Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-23

lined up while Colonel Davitt. veteran OF
the civil war presented the captain with
revolver and addressed the prospective
heroes in fowery periods. Margaret caught
her husbands arm as he was hurrying back
to the officers room.
Harry, do you know It's midnight
You bet we know h It, and no END OF h"me
Madge. There are plenty of folks passing
our house.
He did not notice the light that flashed
into her eyes. nor the strange note IN n e
voice as she answered: Il shall wait for
you If 1t takes till morning.
She sat on an up-turned soap box in the
corridor where she could watch her nus.
band at his duties. The crowd in the drill
room thinned Weeping women passed her
and she glanced at them impatlently. Inc
privates were unrollng their blankets ana
falling to sleep where they happened 10
fall. And still the figures in the ofncers
room moved briskly. And still Margaret
sat watching her husband with hungry
burning eyes.
The city hall clock rang two as they
stepped out into the fresh air. Margaret
filed her lungs with it, taking deep long
breaths. Harrys voice rang clear and In
cisive the quiet air. He was telling
how Colonel Davitt's youngest son hao
cried because he failed on the physical eX-
aminati ton.
Jolly good of the old colonel, wasn't it
to make that nice little speech to Captain
Hall?"
II think the whole proceeding was very
silly!' responded his wife in hard, even
tones.
Harry bent over to unlatch their gate,
and he did not offer to speak again until
they entered the house. Then when he had
turned out the lights and barred the doors,
she laid her hand on his arm.
Let us sit here for a while-and talk"
Here was their favorite corner, the
pride of their small reception hall, and a
mist came before Harry's eyes, as he drew
his wife down beside him. Then suddenly
he commenced to talk rapidly. 1t would
never do to give way before Margaret.
There was politics at work in the regiment,
he said, but they would stand out against
the regulars. They'd have their own off,
GERS. He ratified on without noticing that
Margaret was utterly unre3ponSlve nor by
and by,when silence fell between them, that
she sat with tightly clasped hands, staring
out into the moonlight. And while she tried
to form the words that seethed in her brain
he fell asleep. She started his gentle,
regular breathing reached her ear, then
she slid down upon her knees and studied
his face. He was a soldier now, and her
husband no longer. And so he slept on,
while the woman, torn by a thousand jeal-
ousies, knelt beside him, wide-eyed and dry
Tipped. The dull gray dawn scattered the
sparkling moonlight The keen ears of
the watching wife caught the sound of foot
steps hurrying toward the armory and her
fingers closed convulsively the pillow
where he husbands head rested. They
should not take him from her She would
not stay alone for neutrality-suspicious. forever
she had been good and faithful wife and
her place was at his side. 1t was her re-
ward-her right.
Lawrence moved slightly and the light
famed in Margaret's eyes Softly she crept
TO the window and lowered the shade The
sun was casting slant rays through the
budding vines Then she went ba ok to her
vigil.
But the shade was too narrow for the
window, and one ray of light more persist
ent than its mates found the crevice. 1t
shot INTO the darkened room, and Marga-
rets glance followed it's course. 1t struck
full and fair on the opposite wall and she
gave startled cry. The light rested on a
sash of dull red cloth and saber dented
ana rusted And in the quiet of the early
morning came like a voice from the past
the words which had accompanied those
mementos of another war. They had been
penned by her fathers hand.
am sending your Uncle Albert's sash
ana sword, because you have named your
boy Tor my favorite brother. Hang these
on your wall, and on every Memorial day
SIT down before them with your boy and
tell MIN OF the man who wore them in the
good fight. Your uncle was plain, blunt
man. There is much in warfare that is
humble, plain and homely, but back of this
lies the spirit which makes heroes from
towards
Heroes from cowards!"
Margarets breath came hard and fast
Her husband stirred again, and she laid
her hand gently in his. Instinctively, even
III iiio sieep, ne responded 10 her touch, and
she felt him move, as if to come closer to
her Then she bent over. Her lips touched
his.
Harry, dearest, it is time to wake up
Ihey have sounded reveille at the armory"
Ten short minutes, during which Harry
Lawrence felt that never before had he and
Margaret been so completely one-and then
he was gone. She did not go back to the
armory, and he left her standing at the
vlneclad fence, with the mornings dew in
her eyes, and the glad spring sunlight on
her lips. Later, when the train pulled out.
she stood with BERTHE among the throng of
weeping women, and it seemed to Harry.
leaning from the rear of the last car that
all the glory of the whole world shone in
her face. For under her breath she was
murmuring:
Thank God, my husband never knew"