The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1901-05-31

The Color Bearer
I A Stsry Tor Decoration Day. !
By Manda L. Croker. Z
: I
By Manda L. Croker.

nHU KIN hear the drums a-beatin', Jo-
" 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
medtatively on the thumbnail of his left,
he bent his gray locks to the breeze.
What was it that ye heard, SaireeT he
repeated, softly.
Drums a-beatin," she answered crisply;
they're gettin' ready for Decoration to-
morrow"
As if in emphasis, the wind blew briskly
up from the quarter indicated by they"
and the roll of drums came plainly to the
old mans ear.
"HIurrahl hurrah for the old flag, Sairee!"
And he began marching up and down the
white path running to the wicket
Let's go termorrer; say yes Sairee!"
He put out his bony hand through the
shadows until it rested on the ample shout
ders of his wife.
Josiah" she said, warningly. when
ye have served the kentry like st. Paul, in
iastin's, an perils, an marchin's, an fight
in, and then wasted all your Twin on agents
an lawyers to get the pension due we nigh
onto 20 years, and are no whit better off 2
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
inhnitesimal and shut her lips tightly.
"Iou said that, Sairee," he protested,
feebly, "an' we've kept your word; but
somehow | kinder feel as ii I'd like 20 go
termorrer. I'm a-gettin older every year,
Saree, an mebbe, by an by, | won't be
hyar to goi"
The lank arm fell from the wife's shout
der and Josiah went back into the shad-
owy cabin from whence her remark had
called him His blood usually slow and
sluggish, seemed warmed again by the fire
of the sixties, and ran quickly through his
veins calling up his latent strength Whis-
thing the Star Spanged Banner" gayly as
when boy, he began knocking around and
fumblng about among the primitive fur
niture in the semi-darkness. Sarah heard
him whistling and fumbling, and knew he
was bent on going "termorrer."
"lf | hadn't mentioned them COMPOUNDED
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, 81 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 5
turned every chip from Maine to Calforny
to get it, such doins would "a took all the
hurrah out O. him; but it HASN'T Well!
I'll go tomorrow, ii die by it, Jest to please
Josah!"
What We doin'?" she asked little later,
going inside and directing her question to
the man whose patriotism was rising fast
to the stimulation OF yankee Doodle"
80, nuthin.' Tne tune dropped long
enough for the answer to his wife's ques-
ton, and then began again on a higher
key, gathering momentum as it went.
But when she lifted the tallow dip and
looked around, Josiah was deep in the
''chst O drawers as was onct his mothers, y
and she knew what he was doing
Amt them beauties, Sairee" holding
up to view a suit of blue and big hat with
G. \, II. on the front in gilt letters
"l'm a-goin' to air 'em up kinder, to-
Night he continued, wistfully, FER we
aire agoin' termorrer, amt we, Saree"
She folded her hand in her apron and
FNt down before she answered him; then
she said; 81 reckon 80, Josiah, you're such
fool"
The next morning when her husband was
busy 'htching up" Mrs. Parkman stood by,
remarkng: If ye had your pension, now.