The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-07-03
The Girl With the Flag
BY MRS. GEN. GEORGE E. PICKETT.

the ghostly Independence day that was
climbing over the hills of the East.
Over beyond the western hills the
roll or the old division was being call
ed and only thousand voices made
answer. The others had responded to
the last roll call. Thus the dawn OF
independence day gloomed over the
defeated army in 1863.
Jim went to the edge of the woods
ana looked up and down the white
SAND road. He heard the crunch of
wheels. and presently a man whistling.
Ihe sound seemed to bring him out of
his Isolation. He was still in a world
where men could whistle. He stepped
out into the road as the wagon drew
up: The driver stopped his horses
suddenly and said in a gruff, but not
unfriendly, tone:
"'Mornin."
Good morning"
What do you want. comm round
skeerln' my bosses so early in the
| mornin'?"
"a ride in your wagon and some-
| thing to eat"
The man took from under the wagon
seat some pieces of bread and meat
and bottle of coffee
| 4 keep perambulatin' house err en-
tertainment. Breakfus' fer two eff you
wan ter bring friend an trained
~AileiS' urrln languages spoke.
Guests rekested not ter fee. the walters.
All perkisites b'long ter the boss. All
you want now is fire ter warm it by
an somebody ter preside at the bar.
which I'm him."
There was CLINT of honesty in the
rugged face and frank tone in the
voice that inspired confidence. and Jim
friend lay.
Purity as picter. I'd like ter set
MIN up on the mantel piece ter look at,
put IN storm I'd rather tie ter you"
He so far yielded to the universal
| dominance Of the picturesque as to
| 1or the wounded boy.
alters goes pervided; no tellin'
| what might turn up."
| You had brought it for yourself
| ana now you are giving it away" said
Jlm' VINO had arrived at a stage where
| the clalms of his fellowmen began to
appeal to him.
| That's nothin'. ANYBODY ALONG tba
roadll give me lunch Most of 'em
expect ride in my wagon some time.
IL alters makes folks gen'rous hearted
TO you fer you ter have sump'n they
| wants"
Now. you fellers CANT stay hyer,"
ne salu AFTER the breakfast was fin
| lshed. It's dangerous. Somebody'u
come along an nab you en-. Ieastwise
my hotel is the only trav'lin' one in
| these parts, and when it moves on
| you won't have no feed. There's Il
place down hyer on the road whar
you'd be safe 'nough I'll take you
| thar. They's Yanks en- you's rebs. I
take it. but they amt people to go back
on fellow what's wounded, ner one
ats takin' keer er the unfort'nit"
| les; were rebs., What are you?"
WITH m a teamster" replied their host.
They stopped in front of a cottage with
rose vine over it and pink roses peeping
: : out brightly A great Newfoundland dog
to the gate, wagging his tail in friendly
| way.
Here, we are" said the teamster. lift
| ing the boy out. As he carried him up the
| steps, confident of the welcome he did NOT
| stop to ask girl came out on the pOrtico.
| HOW are you, Rosalyn? You see I've
Drought you Johnny reb to take care
| The girl frowned darkly.
| h now dare you call him names? May
| be he was that when he fought When he
Is wounded he is a Southern soldier"
She has brown eyes," thought Shivers.
looking at her with a long, slow glance
fgA an half shut eyes. She was not de-
| ana ShlVers, thought she had tears in
! fZr eyes when she looked at him He
t ti not see well. He was dazed by ia
tlgue and the pain of his wound Even
as he looked at her he drifted off into un-
| consciousness
When he came back to the world the
| So1t eyes still looked compassionately at
! hlm His thought went back, cropping for
a memory of her.
at me-" VIC nos
oh, but wouldn't if I had known that
you would be wounded. I'm so sorry"
| Sorry that | am wounded?"
| Yes, and that l waved the flag"
| ;. Il am not sorry for that; rather liked
IL. Pernaps | am not so sorry for being
| wounded as 1 was some hours ago "
His wound had been skillfully dressed
ana the pain was lessened Through a
| window opposite his couch he looked out
INTO mesh of pink blossomed vines
aooye which was CLINT of blue sky sun
| him sorrowfully. Small wonder that his
| grief was aSsuaged.
Jul July dreamed into August, August
droWsed into September. September
then Jack Shivers went to his Southern
| nome, leaving very sorrowful little
maiden in the cottage under the oak
trees, but she held a sweet hope in her
and said: when the war is over"
The daisies have blossomed MANY
| times on the field of Gettysburg and the
| SHOWS of time have descended upon the
heads that then were young. In the little
| cottage under the magnolia a white haired
man and woman go hand in hand adown
the slope of life When the Fourth of
July comes she lifts brown eyes upward
to him and says: Lets hang out the old
flag, Jack" He assents and she brings it
from its hiding place. The passerby
might say that its colOrs were faded and
its stars had lost their sheen but Jack
ShiverS says it is more beautiful now than
when it waved defiance to him in the lore
ago. Then they both fall to dreaming
of the Fourth of July in SO.