Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-03-11
THE VETERAN.


three hickory trees placed irregularly In
a meadow that was resplendent in
springtime green. Farther away the
old, dismal belfry Of the village church
doomed over the pines. A horse medi-
tating in the shade Of one Of the hiok-
cries lazily swished his tail. The warm
sunshine made All oblong Of vivid yell
low on the floor Of the grocery store.
could you see the whites Of their
eyes?' said the man who was seated OH
a soap box.
Nothing of the kind" replied old
Henry warmly. "Just lot Of fitting
figures, and l let go where they 'peared
to be the thickest. Bangle
"Mr. Fleming said the grocer. His
deferential voice expressed somehow the
old mans exact social weight. 'Mr.
Fleming, you never was frightened
much in them battles, was your"
The veteran looked down and grin
ned. Observing his manner the entire
group Uttered. "Well, I guess I was"
he answered finally, 'pretty we'll scared
sometimes. Why, in my first battle !
though the sky was falling down. J
thought the world was coming to an
end. You bet was scared. -
Every one laughed. Perhaps it SEEM
ed strange and rather wonderful to them
that man should admit the thing, and
in the tone Of their laughter there was
probably more admiration than if old
Fleming had declared that he had al
ways been lion. Moreover, they knew
that he had ranked as an orderly SER
geant, and SO their opinion Of his hero
ism was fixed. None, to be sure, knew
how an orderly sergeant ranked, but
then it was understood to be somewhere
just shy Of major generals stars. So
when old Henry admitted that he had
been frightened there was laugh.
'The trouble was" said the old
man, II though they were all shooting
at me. Yes, sir, / thought every man
in the other army was aiming at me in
particular, and only me. And it seemed
so darned unreasonable, you know. !
wanted to explain to 'em what all al
mighty good fellow l was, because /
thought then they might quit all trying
to hit me- But couldn't explain, and
they kept on being unreasonable-blim
-blam-bangl So I rum
Two little triangles of wrinkles ap-
peared at the corners of his eyes. Eyi-
IDENTIFY he appreciated some comedy in
this recital. Down near his feet, how
ever, little Jim, his grandson, was Wis
IDLY horror stricken. His hands were
clasped nervously, and his eyes were
wide with establishment at this terrible
scandal-his most magnificent GRANDPA
Their telling such thing.
"That was at charlottesville. OF
course afterward I got kind Of used to
it. A man does. Lots Of men, though,
seem to feel all right from the start.
did as soon as I got ON to it, as they
say now, but at first I was pretty fus-
tered. Now, there was young Jim Conk-
lin, old ST Conklin's son-that used to
keep the tannery you none Of you recol-
lect him-he went into it from the start
just az if he was born to it. But with
me it was different. I had to get used
to 1T.
When little Jim walked with his
grandfather, he was in the habit of
skipping along on tho stone pavement
in front Of the three stores and the hotel
Of the town and betting that he could
avoid the cracks. But upon this day he
walked soberly. with his hand gripping
two Of his grandfather's fingers. Some
times he kicked abstractedly at dande-
lions that curved over the walk. Any
one could see that he was much trou-
bled.
There's Sickles' colt over in the
medder, Jimmie" said the old man.
Don't you wish you owned one like
him?''
"Ump' said the boy, with strange
lack of interest. He continued his re-
fleotions. Then finally he ventured,
Neutrality-suspicious. that true what
you was telling those men?'
"What?' asked the grandfather.
"What was telling them9"
ooh, about your running"
"Why, yes. that was true enough,
Jimmie. Il was my first fight, and
there was an awful lot of noise, you
know"
Jimmie seemed dazed that this idol,
Of it's own will, should go totter. Hi
stout, boyish idealism was injured.
Presently the grandfather said
"Siokles' colt is going for a drink
Don't you wish you owned Sickles' colt
Jimmie2"
The boy merely answered, "He aim,
as nice as our'n.'' He lapsed then t.
another moody silence.
One Of the hired men, Swede, de-
sired to drive to the county seat for pur
poses Of his own. The old man loaned 9
horse and an unwashed buggy. It ap
peared later that one Of the purposes Of
the Swede was to get drunk.
After quelling some boisterous frolie
| Of the farm hands and boys in the garnet
the old man had that night gone peace.
fully to sleep, when he was aroused by
clamoring at the kitchendoor. He grab.
bed his trousers, and they waved out be-
hind as he dashed forward. He could
hear the voice Of the Swede, screaming
and blubbering. He pushed the wooden
button, and 40 the door few open the
Swede, a maniac, stumbled inward,
ohattering, weeping, still screaming
de harm hrel Fire, firel De barn fire
Fire, fire, f1rel''
There was swift and Understandable
change In the old man. His face ceased
instantly to be q face II became 4 mask,
gray thing, with horror written about
the mouth and eyes. He hoarsely shout.
ed 1t the foot Of the little rickety stairA