He put his hands affectionately on General Hendricks' shoulders as he added, "You mustn't forget to write to Bob, General; hold him there whatever comes." At the foot of the stairs the two men could hear the heavy tread of Colonel Culpepper.

As Hendricks went down the stairs John heard the colonel's "Mornin', General," as the two men passed in the hallway.
"Mornin', Johnnie--how does your corporocity sagashiate this mornin' ?" asked the colonel.
Barclay looked at the colonel through little beady green eyes and replied,--he knew not what.

He merely dipped an oar into the talk occasionally, he did not steer it, and not until he emerged from his calculations twenty minutes after the colonel's greeting did Barclay realize that the colonel was in great pain.

He was saying when Barclay's mind took heed: "And now, sir, I say, now, having forced his unwelcome and, I may say, filthy lucre upon me, the impudent scalawag writes me to-day to say that I must liquidate, must--liquidate, sir; in short, pay up.

I call that impertinence.