The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1893-05-26
AN IDYLUP0N CRUTCHES.

WHO carry JlCktt Tor CnhrOn ferry-
boat in his pocket, and is only lettering
little by the way She, as full! of life
as the lilacs near which they sit, CRATE
full to the eye in her beauty as they to
the sense in their fragrance He the
weakness, she the strength, of the part-
nership She az upright as a tall lily
stem, with health to pay Time full rent
through along life, he STOPPING painfully
over the two sticks that prop up his
nerveleAs body. Those are thecrutches.
Now for the idyl
There was feverishness Of life in
New York city North and south had
grappled by the throat War was whip
ping the tops OF commerce until they
hummed again The government cried
"Glve give! and merchant, manufac-
turer and artisan toiled and moiled
Even man ms man had value in the
market: flesh aud blood was dear,
A youth and u girl met at church
door, and strolled away together In the
course Of the service--for 1t was the
Sabbath day-the minister had invoked
the divine blessing upon the Federal
arms, and made passionate appeal to
the congregation to aid with purse and
person to keep intact the grand old flag,
that not single star should be rent
from the union, not one stripe from its
field. And hearts had throbbed and
eyes had welled over with tears that
morning. There were dollars for the
wounded and volunteers for the war in
That sermon
"ls it true that you have bought a sub
stitute EDGAR"
1t was the girl who spoke as the pair
turned up Lexington avenue
''Uml' and Edgar nodded his head
afiirmatively "A German, who thought
his body md bones worth 81 ,000."
She looked straight before her, kicking
the point Of her parasol with her boot
tips as she walked
"The last steamer brought 500 emf
grants, Georgia The price Of substitutes
will 60 down for bit 1t isa pity did
not wait a little"
Eyes, it is
She said this quite seriously, and stop
ped before the door Of the house she lived
in.
"Well, don't look 30 serious about it, "
he added cheerfully 81 have put 81 900
to a worse use before now, Georgia"
"Never in your life, Edgar
"Eh?"
"Never in your life, say, Edgar" She
jumped up two steps, and then turned to
confront him "Al the substitutes will
be gone after awhile and then they'll
have to call upon us girls to go to the
war If were drafted I'd not buy asub-
stitute; I'd 60"
81 understand you" said he slowly,
and leaned against the plaster. "You
love your country more than all besides
eh, Georgia.
She looked down at him with half
perplexed expression in her hazel colored
eyes; and just then some leaves from the
creeper that clambered the front of the
house came tluttering to the ground be-
tween them. STOPPING, she picked a red
one up and held 1t up to him by way
of diversion. lis not that beautiful
COLOR"
at is red--a very suggestive one just
now, aud quite apropos of our conversa-
tion, Georgia Give it to me, That will
be leave taking, won't it?"
There was tone of bitterness in his
voice; 1t was not hard to see that he was
angry.
"You understand me in part, Edgar,
1t is the worst part that you understand;
the better escapes you"
"No, think not, Georgia He push
ed his hat back from his face and gazed
steadily at her "You believe honestly
that it is on my account, for my good
name, that you are solicitous, Come,
now, some Of your girl friends have
been twitting you with my inglorious
proclivities for whole skin, contrast
ing the patriotic nobleness of their
sweethearts with the selfish pusillanim-
ity Of yours The thought has grown
up in your brain that by and by it will
be said to you, Your husband bought a
substitute when he was drafted; you
married man who, when old and young
were going to the war, sheltered himself
behind his dollars Well. now, Georgia,
listen to me-
"Stop moment Edgar Tell me,
have you never felt any Of this for your
selfp No one has ever twitted me as
you say, but have thought, not in my
brain but in my heart where all my
thoughts Of you grow Edgar" --her
cheek flushed but she spoke resoutely
--''that hereafter men may twit you,
and you in tum may twit me, because
when our country cried out loudly, and
fathers and brothers, aye, even TO the
very school lads, took their lives in their