The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1896-08-22
nately he did neither. He was not d
very good sentry, that one, for he
never looked up as he paced along the.

WAS Oh LIE SScdTpIuenC-ln announcer mo-
ment I should have slid trump hantly.
into the ditch, when the sentry turned.
Down I ducked beyond the friendly
pile of sacking. But my movements
We're hardly quick enough Clearly
the sentry had seen something suspi-
acious, for he retraced his footsteps and
came toward me. What was to be
done? My mind was made up in a.
trice measured the approaching
man in the dim light, and saw that he
was Of slender builda mere boy in
my hands. Then, as he reached the
heap OF sacks, suddenly 1eaped up
and grappled with him. Tt took less
time than ! spend in telling you to
wrest the bayonet out of his hands.
Just as he recovered nerve enough
to shout I threw one arm over his
mouth, and, clutching him around the:
body with the other, we rolled over
the escarpment and fell side by side
into the ditch. He was underneath.
The fall stunned him, and as he lay
with expressionless eyes staring up at
the starry heavens, saw his face for
the first time
'And-and you knew who he wasp
eagerly exclaimed Miss Flaxen-hair.
uCdI, SIlO -C1C CO1OuSl# Will a
rather sad smile 'H4you know the story
by heart. Yes, you are right; I saw
who my prisoner was the moment I
looked into his face. There he lay, at
the foot of, the escarpment, dressed in
the gray uniform of the Confederates
my own brother, Jack, the son of
my fathers house, my schoolfellow
and playfeIlow since babyhood, and
NOW hv Starn fotn INV foot -
There was no time to be lost Even
for my brother, could not wait; so 1
took out the brandy flask that the cap
tain Of our company had slipped into
my pocket, and laid it on his nerve
less fingers. Then Just as was about
to go, / remembered the Confederate
flag which I carried. There was nc
absolute need for me TO bring bac1i
those colors; and if they were missed
it might go hard with the sentry on
duty. My object, after all, was only
to recover our flag; so I took the rebel
stars and laid them on Jacks breast.
Then I forced some Of the brandy be-
tween his teeth, and, without waiting
the result, ran with all speed toward
the Federal lines. Luck was with me
to the last, and escaped scot free, to
receive a great ovation in our camp.
They made me captain fur that
nights work. s Z
}s'And Uncle Jaek-what became of
him?' queried Flaxen-hair. "A.
Il He must have recovered, for L saw
his name in the Confed erate reports
many times afterwards. Finally he
was severely wounded and left the
army. notwithstanding all my re-
searches have never been able to
trace him. When my father died he
shared his property between Jack and
myself. [ set to work by every means
in my power to find tue lost brother.
Personals in newspapers, paid agents,
and the like, all failed to discover his
whereabouts. Whether or not he is
ashamed of the side he took in the
war, cannot say. Perhaps the poor
fellow died of his wounds long ago.
Heaven alone knows where he is to-
day.
The colonel ceased, and silently
dotted his SLOUGH hat as though to the
memory of his brother. All the chill
dren sighed in chorus; and Flaxen-hair
gripped closer her grandsire's sword
hand as though in consolation.
During the story they had made a
complete round of the soldiers section,
and were once more nearing that por-
ton of the cemetery from which they
had started. Many a tombstone bore
sremembrances of the children's love,
and the coloners kindly comradesEip.
''And now, grandfather, said little
Flaxen-hair, show about the grave
without any stone over it.. I've kept
real nice cross for that grave"
''You are a thoughtful little lass,'''
answered the colonel, "and the real
nice cross shall be laid on the grave
without delay. But stay! What is the
meaning of the excitement yonder?''
Under the maple tree, and quite
close to the nameless grave for which
Flaxen-hair had reserved a cross,
small crowd was gathered. AS the
colonel and his conveys of boys and
girls approached they saw that it sur
rounded two persons-the one an irate
man in the uniform Of cemetery
warden, the other a small boy. An ex-
clamation escaped from Col. Flanders
when he recognized in the boy the
same pale, ill clad urchin, whom he
had noticed on the path earlier in the 4
afternoon. The cemetery official was
clutching the lad by the shoulder, as
our worthy veterans, bidding Flaxen-
hair and her companions stay where
they were, hurried through the Gordon
of onlookers and gained the culprit's
side. 5ss S5.1.
81 The brass buttoned warden, recog-
nizing in Col. Flanders one of the
cemetery governing board, saluted re-
spectfully- IzA
This boy has been pulling flowers
from the shrubs and creepers, he sex-
planned. caught him in the act. ~
The colonel looked at the boy.
Come, my lad, = he said, 4thow does
this happen? Have you any excuse
for destroying the shrubs q
#5s Up to this the little prisoner had
borne up bravely, and even sollily; but
the gentleness Of the newcomers tone
and manner proved too much for him.
II W-Was picking a few flowers for
fathers grave he said, gulping down
a sob. M others too poor to buy flow
ers, and-and I didn't like to see the
grave without flowers on Decoration
Day e
The listeners were yisibly affected.
There was a spontaneous movement, 4
and murmur of sympathy. The
cemetery official relaxed his grip on
the boys ragged collar.
s5ss99ssW here is your fathers grave %,