The Coconino weekly sun., 1896-05-28

brides, and in many places as we'll as
 in the canopy of bunting and flowers
 under which they stood to be wed, the
 country's starry flag with its firma-
 ment of heavens own blue, all making
 another picture in blue and gray. As
 Ruth looked at her stalwart hus-
 band, the sunbeams in her hair. heart
 and eyes, she looked like one of Ra-
 phael's angels released from its canvas
 to make mortal glad. It was happy
 wedding, and out of it grew two happy
 homes.
 Years came and vert, summer skies
 of blue changed to winter skies of gray
 and back again. Gray came thickly
 into the hair and boards of the two
 veterans and into the sunny tresses of
 their bonny brides. But both these
 men were loyal to the core, loyal in friendship, loyal in devotion to their
 country's cause. Poindcxter, always
 maintaining the sincerity of the boys in gray. who proved it by heroic cour- age and self-sacrifice, was not a man
 to do anything by halves. He saw that
 it was good thing that slavery had
 been shot to death, that union had been established, that dsintegration, though masked in spacious disguise, had been forever made impossible. On
 Memorial day, though not of course eligible to membership in the c. A. R., he walked by invitation in the pro. cession, and there, arm in arm, Fal. coner and his sisters handsome pris- oner paid tribute to the heroes deal. Sometimes at public meetings anl campfires they spoke, and the fervid southern eloquence of the soldier who once bravely fought in gray breathed deep devotion to the cause won by the boys in blue. Families grew up about them--athletic boys. with something of their fathers looks and loyalty; sunny-haired girls, from whose blue eyes shone the devotion shown by their mothers in the days which tried women's souls. Two years ago, not many months apart. the fa- thers heard the word of command from on high, and like true soldiers obedi- ently responded. They lie side by side in death as in life; above them gray granite slabs growing, as it were, from beds of blue violets, myrtle blossoms and emerald grass.
 On last Memorial day there came | to these graves. after the crowd had de- | parted, hand in hand, two lovers. The | youth was Carlos PoiEdexter. the | maiden Dorothy Falconer. children of the men who slept at their feet. He wore a naval cadet uniform of gray. she had clinging dress of blue, and her eyes matched her garb as his gray eyes did his neatly fitting uni form. Small union flags dropped over the grassy mounds, and on the gray granite monoliths hung chaplets of flowers. already fading. The skies above were blue, but as they stood there talking gently of the parents they loved, the gray veil of the twilight crept over the heavens. the sunset crim- son famed and then paled in the west, the stars one by one peeped out, shin ng softly through the thinly gather- ng clouds. His arm stole about her waist, hers crept about his neck, and heir lips met in lovers kiss. Was t the wind which breathed a soft 'cnediction, or did the gentle whisper 'ome from the graves at their feet? and softly a few drops of rain ell. glistening in the fading light. ani IS they turned away the beautiful maiden laid two choice chap!ets of lowers upon these cherished graves, in oken of lasting love and remembrance. They were made partly of gray Spanish noss from Louisiana. and peeping out hyly from the soft outlines of these 'reaths of neutral tint were blue yed pimperpels and blue forget-me- lots. l. EDGAR JONES.