "But watermelons won't be ripe for four or five months yet," said the sheriff. "Well, suh," said Gabe, "I kin wait." Absolutely Unfitted for the Role A few months before his death Gen. Basil Duke of Kentucky, who commanded com-manded Morgan's cavalry after the killing of his brother-in-law, Gen. John Morgan, told this tale at a Confederate Con-federate reunion in his home city of Louisville : lie said that during one ot the Tennessee campaigns Morgan's men surprised and routed a regiment of Federal troopers. In the midst of the retreat one of the enemy, who was mounted upon a big bay horse, suddenly sud-denly turned and charged the victorious victo-rious Confederates full-tilt, waving his arm and shrieking like mad as he liore down upon them alone. Respecting Respect-ing such marvelous courage, the Confederates Con-federates forebore shooting at the approaching ap-proaching foe, but when he was right Upn them they saw there was a different dif-ferent veason for his foolhardlness. He was a green recruit. His horse Iwd run away with him the bit had I'ri'ken, and, white us a sheet and fared stiff, the luckless youth was I'tliig propelled straight at the whooping whoop-ing Kentucklans, begging for mercy s he came. jefT Sterrltt, a noted wit of the command, com-mand, stopped the horse and made a 'lining prisoner of the rider. Sterrltt, "lio hnd not washed or shaved for ''ii.vs and was a ferocious looking per-!",n. per-!",n. pulled out a big pistol and ' n.'k'ed Its muzzle In the terrified I'Mornl's face. "I don't know whether to kill you now," he said, "or wait until the Is over I" "Mister," begged the quivering cap-''. cap-''. "as a favor to me, please don't to It at all ! I'm a dissipated character charac-ter uud I ain't prepared to die!" When a Tailor Made the Man There used to be a southern born colonel of one of the negro regiments the United States army whose first "ame was James. He was a small, dapper man, very dignified and very much aware of the importance of the P'wltlon he filled. He was a great be-''er be-''er In athletics and he organized "'fee baseball teams among members i his battalions and started a series t Fames for the regimental championship. champion-ship. One afternoon two of the clubs were Playing an important game of the senes. The commander, watching rem the side line, thought the rivals "e not showing sufficient spirit, considering con-sidering thut the score was so close nd the championship at stake. He decided to show both outfits that giu-ter giu-ter was requisite. He yanked oft his service out, grabbed a bat and declared de-clared himself Into the game. "Now, then," he stated, as be advanced ad-vanced to the plate, "for Just so long 8 I've got no shoulder straps on I want you men to treat me as If I were one of you. I'm not your colonel I'm 1 I'layer. Let's go !" Tl'e pitcher sped the ball across the P'te and the colonel cracked out a wee-bagger. He tried to stretch It "to a homer. As he turned third base Ml the dead run the coacher for his side opened up: "Run, you pore 111' sawedoff, popped, pop-ped, bow-legged, homely white runt! mm!" he shouted. "Xow slide old Jimboy, dndgum you SLIDE !" "he colonel slid and got there. The eat over and put his coat on. r |