President--" began the father.
"No, sir; no, sir; not at all. Affairs can wait. This is a
long-standing engagement between Curtis and me, and that must come
first. Isn't that so, Curtis?"
Of course the boy agreed.
Suddenly the boy looked around the room and said:
"Where's your gun, Mr. President? Got it here?"
"No," laughingly came from the President, "but I'll tell you"--and then
the two heads were together again.
A moment for breath-taking came, and the boy said:
"Aren't you ever afraid of being shot?"
"You mean while I am hunting?"
"Oh, no. I mean as President."
"No," replied the smiling President. "I'll tell you, Curtis; I'm too
busy to think about that. I have too many things to do to bother about
anything of that sort. When I was in battle I was always too anxious
to get to the front to think about the shots. And here--well, here I'm
too busy too. Never think about it. But I'll tell you, Curtis, there
are some men down there," pointing out of the window in the direction
of the capitol, "called the Congress, and if they would only give me
the four battleships I want, I'd be perfectly willing to have any one
take a crack at me.
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