Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-05-30

In several minutes there was another obstrue.
ton and halt and again the Limpinc Tins
broke ranks and clustered around their old
comrade, asking questions and answering ten
times as many, while little Phil tugged hard
at his fathers hand until wedgeway asked:
What Is 1t, little chap2'
81 wish you'd ask 'em what that black crow
with medal in his mouth is all about" said
the boy.
Sure enough" said Big Stikes. 1--WE forgot
to tell you about that. Your crow got sick an
dlea wnen you left-died Of grief, sure as
you're born. One Of the boys stuffed him and
kept him, thinkin' you'd turn up some time and
like to have him. After the war was over an we
organized post you was elected an honorary
MEMBER. and as you wasn't there we put the
crow on staff, fastened your medal to his
beak an always had him carried alongside of
the colors. When the roll call reaches your
name the man carryin' the crow answers
Here an drops the staff. Now, though. sav.
commander, amt it time for Wedgeway's
medal to go where it belongs?'
no.tt er. Gn1ay was the reply: Attention,
Inc this tattered old flag was brought
forward, accompanied by the crow. The post
commander whispered to the colonel
Regularity be hanged when justice ia to be
oone was the colonefs reply. 1.-The fellow is
In itself is horribly irregular, but nobody dare
say word against it-not in this case"
Droop that crow!" said the commander.
me order was obeyed. The medal was de-
tached. The colonel whispered to the COM
mander, VINO nodded his head. Then the colo
mel nao the hfers and drummers face about
and he whispered to the color bearer. As the
commander pinned the medal upon the breast
OF the honorary member the music shrieked
ano ratified a salute, the flag dropped, Wedge
way seized the sacred rags with both hands and
pressed them to his lips
'What shall flo with ba n.o-
bearer. '-o
Put him where he belongs" said wedgeway.
stroklng the birds glossy plumage. The boys
UNDERSTOOD MIN; In u moment the wires binding
the bird 8 feet to the pole were loosed and then
forced through the left shoulder of Wedgeway's
coat; In another moment the bird was securely
fastened In his old place. Again an aid dashed
:. '.H this post doesn't stop obstructins the
Of column
Order and be hanged ~ roared Big stikes
Wnle the commander hastily shouted, For
war9-march. Stlkes continued, You'll lose
the biggest attraction in the show if you get
Again the procession started and aoain it
matted; again the survivors OF the til broke
ranks and .unloaded additional questions and
Information on their old comrade, the colonel
bringing glad flush into the honorary mem
per face by saying, in the most matter-of-
fact way:
''Oh, wedgeway, I must tell Won before
forget it that just before you left 1 had recon-
menoed you to the governor for promotion to
the rank OF major; our major, you'll remem-
Der, was troubled great deal by an old wound
ana had to resign. As you didn't return, al
ssnongh waited long time for you, had to
nn 'ne vacancy with some one else, but was SO
sure that you were innocent and everything
would be made clear in the course of time that
retained the commission. 1t would have been
OF no use to you, Of course, except to show
you now highly you were esteemed by your re-
glmental commander and your governor"
''Bless your murmured Wedgeway. "You
know how soldier feels You'll send it to me
when you reach homer
Once more the column moved and remained
IN motion until the street was reached where
tne post and that whose guest it was were to
"Wedgeway," said the post commander. who
mad disappeared an instant during the last halt,
"wer to be dined, Immediately after breaking
ranks, by our hosts. I've made arrangements
for place at table for you"
Twas very thoughtful Of you. captain"
SAID the reconstructed soldier, "but sha MT be
as happy as can until 1 reach home and tell
my wife. She's been suffering with me for the
past ten or twelve years.
Hurry home and tell her; then come TO us :"
said Big Stikes. Wedgeway laughed and shook
his head as he replied:
''She isn't that kind, old man."
'Give me your address, Wedgeway," said the
colonel, taking tablet and pencil from his
pocket; $50 can send you that commission
you know. Thank you. Now go put that good
woman out Of her misery"
hands all around; you'll forgive me for hur,
ryins, know, if you'll put yourselves in my
Three cheers for wedgewayw shouted Big
Stikes. as father and son hurried away'
Wedgeway stopped and raised his hat. As for
little Phil. he not only raised his but Joined in
the cheering. II other people could cheer his
father he saw no reason why he shouldn't do it
too, as he explained to his mother that night
1t took Wedgeway a full hour to tell the
whole glorious story to his wife, though she
was the happiest woman in New York from the
moment he began. Little Phil listened to it
all with eyes and mouth wide open, and felt
himself growing when he comprehended that
his own father had really been one of the SOL
diers whom he had been SO carefully taught to
admire. suddenly the wife arose from her
husbands knee and took from a trunk some
thing in frame which the child remembered.
though he had not seen it since he learned to
read. Again the commission was hung in its
old place; the child climbed upon chair and
spelled it out; then he turned around. raised
his right hand in air and shouted. .Hurrah for
Wedgeway! His mother laughed gaily and
assisted at the hurrahs, while the father cried
like baby. Then Mrs. Wedgeway brought to
light the old photograph of her husband as a
soldier, and again little Phil hurrahed. while
his father hurried from the room, to return In
ten minutes with beardless face and the TIPS
OF his mustache turned up as jauntily as in
the picture. Then il was his wife turn to cry.
After supper the story was told again. with
many details which had escaped the first tell
ing. Little Phil was again an interested listener.
although his usual bedtime had long passed.
Suddenly he sprang up and exclaimed:
Soldiers ~
"Only some Of the boys going home, little
chap" said the father as the youngster threw
up the window. They're not likely to pass
through this quiet little street."
They are comm this way" said the child,
Withdrawing his head an instant; ''they've lust
come around the corner"
Dub-dub. Alphabetically, sounded the
drums, while Mrs. Wedgeway told her husband
that she didn't believe tina. child would sleep a
wink that night, and the father said that he
didn't believe that he himself would, either.
"Oh, papa" shouted the boy. again with
drawing his head from the window, 'they've
got one Of those lights in big box on a pole.
like men carry in lection times, an what do
You think is painted on the outside of it? Why.
just what some Of the Grand Army fellows said
today before they knew you was there:
Strange about Wedgeway.' Come and sec"
Tom was at the window in an instant, so was
his wife, Just then the drum was silenced d.
some one shouted Halt p and as windows went
up all along the block the hest brass hand that