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A door to the left of the president’s desk glided open In ca a tea tray, which he placed on a side table “Shall I pour, sir?”

“Thank you, Harold, I’ll do ”

The valet left the room Roosevelt went to a cabinet behind his desk and took out a crystal decanter “Except I’ll be pouring this What’ll it be, Captain, whiskey or wine? I’ claret myself I never touch spirituous liquors”

That is hoound up sitting beside TR on the green sofa, sipping fine Kentucky bourbon from a china teacup embossed with the presidential seal

“I presuiven you some idea why I wanted to see you,” he said

I placed my cup on the saucer “He actually didn’t say much, to be honest Only that it was to do with the South, soer, perhaps”

“I’ve been doing a little checking on you, Ben It just so happens that the place you were born and raised is the perfect place to send you Assunment”

“Mississippi?”

“Specifically your hometown Eudora, isn’t it?”

“Sir? I’ent in Eudora?”

He walked to his desk and returned with a blue leather portfolio staold

“You are aware that the cri rate in the South?” he said

“I’ve read newspaper stories”

“It’s not enough that soro race has ed since the war Now they’ve taken to’em up from the nearest tree”

The president placed the portfolio in my hand