The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1899-06-03

Eyes, Nellie, fight togetherp' the young
man proudly added.
A tall woman with slightly gray hair,
who had been standing at the side door Of
the long white porch of the farm house,
now called:
Come to dinner, children, and you, too,
Thomas Hines, come in and eat dinner
with US"
The boy would have hesitated, but
hand at either side holding each of his,
there was nothing for the young volunteer
to do but to accept
Enlisted, eh?" said Captain Wilkinson
in a gruff voice, as he came in from the
field minute later, where he had been
planting, and took his seat at the head of
the table.
"Well, Thomas" he added after a mo-
ment's silence, somebody's got to do it,,
l spose! But you're rather young yet,
Tom
Cant Edward go with him, father?"
at length asked, in pleading voice, the
girl, breaking the silence.
Edward Wilkinson looked up at his sis
ter, a feeling of deep gratitude in his
heart, and followed the attack with, Yes,
father, you said once that you'd give your
consent, if anybody from right around
home here was going that would look out
for me-"
But Tom is only a boy himself. l
meant some older person"
And do you want your only brother to
go to the war, Nellie?" asked the girls
mother.
Eyes, as he wants to go himself, and
besides when it is every ones duty TO go
who can," said the girl spiritedly. BE
sides, too, when his best friend and chum,
Tom Hines, is going"
The three young faces looked earnestly
at the head of the table. AS they did so a
tall, thin-faced woman came and stood in
the open door.
Invited in, Mrs. Hines would not take
off her things, and said, all breathless, that
she had come to know if they had made
up their mind to let Edward enlist. She
had given her consent to her own son feel
ing sure that his friend was going also.
mo, Mrs. Hines" replied at length in
slow, measured voice, Amos Wilkinson,
Edward has never been very well, and,
besides, must have his help this summer.
We must both work out for the neighbors,
by day work OH their farms when we can
get time, to meet the bills that's due"
But did you hear about the town meet
ing this morning, what they did?"
mo, what?"
''Voted to give every man in the new
company a bounty of two hundred dollars
in advance"
At the words the face of the hard
featured farmer flushed. Looking at him
&c no fO trau -
was not an avaricious, grasping man, but
the sterile little rocky New England farm
he titled made him think, in a practical
way, in order that both ends should meet
This had been one of the weightiest rea.
sons against his sons enlistment, but he
had not mentioned it before. The other
was the frailty of the young man. But
now, as he sat there, he thought Of the
mortgage of two hundred dollars upon the
little place, and a note coming due in the
summer.
The color came and went to the mans
face, but no, he would not sell his boys
life, or the risk of that life. Rising, as al
sat and looked upon him in the silence
watching the struggle, he said, deter
mined look upon his face, and with fash
ing eyes, in low tone:
Edward is not going to enlist, but
am. l will so myself"
AS thunderbolt the words came upoI
the devoted family.
Edward, you can take care of tn,
farm" he said, and then turning to Mrs
Hines, perhaps / can look out for you
boy better at the front than another bo,
of the same age could"
| The next day the Allentown company