The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-04-30


around the great, square room.
He saw sound sleepers everywhere til
his eyes met those of his partner looking
around with similar inquiry.
Hello, Shorty" greeted 81, the frs
words he had spoken to his partner TO
many weary, sick days.
Hello, Sir responded Shorty, witt
something of his old cheeriness in his veal
tones.
why, Shorty. you look thinner than ;
pig caught under haystack, and KEEP
there all Winter"
Same to you. 81. Did the preache
change his mind and have you dug ~
again after you were burled:
Il do feel Il little thin and weak, for :
fact" said ST, looking down at his waste,
hands. What in the world has hap
pened to us?''
Blessed if / can tell" replied Shorty
Last remember we all got pretty sever
clips back there near Bentonviie. AM
then rode through purgatory to Goldsboro
| wonder how the rest of the boys are
and the Adjutant and the Colonel? If i
has done this to us, what has it done t
them?"
Have We been sleeping all this tim
and eat nothing:" languidly inquired 81
as he sank back upon his pillow, for tn
fatigue was telling upon his weakness.
Maybe So murmured Shorty, sinkin:
back too. I'D like awful well to know how
the rest of the boys are. That looks lik'
Pete's ghost lying over there on that cot.
Yes, and that seems to be what's ief
of Sandy next to him. Wonder if he il
dead, and they will come and carry hin
out presently and ST closed his eyes t
shut out the sight.
Il don't often dream" said Shorty. af
ter a moments silence, as they gathered
their strength again.
Lucky" commented 81, with dim
PARKWAY memory of his partners per
formances when his sleep was disturbed
Il had dream last night" Shorty re
sumcd slowly and diffidently, as if re
luctant to express what was filling his
whole being. 1T was the most real-lkt
dream | ever had"
You had dream:'' said 81, sitting boil
upright. 80 did 1. What did yor
dream?'
why, somehow, I can't just bring my
self to tell you, it seems so awful real
over there. Who brung them in!'
Yes, who did bring them in!' added 81
with Il new look in his eyes. III just
tell you what my dream was, and it was
awful real too. OF course, it can't be true
and yet it seems to me that l actually
saw them as plain as l ever see anything
in my life. I'll tell you what it was.
dreamed that Mother and Annabel and
Maria, all come down here to look after
us, because they heard we were awful
sick, and Mother hustled around here with
them just as l have seen her do at home
Strengthening up things with the girls
helping
why, 81. dreamed that very same
thing, too" interrupted Shorty. "Ain'i
that strange! We never dreamed alike
before. You remember that time YOU
dreamed that the rebels had got you bach
in the stocks at Andersonville. l dreamed
that Old Stanton had put me in command
of about 10000 niger soldiers, and l was
trying to shape them up into regiments
and brigades'-
''And / dreamed that Annabel sat dowr
on my bed" said ST breaking in upor
him
''And Maria sat on NINE" murmureG
Shorty in low tones, but stopped, for the
rest of the memory was too sacred tc
breathe.
.'4And they took us out and bathed u.s.
Not the ladies, Sir calculated Shorty
hastily, in red confusion.
No; Pap and Otterbein Kramer" sale
81, and then they both grew too weak
to say anything more without further
rest.
Il dreamed" continued 81. after lit
tie, that they scrubbed the floor and
tidied up the place generally"
The floor is certainly clean. and looks
as if it had been really scrubbed" said
Shorty, rising up and looking at it.
And then the girls went out and brung
in whole arms full of posies and put them
around the room"
The posies are certainly there" said
Shorty.
Il dreamed it all so actually that the
first thing when l opened my eyes was
to look for Mother and the girls
Same here"
81 don't see why 1 didn't lust keep on
dreaming said 81 sadly. why did
stopT
Zone always does when he is dreaming
of heavenly things. It's only when he has
the nightmare that he goes on worlds with
out end.''
We'll, I'd just like TO know where them
pOsics come from. | wish some one would
wake up and tell us something. If l
could only reach Pete over there: if he
amt dead, he could tell us more than a
newspaper" and he made the effort to
shout at Pete, but it was failure
No use hollering at him." said Shorty.
We've tried that often enough. Dead or
asleep, thunder won't wake him."
They lay quiet for Il few minutes listen
ing to the sounds of the early birds. and
watching the sun rise higher and higher,
and still none of the sleepers wakened
Shorty, keeping his eyes fixed on Pete,
saw him turn n little in his sleep and
move one of his arms.
He amt dead, the little scalawag,'
he said in tone of great relief Never
really thought he was. You can't kill
that young snipe with a club. How can
L wake him."
Looking around he saw leaning against
the wall at the head of his cot. one of
the hickory brooms which a careless scrub
Der had left there. and Mrs. Klegg had
failed to notice. He wriggled around till
he could reach it with his hand, and after
resting from the eXertion. got it pointed
over to Pete's cot and at last resting
against the sleeper's body. Pete paid no
attention whatever to the first jOggles
which Shorty gave, and finally Shorty,
all his strength. gave so vigor-
Gus q push that it upset the cot, and
rolled Pete on the floor. The boy woke
with howl, and very mad.
Now, what are you up TO, you WiscOn-
sin "smarties?" yelled he, remembering
some of his FRANKS of the previous day
with boys of his own age in the list Osh-
kOsh. Trying to get even with me. are
you! l call that a mighty mean way.
Sandy, wake up and help me lick these
pinewoOds polecats."
Sandy awOke at once, grabbed n cane
by the side of his bed ready for action
Cheese it, boys. Come off, said
Shorty. Il just wanted to find out
whether you were living Pete, or not
why. Serg't Elliott" exclaimed the de-