, 1898-12-09

Mike Halloranl Well, wheo the wal
broke out. Mike was anxious to go, but
Ellen she opposed it until the second
or third call for volunteers was issued.
l can't remember whether twas the
second or third call, butt
Never mind" said Maria impa-
tiently. What odds does it make wha,
call it was? Go on with your story"
"Well, the long and the short Of it wal
that Mike he enlisted in Company X,
and the boys passed by the hotel on their
way to the front. l never saw such a
time in Joliet before or since. The
whole regiment went past right down
this street, Maria. There were more
than 1000 men. The sun was shining
on their new guns and brass buttons
and flags were flying, the bands playing
and everybody was singing 'The Star
Spangled Banner The sidewalk was
packed with people solid as a box Of
clothespins. This piazza was packed.
Every window in the hotel was crowd
ed. Standing right here on the top step
right where my cane is pointed-was
Ellen Halloran with her baby in her
arms. She didn't pay any attention to
the music OF the flags or the shouting.
She was looking for her Mike, and she
saw him, too, before l could have seen
him with a telescope. and as she caught
sight of him she pointed him out to the
baby, saying:
There he is, alannal Dye see
him there in the front rank? Oh. the
brave lad! Give way, there, you, and
lave me at himl Lave me at him |
Mebbe I'll never see him againp
Maria, the crowd opened in front Of
her as a mower cuts grass. They made
a lane for her to pass through as if she
was a princess. She ran out alongside
OF Mike, who took the baby out of her
arms and raised it to his shoulder, still
marching, and Company K set up a
shout. Three cheers TOR Halloran's
wife and babyr And so they passed
down the street and were lost in the
crowd"
"Well, said Maria, what became
of H~alloran?" jogging her husband
again OUT of his reminiscent dream.
eyes, yes; excuse me, Maria. Well,
l did not hear anything from Mike for
three years. Then his regiment came
back. Half of the men were left on the
battlefield or in the hospital. Some of
them had legs, others had arms miss
ing. There was no band to make music
foI their marching feet, the flags were
torn and smoke stained, and there was
no cheering"
"But what of Halloran?'' said Maria
impatiently. "Was he there?"
"Oh, yes, he was there. He was q
sergeant with a wooden leg and one eye
missing. Ellen had disappeared. l new
er knew where she went 20. / did hear
that she ran away with some other man,
but l never knew if the story was true.
Anyway Mike enlisted and went away
again. That wal The second time I saw
him. Last Sunday, Maria, / took a
stroll through the cemetery on the hill.
One OF the slopes is covered entirely
with soldiers graves. Ii looked to me
as If there must be a whole regiment
asleep there. There wasn't anybody
around there throwing forgetmenots on
the graves, as l could see. Maria. My
eyes amt al good as they used to be,
but l couldn't see no monuments reach
ing up to tell how them poor fellows
had died. But in one of the paths be-
tween the gravestones l saw a sort Of
blackboard stuck up, and l put on my
specs, and l read these lines, printed on
the blackboard:
o Fame's eternal camping ground
Their silent tents are spread,
And glory marks with solemn round
The bivouac of the dead"
"Well, said Maria, lyon started to
tell about Halloran. What became of
him?"
"That's just what l was a-going to
tell you if you'll give me a chance"
continued Jabez. "You see, just as I
was a-going away l stopped down to see
II there was any writing on one of the
little wooden headstones. and when l
soraped the moss away 1 saw these
words: Michael Hallorun, Joliet. -
Ernest Jarrold in Denver News