Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-26

/ 81 bottle, or SIX bottles for IS.
/ ---=----------
step'-parade's dismissed" said the post
commander. we couldn't keep any sort
Of order IL any of Boldway's stories are
/ goin' on"
Back to the village tramped the party.
| In close order. the commander shouldering
! his crutch and leaning the arm of the
president. who kept up a steady fire OF
I stories. in which the old fellows recog-
| nized some experiences and acquaintances
OF their own Loungers the sidewalk
/ and idle clerks in the village shops looked
| with amazement at the oddly contrasting
/ group. and one OF the village clergymen re-
marked to friend that war. like misery,
made strange companions. Arrived at the
hotel the president said:
! Gentlemen. do me a favor. Nurse your
/ appetites until about 1 o'clock. and take
| dinner with me at the hotel-in your uni
forms"
The members looked sheepishly at one
another, for it was the first time they had
been asked to take dinner with any one at
the hotel: indeed they had some doubts
| afterward. whether the landlord would al
low them in his dining room. for they
I never had been over welcome at his bar,
I although they never ventured there with
out the price Of what they called for. The
president insisted. however. they went
over to Crease's shop to talk over the won
derful disclosures of the day, and then they
got up energy enough to shave and wash
/ their faces and comb their heads. for
/ man who knew Boldway ana was going TO
I respect
than they ever showed their feilow-towns-
men.
Meanwhile President Smith OF the other
railway company had been cooling his
heels and hea ting his head on the hotel
piazza, and when he saw the man for whom
he had been waiting he threatened TO
] charge at the rate OF a hundred dollars an
hour for the detention he had endured. be-
cause his distinguished competitor was fool
enough to allow old associations make him
I forget business. The business between the
/ two men was soon under way, but not un-
l I'll the landlord had been ordered 20 pre-
I pare a six-course dinner for four, 10 be
served in private room, and to put several
bottles of his best claret in the kitchen TO
become properly tempered. Before o'clock
President Smiths business and himself
were disposed OF, the president himself by
3 train: then the man who knew Boldway
walked across to Grasses shop. in front OF
which the whole Of Boldway Post was again
Come over to dinner, gentlemen, ana
| bring the colors along"
The dinner was a good one-better, in
deed. the landlord afterward admitted. than
l IL would have been had he known who was
| TO eat it. The posts appetites were good,
! too. and the flow of claret although the boys
afterward agreed that they hadn't supposed
they could take in the soft stufr' 50 easily
and feel so good after IL. was as continuous
as the stream OF war stories. The president,
I strange though IL may appear, heard some
yarns that were new 10 him. although they
d
had been hundred times revised and
amended by the members Of the post The
meal was prolonged for hours. and when
finally the coffee and cigars Were brought In
the entertainer told himself that the town
wouldn't know the guests for the shabby
fellows who had paraded In the morning
"Genuemen, remarked the president af-
ter draining his coffee cup and lighting a
| second cigar, before we dry out our
Threats with tobacco let's have some OLD
army songs. Suppose We begin with that
favorite OF Boldway's, and start the last
verse frst?'
The old boys looked doubtfully at one an
other. and Wadderly drawled:
We'll, fact is, We amt much on the sing;
any one OF US could raise il with the
words"
Hum away. then: I'll try to raise the
words myself, after We get the tune well
under way"
The music arose doubtfully and un-
muslcally; IL sounded like an alteration
between creak. squeak and a grunt: but
The president SAID encouragingly, as the last
tar ended with much volume OF sound:
Good Now I'll try the words; be sure
| that You all come in on the chorus. Excuse
me If stand; never can sing while sitting"
Then he arose. and with quite a clear strong
voice sang.
And when with years and honors crowned
! We sit the homeward hearth around
And hear no more the stirring sound
or the bugle's shr1Il alarm.
/ -AnOruS. now. AS ne SAID this the pres.
! ident threw UP his left hand. the fis.
chehched, and beat time vigorously. ,ds
hand meanwhile making the half circ.e of
the 'moulinet" OF sword practice. They
sang:
We fill and drink. hoorayi
To the memory Of the day;
When. with sabers bare
We all were there
To meet the foe in the morning:
When. with the sabers bare,
We all were there
To meet the foe at morn
No sooner did the chorus begin than yyad.
DERBY got upon his feet and lost his voice:
then Trupsun got Up and cracked noisily,
while Grease, who was so agitated that
/ twice he dropped his crutch. waited only
until the last note TO exclaim:
''Comradei You're BoldMayr'
"Surei" shouted the remainder of the
post"
We'll boys. I was hoping that you'd
tumble to the fact in the course OF time"
said the president. pleasantly.
Thunder
''Gosh."
Great Scottr
NOW that you know me-" resumed the
honor 10 invite me over to post headQuar-
ters, I've got the landlord 10 get the local
pehd-a cornet quartet, / believe-to play
Tor us on the way, and as there are several
tunes I want us to hear together ana the
headquarters aren't far away, let's reach
II by marching entirely around the block
en-, COMMANDER.
Whatever Boldway SAYS goes respond-
ed the Official
The cornet quartet agreeably to instruc-
tons given in advance by Boldway. was
already waiting at the door OF the hotel,
and, according TO orders, started We'll
Rally Round the Flag just as the colors
reached the sidewalk. The one-legged tall
or rose TO the occasion; he had not his
sword with him, but. snatching q cane
from a bystander, he shouted:
"Forward-inarch."
AS evening had coms, the whole OF the
village was soon In the streets TO listen to
the music, and by the tine the post and its
visitor had entered the tailor shop there
were several hundred people outside who
would have given their chance Of heaven
for the sake Of getting inside and learning
what any snlart-looking business man could
see in the three most uninteresting old fell
lows in the village. Boldway insisted upon
smoking a pipe with the boys, while the
music played outside. and when he returned
TO the hotel he carried a headache with
him, for the post tobacco was simply aw-
full But. as he told some comrades in the
city a day or two later. twas worth a
headache to come to life at ones own mon
ument. and without having been dead,
eiIher.