a constituent, ``he would have lost the next election. He hadn't the money, you know.''

``If he had lived a little longer,'' said the mountain preacher high up on Yellow Creek, ``I'd have got that trade I had on hand with him through. Not that I wanted him to die, but if he had to--why--''

``If he had lived a little longer,'' said the Senator's lawyer, ``he would have cleaned off the score against him.''

``If he had lived a little longer,'' said the Senator's sister, not meaning to be unkind, ``he would have got all I have.''

That was what life held for the Senator. Death was more kind.

PREACHIN' ON KINGDOM-COME

I've told ye, stranger, that Hell fer Sartain empties, as it oughter, of co'se, into Kingdom-Come. You can ketch the devil 'most any day in the week on Hell fer Sartain, an' sometimes you can git Glory everlastin' on Kingdom-Come. Hit's the only meetin'-house thar in twenty miles aroun'.

Well, the reg'lar rider, ole Jim Skaggs, was dead, an' the bretherin was a-lookin' aroun' fer somebody to step into ole Jim's shoes. Thar'd been one young feller up thar from the settlemints, a- cavortin' aroun', an' they was studyin' 'bout gittin' him.

``Bretherin' an' sisteren,'' I says, atter the leetle chap was gone, ``he's got the fortitood to speak an' he shorely is well favored. He's got a mighty good hawk eye fer spyin' out evil--an' the gals; he can outholler ole Jim; an' IF,'' I says, ``any IDEES ever comes to him, he'll be a hell-rouser shore--but they ain't comin'!'' An', so sayin', I takes my foot in my hand an' steps fer home.

Stranger, them fellers over thar hain't seed much o' this world. Lots of 'em nuver seed the cyars; some of 'em nuver seed a wagon. An' atter jowerin' an' noratin' fer 'bout two hours, what you reckon they said they aimed to do? They believed they'd take that ar man Beecher, ef they could git him to come. They'd heerd o' Henry endurin' the war, an' they knowed he was agin the rebs, an' they wanted Henry if they could jes git him to come.

Well, I snorted, an' the feud broke out on Hell fer Sartain betwixt the Days an' the Dillons. Mace Day shot Daws Dillon's brother, as I rickollect--somep'n's al'ays a-startin' up that plaguey war an' a-makin' things frolicsome over thar--an' ef it hadn't a-been fer a tall young feller with black hair an' a scar across his forehead, who was a-goin' through the mountains a-settlin' these wars, blame me ef I believe thar ever would 'a' been any mo' preachin' on Kingdom-Come. This feller comes over from Hazlan an' says he aims to hold a meetin' on Kingdom-Come. ``Brother,'' I says, ``that's what no preacher have ever did whilst this war is a-goin' on.'' An' he says, sort o' quiet, ``Well, then, I reckon I'll have to do what no preacher have ever did.'' An' I ups an' says: ``Brother, an ole jedge come up here once from the settlemints to hold couht. `Jedge,' I says, `that's what no jedge have ever did without soldiers since this war's been a-goin' on.' An', brother, the jedge's words was yours, p'int-blank. `All right,' he says, `then I'll have to do what no other jedge have ever did.' An', brother,'' says I to the preacher, ``the jedge done it shore. He jes laid under the couht-house fer two days whilst the boys fit over him. An' when I sees the jedge a-makin' tracks fer the settlemints, I says, `Jedge,' I says, `you spoke a parable shore.' ''

Well, sir, the long preacher looked jes as though he was a-sayin' to hisself, ``Yes, I hear ye, but I don't heed ye,'' an' when he says, ``Jes the same, I'm a-goin' to hold a meetin' on Kingdom- Come,'' why, I jes takes my foot in my hand an' ag'in I steps fer home.

That night, stranger, I seed another feller from Hazlan, who was a-tellin' how this here preacher had stopped the war over thar, an' had got the Marcums an' Braytons to shakin' hands; an' next day