Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-02-26
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY.
An Incident of War
1OriginaLl

An incident happened TO me during
/ the civil war which for nearly forty
years / have kept t. myself. Perhaps
/ it will do no harm to me or mine To
make il known now. Ii was the eve
of Gettysburg. and we were sEurrying
| from Maryland into Pennsylvania. Our
general threw out Il thin picket line. and
had charge Of Il corporal and eight
men stationed on the turnpike leading
eastward. We had been marching all
day, were ravenOusiy hungry and
would not get anything to eat until
after being relieved. One of the men
/ lighted Il fire and with tomato can
that he had picked up for frying was
| endeayorinG To cook some bacon that
lie had taken from his haversack. |
noticed that If the meat were divided
among the picket pest there would be
Il thin slice for each man. If he ate it
all. it would be merely enough to stay
his stomach.
May 80 hOme:" asked n soft voice
behind me. / turned. and there stood
little country girl of fifteen, looking
up ut me from under her sunbon-
net with the timidest pair of eyes.
fringed with dark lashes and soft as
fawn's.
"Go home:" 1 said, thinking more OF
the girl than her question. Certainly.
Where do YOU live:'
Down the road there" pointing.
looked mechanically where she
pointed. then at the girl. Then my
eyes dropped to Il basket size carried
gn her arm, full of eggs. l forgot her
and her gentle face in the eggs. 1 saw
|
poached-every variety Of egg that the
most skillful cook could devise.
will you sell your eggs" l asked.
mo, sir, but 1 will give you some Of
them. I'm taking these home for the
children
"Oh. well. If you are taking them to
the children" l said regretfully, You
may keep them. 1 wouldn't rob the
CRADLE"
You may have n dozen" she said in
her soft voice. THAT will leave me
seven to take home
Just think Of those eggs broken over
that bacon sizzling in the tomato can
and emitting it's delicious odor, 1 fin
Gered the beautiful white ovals. hold
ing one after another in the hollow of
my hands, growing hungrier every mo-
ment.
Take 4 dozen of the top" said the
girl.
"Why off the top?" wondered.
1 looked into her face. Her eyes were
cast down upon the basket. and if ever
there was innocence depicted in the
human countenance it was in hers. y
few years older she would he 4 perfect
model for a Madonna.
Taking a fifty cent postal currency,
the only change we had in those days,
from my pocket. 1 dropped ii into the
basket and picked out twelve eggs.
Something, 1 know not what, perhaps
n greed for more, induced me to take
up one of the eggs remaining and han
die it.
Happening to glance at the girl.
saw that she had her eye inteDtly
on those 1 had not yet touched, and
she was holding her heart / took up
each remaining egg till 1 came to one
which as soon as / held it l knew to
be much lighter than the rest. That |
there was something wrong with that |
egg was evident. 1 have always had |
the faculty of keeping equivocal mat
tiers to myself till it is time to make |
case.
Here. corporal" 1 said, care some |
eggs. Try what you can do to cook
them" Then L spoke to the girl. ''Now
show me where you live"
walked with her down the road till /
1 came to n turn where we would be
concealed from the men. Then, taking
up the light egg, broke the shell. In
stead of the contents of an egg. 1 took
out a roll of paper and enough sand
to make the whole weight about that of
an egg. Had not my sense of touch
been very delicate would not have dis
covered the difference. Enrolling the
paper, was astonished to read that
different parts of the Union army were
at Gettysburg. The sew
eral corps were given under the name
Of their commanders, ard have since