Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-06-19

Suddenly Tom pushed her aside and
sprang up in bed.
''Geeminy, Annie, forgot my pardners.
There's two more peglegs out at the gate
by this time waiting for us to get through
huggin' and carryin' on before they come
in. Run fetch 'em in quick!'
Tom struggled to his feet and met them
at the door.
Come right into my palace. boys. I've
seen some fine places In my time, but this
is the handsomest one 1 ever set eyes on.
Now Annie, put the big pot in the little
one and don't stand back for expenses.
Let's have a dinner these fellers IL never
forget"
1t was feast they never forgot. Toms
wife had raised a brood Of early chickens,
and managed to keep them from being
stolen. She killed four of them and cook
ed them as only a southern woman knows
how. She had sweet potatoes carefully
saved in the mound against the kitchen
chimney. There were turnips and greens
and radisheS, young onions and lettuce
and hot corn dodgers fit for king; and
in the center of the table she deity fixed
a pot of wild flowers little Annie had
gathered. She did not tell them that it
was the last peck Of potatoes and the
last pound of meal. This belonged to the
morrow Today they would live.
They laughed and joked over this splen-
did banquet, and told stories Of days and
nights of hunger and exhaustion. when
they had filled their empty stomachs with
dreams of home.
Miss Camp, you've got the best husband
in seven states-did you know that?' ask
ed one of the soldiers. a mere boy.
"Of course, she'll agree to that, sonny,
laughed Tom.
''Well, it's so. II It hadn't been for him,
ma'am, we'd a been peggin' along some
where way up in Virginny stead O. be-
in so close to home. You see. he let US
ride his boss a mile and then he'd ride
mile We took it turn about, and here
we are"
TON, how in this world did you get
that horse?" asked his wife.
Honey got him on my good looks"
said he with a wink. You see. was a
settin' out there in the sun the day o
the surrender was sorter cryin and
wonderin' how I'd get home with that
stump of wood instead of a foot. when
along came chunky, heavy set Yankee
geenral looking as glum as though his
folks had surrendered instead Of Marse
Robert. He saw me, stopped, looked at
me a minute right hard and says: Where
do you liver
way down in ole Moth Calmly I
says. at Hambright. not far from Kings
mountain
" How are you going to get homer says
he.
" God knows, I don't. general. I got
a
! fer nigh four years. and 1 want to see
'em so bad can taste EN- was look
in the other way when I said that, fer
was purity well played out, and feelin
weak and watery about the eyes, an
I didn't want no Yankee general to see
| water in my eyes.
HE called a Teller to him and sorter
snapped out to him: Go bring the best
horse you can spare for this man and give
| Il to him.
'Then he turns to me and seed I was
all choked up and couldn't say nothin',
and says:
" I'm General Grant. Give my love TO
| your folks when you get home. I've
known what it was to be a poor white
I man down south myself once for awhile
" God bless you, general. I thanks you
from the bottom Of my heart says as
| quick as a could find my tongue. II 1t
| had to be surrender I'm glad II was to
such man as you.
HE never said another word, but just
walked slowly along smoking a big CT
| gar. So, ole woman, you know the reason
| / named that hos General Grant 1t may
be have seen finer horses than that one,
but I couldn't recollect anything about
| 'em on the road home"
Dinner over, Toms comrades rose and
looked wistfully down the dusty road
| leading southwark.
well. Tom, ole man, we gotter be er
movin," said the older Of the two soldiers.
Were powerful obleeged to you fur
helpin' us along this fur
"An right, boys, you'll find yer train
standin on the side o. the track eatin'
grass. Jes climb up, pull the lever and
let her 60"
The mems faces frightened, their lips
! twitched They looked at Tom, and then
at the old horse. They looked down the
long dusty road stretching over hill and
valley, hundreds Of miles south, and then
at Toms wife and child whispered to one
another a moment and the elder said:
mo, pardner, you've been awful good
tous, but wen get along lsomehow-we
can't take yer boss. It's all yer got now
ter make Twin on yer place"
'AIl I got?" shouted Tom. Man alivel
amt you seed my ole woman. as fat and
| jolly and han-some as when I married her,
'leven years ago? Didn't you hear her
cryin' an shoutin like she's crazy when
got home? Didn't you see my little gal
with eyes jes like her daddy's? Don't you
see my cabin standin' as purity as ripe
peach in the middle Of the orchard when
| hundreds of fine houses are lynn in ashes7
Amt I got ten acres of land? Amt I
got God Almighty above me and all around
| me-the same God that watched over me
on the battlehelds? All got? That old
stack o. bones that looks like er boss?
Well reckon notP'
/
soldier, with more Of cheerful thanks than
protest in his voice.
"Oh, get Off you FOOLS" said Tom good
naturally. Amt It my boss? Can't do
what I please with him?"
So with hearty handshakes they parted,
the two astride the old horses back. One
had lost his right leg, the other his left,
and this gave them good leg on each
/ side to hold the cargo straight.
take keer yerself, Toni they both
cried in the same breath as they moved
/ away.
Take keer yerselves, boys. I'm all
right!' answered Tom, as he stumped his
way back to the home. ITS all right,
| it's all right" he muttered to himself.
\ He'd come in handy, but I'd never slept
thinkin' o. them peggin along them rough
| roads"
/ Before reaching the house he sat down
| on a wooden bench beneath a tree to rest.
1t was the first week in May and tho
leaves were not yet grown. The sun was
| pouring his hot rays down into the moist
| earth and the heat. began to feel like
summer. AS he drank in the beauty and
/ glory Of the spring his soul was melted
| with Joy. The fruit trees were laden with
the promise Of the treasures of the sum-
| mer and autumn a cat bird was singing
softly to his mate in the tree over his head.
| and a mocking bird seated in the topmost
branch Of an elm near his cabin home