The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-05-30
THE ADVERTISERS
DAILY SHORT STORY


basket and walked hurriedly away, her
head high and her whole carriage ex-
pressive of uncompromisins oeteru,i ~
ton. Her lover stood looking after ner
for a moment with the frown intensihed
and then turned angrily on his. heel ana
took four or five quick PAGES in the OPP
posite direction.
The Decoration day services in the hall
were over and the procession started 1or
the cemetery on the top of the Big knoll
east of town. A long. winding irregular
line of buggies, farm wagons ana We
hicles of every description ana age pref
coded by the village band ana mar
shalled by a grey-bearded veteran in the
uniform of the Grand Army. In one OF
the buggies. very shabby one, sat Ra-
chel. driving a colt whose fiery SPIRIT
chafed against the foot pace to Whlch
her firm. strong hands on tho reins com
PEELED him. and by her side. holding the
furled post flag. was her father, bent
and withered little man with race
crossed and recrossed by thousand
wrinkles and drawn by mouth and brow
into an expression of qperulousness and
impatience with things in general that
was belied by his eyes. which were not
unkind as they looked at the world that
he found so unsatisfactory. In spite of
the beetling and shaggy white brows
above them.
Il see that copperhead Pendleton and
his boy were at the exercises. he OBJ
served to his daughter suddenly Il
think it would look better if they stayed
away. but guess the young fellow wants
to make himself solid with the boys I'M
til after election. What's the matter
with you. Rachel?'
Nothing at all. father dear" she
said family, unless l got up too carly
this morning.
strife. OF hatred anger and all unchar-
itabeness to a glorious new birth of love
dyine. new country. united and un-
divided forever more. he quoted from
Barker. Il don't feel any call for glori.
Gus love for the men who tried to kill
their country. i say that If they let MS
alone we are doing well to let them
alone. without loving them. Yes. they're
united and they had better stav united,
too. Id have been a man today and not
a wreck if it hadn't been for them.
DO YOU take their part?" he asked
in sudden gust of passion.
mo, no. she cried. IN hate them,
too. for your sake and the sake of your
wrongs"
Not hate them, Rachel" said the
cid man. more gently. but,
Tho fence of whitewashed pickets that
surrounded the little cemetery was
reached and people were already tying
their horses to ii and unlocking towards
the gates, bearing their baskets and
armfuls of flowers with them. AS Rachel
got out young Pendleton approached her.
but her look was so cold and repeiling
that he drew back with a sinking heart.
The veterans of the Grand Army. patheti-
caly infirm and crippled. MANY of them.
were forming into line ard Rachel turned
to her father and was surprised to see
that he seemed obliviouS of his sur
roundings His gaze was bent thought
fully afar and his lips were moving.
Rachel drew closer to him and caught
the words hatred anger and all unchar-
tableness,' and again. ''of love divine
Then one of his comrades called to him
and he limped painfully to his place and
unfurled the flag. which the VIVID caught
All .rgtIx
The address at the Soldiers Monument
concluded, the people dispersed to lay
their flowers on the graves. 1t had been
another of those addresses that Rachel 9
OF the forgiveness concord. one coun-
try and one flag talk. but somehow
the veteran, leaning on his daughter $
arm and moving from one grassy mound
to another with the flowers that she
carried. did not feel so genuinely indig-
nant as usual because of this, and. pres
emily turning aside. he took from the
-bask.tt a wreath OF white field lilies and,
leaving Rachel walked over to grave
beside which an old man was kneeling
with bent head and laid 1t beside an
other wreath that lay there below the
headstone that bore the name OF Jared
Roberts ---th Virginia Cavalry. G. =.
A. The man looked up 1t was the
copperhead Pendleton.' e.
THANKS. comrade," said tho ex,Con-
fcderate. simply holding out his hand.
And the irreconcilable Union veteran
took the hand and clasped 1t warmly.
At the same moment Rachel felt touch
on her shoulder and turning. met Dick s
triumphant smile.
IT was a long time before the two old
men finished their talk; in fact they
were still talking when Rachel came and
silently stood beside them. Dick stood a
little aloof.
Father said Rachel
He smiled at her n little shamefaced =
w and then at his new friends. ITS as
I was saying Rachel" he said. There's
no call ta he. Hates a had thing after
all. and Barker was right, Love divine
that's it, Love divine.
And it's divinity Dick and Rachel knew
as they looked into each others eyes at
that parting.