The National tribune., 1899-03-02

and lots more fun, and don't boss me around
| like Maria does.''
That's all you know about it, you little
skeezIcs. She don't boss you around half as
much as she onght to- Then gentler: Now.
Sammy, do jest as 1 say. and II send you
home real rebel gun jest rs soon as / git
your letter"
"A real gun, that'll be all my own, and
will shoot and kick, and crack loud? F"
| YES, genuine rebel gun, that You kin
shoot crows with and celebrate Christmas,
and kill dog
Well I'll write you letter if it twists
my fingers of, said the boy joyously.
sAnd you hope to be struck dead if you
| tell word to anybody?"
Yes, indeedy," said the boy, crossing his
heart earnestly. Shorty folded up the piece
| of dress goods tendery, placed it securely in
the breast-pocket of his blouse, and trudged
over to the station, stopping on the summit
OF the hill to take last look at the house.
1t was long. hard walk for him, for he was
yet far from strong, but he got there before
| train time.
1t was the through train from ST. Louis
that he boarded, and the only vacant seat
that he could find was one partially filed
with the belongings OF n couple sitting facing
1t, and very close together. They had hold
of one another's hands, and quite clearly
were dressed better than they were accuS-
toned to. The man was approaching mid
dle-age, and wore a shiny silk hat, suit of
broadcloth, with n satin vest. and q heavy
silver watch chain His face was rather
strong and hard, and showed exposure to
rough weather The woman was not so
much younger, was tall and angular, rather
uncomiortably conscious of her good clothes,
and had firm, settled look about her mouth
and eyes, which only partially disappeared
III response to the mans persistent endear-
ments. Still she seemed more annoyed than
he did at the seating of another party In
front of them whose eyes would be upon
them. The man lifted the things to make
room for Shorty, who commented to h.mself:
Should think they was bride and groom,
If they wuzzent so old"
There was vague hint that he had seen
the face somewhere, but he dismissed it, then
settled himself, and, busy with his own
thoughts, pressed his face against the
window, and tried to recognize through the
darkness the objects by which they were
rushing They were all deeply interesting
to him, for they were part OF Marias home
and surroundings.
Alter awhile the man appeared temporarily
tired of billing and cooling, and thought con-
versatOn with someone else would give
variety to the trip. He opened their lunch
basket, took out something for himself and
his companion to eat. nudged Shorty, and
offered him n generous handful. Shorty
promptly accepted, for LIE had the perennial
hunger OF cOnyalescence, and his supper had
been interrupted.
- C,oinJ hacl- to tho arr,., inouiraJ tba
man, with his mouth full of chicken, and by
way of opening up the conversation.
: Um-um," said Shorty, nodding assent
" Where do you belong?"
'200th lnjianny Volunteer Infantry"
IL Shorty had been noticing the woman
he would have seen her start, but would
have attributed it to the lurching of the
cars. She lost interest in the chicken leg
she was picking and listened to the con-
tinuance of the conversation.
: mean, what army do you belong to ? +"
Army o. the Cumberland, down at Chat
tanoogy."
= indeed; | might say that I belonged to
that army myself. I'm goin down that way,
too You see, my Congressman helped me
.et contract for furnishing the Army o. the
Cumberland with bridge timber, and Pm
goin' down to Looeyville, and mebbe further,
10 see about it. We've Jest come from st.
Louis. where I've bin deliyerin' some timber
in RATS"
Where are you FROM? ;"
g Bad AK, Wisconsin, little ways from
Lacrosse"
1t was Shorty's turn to start, and it flashed
upon him just where he had seen that
squarish face. 1t was in an ambrotype that
he carried in his breast-pOcket He almost
choked on the merrythought of the chicken.
but recovered himself, and said quickly:
"Iye heard o. the place Lived there
long?"
Always, you might say. Father took
me there as child during the mine excite
ment, growed up there, went into business,
married, lost my wife, and married again.
We're now on what you might call our
bridal tower. l had to come down here on
business, so l brung my wife along, and
worked il off on her as our bridal tower
Purity cute, don't you think ?"
Aud he reached over and tried to squeeze
his wife's hand, but she repulsed it.
The bridegroom piled Shorty with questions
as to the army for awhile after they had
finished eating, and then arose and remarked:
I'm goin' into the smokin' car for a
smoke. Won't you come along with me, SOL
dier, and have cigar?"
No, thankee," answered Shorty. "Pd
like to, awfully, but the doctors shut down
on my smOkin' till git we'll"
As soon rs he was well on his way the
woman leaned forward, and asked Shorty
in an earnest tone:
Did you say that you belonged to the
200th Ind ?"
Yes'm," said Shorty very meekly. "To
Co. O."
''The very same company" gasped the
woman. "Did you happen to know Mr.
Daniel Elliott in that company
Very well, mum. Knowed him almost |
as we'll as if he was my own brother"
What sort of a man was hep"
lawful nice feller. | thought heap of
him. Thought more of him than any other !
IN N in the company. A nicer man you
never knowed. Didn't drink nor swear, nor |
play cards, nor chaw terbacker. Used to 90 |
TO church every Sunday. Chaplain thought |
a heap of him. Used to call him his right |
bower-I mean his strong suit mean his |
two pair-ace high. No, neither o. them's |
ust the word the Chaplain used, but it was
just as good, but more Bible |
like"
''I'm so glad to hear it" murmured the
woman.
30, he was an ornament to the army"
continued the unblushing Shorty, who hadn't |
had a good opportunity to lie in all the weeks |
that the Deacon had been with him, and |