Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1901-05-30

hn KIN hear the drums a.beatin', Jo
h& Sarah Parkman stood in her
humble doorway, leaning her head little
farther out in the May dusks, in listening
attitude.
whats that ye hear, Sairee?"
A thin, angular man came out of the cabin
and stood beside the woman. Tapping the
corncob pipe he held in his right hand
meditatively on the thumbnail of his left,
he bent his gray locks to the breeze.
What was it that ye heard, Sairee" he
repeated, softly.
Drums a-beatin," she answered crisply
they're gettin' ready for Decoration to.
morrow"
As if in emphasis, the wind blew brislly
up from the quarter indicated by "they,"
and the roll Of drums came plainly to the
old mans ear.
"lurrah! hurrah for the old flag Saireev'
And he began marching up and down the
white path running to the wicket.
Lets go termorrer; say yes, Sairee"
He put out his bony hand through the
shadows until it rested on the ample shoul-
ders of his wife.
JOSIAH she said, warningly. "When
ye have served the kentry like st. Paul, in
| fastln S, an perls, an marchin's, an fight
| in, and then wasted all your hvin' on agents
ian lawyers to get the pension due ye nigh
onto 20 years, and are no whit better off Z
| What! Shall we go over to Mentone to
morrow and parade around with them as
don't want us or don't miss us? / guess
not! We've said we wouldn't mix in ag in
sence that day young drunken Dudley car
ried the flag instead o. lettin' you; and
so far we've kept our word" Having thus
delivered herself, Mrs. Parkman looked
over the head OF her husband away into the
infnitesmal and shut her lips tightly
you said that, Sairee," he protested,
foebly, "an' we've kept your word; but
somehow / kinder feel as if I'd like to go
termorrer. I'm a-gettin' older every year,
Sairee, an mebbe, by an by, won't be
hyar to go!"
The lank arm fell from the wife's shoul.
der and Josiah went back into the shad-
owy cabin from whence her remark had
called him. His blood. usually slow and
I sluggish, seemed warmed again by the fire
Of the sixties, and ran quickly through his
veins, calling up his latent strength WINS
ting the star SpauHod Banner gayly as
when boy, hc began knocking around and
/ fumbling about among the primitive fur
niture in the semi darkness Sarah heard
him whistlng and tumbing and knew be
was bent on going 'teguorrer.'
"If | hadn't mentioned them confounded
drums" she said, half angry with herself,
"why, he wouldn't "a got the war fever to-
night"
For a moment she stood irresolutely de.
| batting the question Il wouldn't mind If
[ all through these years of pinchin and wait.
In he could have had bit o. that pen.
[ sion money. ! should think after he's
turned every chip from Maine to Caliiorny
/ tg get IT, such doiu's would "a took all the
hurrah out o. him; but it hasn't, Well
III go tomorrow, if die by it, jest to please
/ Iogah"
What ye doin''" she asked little later.
going inside and directing her question 70
the man whose patriotism was rising fast
10 the stimulation Of Yankee Doodle"
80, nuthin'" The tune dropped long
enough for the answer 20 his wife's quos-
tiOn, and then began again on higher
key gathering momentum as It went.
But when she lifted the tallow dip and
looked around, Josiah was deep in the
'chist o. drawers as was onct hiz mothers. %
and she knew what hc was doing
"Aint them beauties. Sairee" holding
up 10 view a suit Of blue and a big hat with
| G. A. X. on the front in gilt letters
I'm a-goin' TO air 'em mp kinder, To-
night" he continued, wistfully, "ier we
aire a-goin' termorrcr, amt we, Sairee"
She folded her hands in her apron and
sat down before she answered him; then
she said: Il reckon 30, Josiah, you're such
a fool"
The next morning when her husband was
busy "hitching up, Mrs Parkman stood by,
remarking: III ye had your pension, now.