Middletown transcript., 1901-02-23
! UT OF THE LOW WINDOW

~ meadow that was resplenden
in springtime green. Father away
the old, dismal belfry of the village
church loomed over the pines. A
horse meditating in the shade of one o.
the hickories lazily swished his tail. The
warm sunshine made an oblong of vivid
yellow on the floor of the grocery.
aGould you see the whites of their
eyes?" said the man who was seated on
a soap-box.
Nothing of the kind" replied old
Henry warmly. "Just lot of fitting
figures, and I let go at where they 'peared
to be the thickest. BangP
'Mr. Fleming" said the groeer-his
deferential voice expressed somehow the
old mans exact social weight-s'Mr.
Fleming, you never was frightened much
in them battles, was your"
The veteran looked down and grinned.
Observing his manner, the entire group
Uttered. "Well, guess was" he an
swered finally. ''Pretty we'll scared,
sometimes. Why, in my first battle ]
thought the sky was falling down.
thought the world was coming to an end.
You bet was scared"
Every one laughed. Perhaps it seemed
strange and rather wonderful to them
that man should admit the thing, and
in the tone of their laughter there was
probably more admiration than if old
Fleming had declared that he had al
ways been lion. Moreover, they knew
that he had ranked as an orderly ser
geant, and so their opinion of his heroism
was fixed. None, to be sure, knew how
an orderly sergeant ranked, but then it
was understood to be somewhere just
shy Of a major-generaPs stars. So when
old Henry admitted that be had been
frightened, there was laugh.
"The trouble was," said the old man,
II thought they were all shooting at me.
Yes, sir, I thought every man in the
other army was aiming at me in partic-
ular, and only me. And it seemed 50
darned unreasonable, you know. ]
wanted to explain to 'em what an al
mighty good fellow I was, because !
thought then they might quit all trying
to hit me. But couldn't explain, and
they kept on being unreasonable-blim!
-blam!-bang! So | run!''
Two little triangles of wrinkles appear
ed at the corners Of his eyes. Evidently
he appreciated some comedy in this reci-
tai. Down near his feet, however, little
Jim his grandson, was visibly horror-stric
ken. His hands we're clasped nervously,
and his eyes were wide with astonishment
at this terrible scandal, his most magni-
fcent grandfather telling such thing.
'That was at Charlottesville. Of
course, afterward l got kind Of used to it.
A man does. Lots of men, though, seem
to feel Ill right from the start. did, as
soon as got on to it, as they say now;
but at first was pretty fustered. Now,
there was young Jim Conklin, old 81
Conklin's son-that used to keep the
tannery-you none Of you recollect him
well, he went into it from the start just
as if he was born to it. But with me it
was different. | had to get used to il"
When little Jim walked with his grand
father he was in the habit Of skipping
along on the stone pavement in front of
the three stores and the hotel of the
town and betting that he could avoid the
cracks. But upon this day he walked
soberly, with his hand gripping two Of
his grandfather fingers. Sometimes he
kicked abstractedly at dandelions that
curved over the walk. Any one could
see that he was much troubled.
''There's Sickle's colt over in the med
der, Jimmie" said the old man. 'Don't
you wish you owned one like liim?''
"Um" said the boy, with a strange
lack OF interest. He continued his re-
Elections. Then finally he ventured:
"Grandpa-now-wast that true what you
was telling those men?'
"What ~ asked the grandfather.
''Wirat was telling them?'
"Oh, about your running"
"Why, yes, that was true enough, Jim
mic. It was my first fight, and there was
an awful lot Of noise, you know"
Jimmie seemed dazed that this idol, Of
its own will, should so totter. His stout
boyish idealism was injured.
Presently the grandfather said: "sick-
les's colt is going for drink. Don't you
wish you owned Sickles's colt, Jimmie?'
The boy merely answered.; He amt
as nice as our'n" He lapsed then into
another moody silence.
One Of the hired men, Swede, de-
sired to drive to the county-seat for pur-