The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1899-02-09
THE HARDEST PART.

white infantry stripe on the trousers, at
the lieutenant bar on the shoulders of
the loose coat, but these told him moth
ing. Suddenly his eye caught the number
OF the regiment on the collar. Then he
started forward, saying to himself:
Jerusalem, it ain It's it? 1t is"
"Yes," the other said, nodding weakly.
at is. Will you call wagon? l want to
get home.''
He sat down in the garng sun on the
station steps, smiling family, while the
old man shook his head Then the sta
ton master FASTENED off and returned in
a few seconds, walking beside covered
wagon driven by a little black boy. The
young officer rose and climbed, with the
help of the old man, into the back seat.
Now, said the station master, ''dnve
straight to Mrs Holidays, and don let
any fool Try to stop you and talk to Mr..
Holiday; heaI?"
The boy nodded Holiday smiled his
thanks, leaned back in the seat, and pull
ed his army lat over his eyes, while the
boy started his horse at rafting pace
down the single street of the little village,
past old houses, some of which had open
ed their doors to returning soldiers of
Washin tons army. As he drove by one
of the houses the young officer leaned for
ward and stared hard at the deserted
piazza, as though he expected to see some
me, but a WON flag tluttering family in
The feeble west breeze was the only thing
about the house that bore even a sem
blance of life.
Are the Emerys away?' he asked.
mo, sill: all home, - said the boy. Then
he urged his horse up the Hill, and Holla
days face grew eager with anticipation.
The wagon stopped and he got out. The
process was slow, but he accomplished it
SUCCESSFULLY "Come here to night, he
said leaning against one of the pillars Of
the piazza to get his breath and putting
some money into the little black hand.
Come at eight.
Yes, sir, said the boy. Then he turn
ed about, his childish curiosity too great
for his awe. "Are you going away again,
for TO fight the Cubes?''
''No; the war is over, said Holiday.
"But | have to do something as sad as
fighting Cubes at eight to might" he
added TO himself
He opened the screen door and walked
into the GOODNESS of the wide, silent hall.
The house was very still. He sat down in
chair near the stairs. The ticking of the
tall hall clock was the only sound he heard.
LIS oiAANit In AAi"'' " st ANAA''
He looked YEARLY up the stairs. They
had never seemed SO high and SO steep.
He used to go up three at a time, a long
time ago, though, when he was boy
three months ago. IL five minutes, per
haps, he would climb them. He would
rest here at the foot, anyway, for little
while; then he would go up, and perhaps
he would have little breath left to speak
to his mother and Blanche.
lie 10 'ked about the hail ana smiled at
the familiar fading fgures IN the old car
pet 4es, he was at home again. Here
was the old house where he was born,
where he had slept nearly every night OF
his life until five years ago, when he had
left to 90 to West Point.
Here 1t is just the same, and ii have
lived through HE'LL he unused. But
there's nothing here to remind me of
down there, nothing ut all. 1t just home
and he'll is past. He looked about His
deep qualification overcame for moment
even ms sense OF WEAKNESS and weakness.
III l call, my mother Will come and there
Is a bed mp stairs, and everything clean,
and there cold water, all that l want
whenever l ask Tor 1t, and there are no
dead men, except those That are buried
under clean green grass, and there no
S4N"H4ll-
lie glanced bout and smiled again in
his deep content, but suddenly he caught
his breath. His eye rested on japanese
jar mean the door, IN which there were two
umbrellas and walking stick
Jack stuck he sad.
lie and Jack had graduated III the same
class at the academy and Jack mad
spent the last month Oh DIS 1nllough IN
the old house. Ihey had gone together
from 1t to report Tor duty III the same reg
lment on the frontier In the hurry OF
getting OF that rainy september morning
not year ago, Jack mad lett his stick.
Later ne had written Jocniarly from hls
post thousand mics away, begging MIS-.
Holiday not to trouble to express 1t to
him. he would run IN tor 1t himself some
night. Jack had fallen the second day OF
OF the night before santiago, and Faith
Emery, the girl to whom he was engaged,
whom be had seen for the first time in
this old house, lived down IN the village.
1t was to her young Holladay was going at
elght that night.
Somewhere ID tile house door closed,
and he heard quick step coming through
the dining room and out into the ball He
looked up at little girl OF twelve who
stood IN the doorway staring at him with
wide, frightened eyes. He waited min
ute nearly, but she did not speak.