Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1900-05-25

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Isl That high. clear, vibrant note,
S<S striking through the silence like u
sword Of sound!
"There!" cried Jack Harrowsby.
'They' rcsstarting up. That's Kipperton.s
fife. He's going to play 'Columbia.'s
NO." decided old McClellanl. "He's
just a-tuain' Up. L don't remember to
have ever seen so many folks comm into
town. Jest look at that Kansas hill, an
along by the railroad track. Like as not
they'll be full fifteen hundred Mt the
grove"
Sure! They've got the flag strung
acrost the street. Its sittin' WORE"
ut oughtn't to. 1t amt ont but Deco
ration day an Fourth OF July. But the
winds is hard on it,"
1t was Il fair day--a fine daily. a day
fit for the flag to float high, for music to
resound, for prayers to arise, for the loyal
living to honor the valiant dead. a day
of blue and gold-of soft breeses that
claimed no kinship with fierce midsummer
winds. Rain had fallen in the night, and
even yet upon the roadside grass it gilt
tered. a delicate, brilliant well, hne as
lace upon a lady's gown.
There's John Barriston gittin' out of
his old buggy" commented Harrowsby.
II wonder he amt ashamed to own such
a lookin' trap. with all the money he's
got"
Yes, an here ONE Thorn's carriage
from the other way. Thorn's the only
farmer around here that keeps one. /
don t say he amt right to git some com
fort out'n his life"
Ihe Thorn surrey rolled down the
street. On the front seat sat a heavily
built, auburn bearded man. Beside him
was a white-bloused boy. On the back
seat was Il pleasant faced woman. and
beside her a slender young girl, white
clad from her head to her feet.
MIR. McClclland shook his head. "They
spend too much. They'll wind up in the
poor honscw
oh, L guess not" laughed Harrowsby.
Any one who picks mp Ed Thorn for a
fool is soin' to drop him mighty quick.
Ee can afford to spend some. OF course
barriston is with as much again"
Don't look like it," clicked out the
undertaken.
1t didn't look like it. One would never
have imagined the gaunt old creature.
fnmbling over his broken rope harness at
the side of his ramshackle vehicle. the
possessor Of more worldly wealth than
the prosperous appearing man driving by
at ease with his handsome family. One
likeness, however, in common they had.
Both Wore the army blue.
"They'rc both good haters." went on
the speaker. "Them two men come to
this country pretty soon after we did.
One of 'em must be here nigh on to thirty
years, an they've never spoke a word to
each other in all that time. From tho
same town back East, I've hecrd. am
lit in the war toyether-same regiment
same comp'ny!"
MIR. McClcl!and nodded. II remember.
Ihorns come several years after. An to
think of them two eatin' the same dinner.
an drivin' to the same funerals. walkin'
in the same Fourth Of July procession. or
like now in this here Memorial day M
rade-even havin' the same politics. mn
never as much as a civil word between
'em. / wonder what caused it,"
"A woman, I've heerd said."
"The towns film fast"
1t was filling up fast. On every road
leading down into the peaceful valley
trickled people on foot, on horseback. in
buggies, and in wagons. There were burly
farmers, greeting neighbors, talking of
crops and weather. There were women
with children in their tired arms and
clinging to their gowns, some alert. more
stolid. but almost all in their appearance
of premature age and WEAKNESS. giving
evidence of Overwork and latent depres-
sion.
The Grand Army hall was only the I'M
per floor of an abandoned and dilapidated
building. used as n furniture shop before
the town boom had burst. But the men
who came down the rickety steps scaling
the outer wall were the units who made
the magnet Of attraction. These men
formed in line on the broad strip of the
street, intervening between their occn-
sional quarters and the livery barn. The
stirring notes of the fife rang ont. md
the beating Of q drum throbbed upon tho
air.
The blue-clad ranks formed. There wa g
the bent old body. the square. firm face
and the floating white hair of the father
Beside him tramped his son-spare. sin.
ewy. upright. but perceptibly lame in one
leg-the leg which had been presented at
Shiloh with a much-prized bullet. And
one was pounding, and one was blowing.
each with vigor and enthusiasm.
Up b main street they marched, per-
haps two-scOre veterans in all, the colors
OF their country and their post ahead, the
music rising bra-cly in their midst. And,
side by side, us it CHANGED, in the parade
were the two mon between whom for SO
many years a hitter grudge had lain III
6uried7John Barriston and Edward
Thorn.
The summit OF the incline was reached,
the wooden church which rose from O
sweep OF rocky soil. Horses and buggies
were hitched all along the rough fence.
The foreground was crowded with people
waiting to see the veterans pass In. Then
there were prayers and hymns and ad.
dresses. The latter were delivered from
behind the dividing rail where pictures Of
/ 80.