The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1903-05-29
In Uniform
Ole Story Of ! Happy Deoora.,on Day.

fine place, while the colors hoated
out on the pleasant May breeze as if
to say: Here they come; the heroes,
battle-scarred and brave!"
All this happened back in the sos,
when there were more In the ranks
of the veterans than now; and Fair
Oaks had quite a showing Of returned
boys in blue to her credit that Decora-
ton day.
Like a slip Of flame the zouave uni
form seemed in the moving ranks as
they came down the sunny street.
The grizzled gray Of the curly hair
and wavy beard had been metamor-
stranger appeared to be the youngest
Of the lot.
At the Lynch residence the family
was on the veranda to cheer softly with
1utter Of handkerchiefs as the old
heroes went by, for Papa Lynch threw
aside MS legal airs this day of all days
and marched with his comrades as en-
ergetically as he once had from At
lanta to the sea-"
The Woma from the kitchen came
and stood out on the lawn by herself.
Although invited, she would not join
h family group, for" she said, soft
~, behind her big apron, II am only
their help" 4
Here the useful Bingham intercept
So IWO 6IedL tears dlQ she IIlSleU ner
secret In h frfendliness of it's ample
checks. Before I lost Brother Nelson
I could have stood on the porch with
them and felt all right"
The tongue of flame in the undulat-
ing line burned through the cloud Of
dust directly opposite the bingham
checks and the tear-dimmed vision,
and the owner thereof caught her
breath excitedly and stared at the un-
nSI1qlE niCfJ1ra F Tho navf Hvn0rpon< <La
breeze lifted the swirling dust, dis
closing an unmistakable Ellsworth
uniform.
A boy near by began singing:
Twas a little u Of the fireman
sort,
With his face powder blackened-'
He did not finish the stanza, for a
woman near him uttered a cry, half
terror, half delight.
Could it be-? Yes, it was the
same brown cur1s-she had forgotten
the possibility OF growing gray-the
same uniform and the same blessed
face Of the marchin' picture!' Had
Andersonville given up Its dead now,
after twenty years.
The Lynch family, speechless with
amazement, beheld their cook speed
ing gu through the gateway with its
arch Of flags, and, bareheaded and
~breathless, flying along the column
until she caught up with the solitary
uniform.
ooh, Nelson!" a woman's voice rang
out clear and shrill above the rub-a-
dub Of the big bass drum and sweet
martial music alongside; Nelson
Travers. is it you? Tell me. my
brother!"
The slip of flame became station
airy so suddenly that the veteran be-
hind 1t stumbled and came near
breaking ranks. But a woman's arms
encircled Mrs. Bellamy's angel and
whtrled him out OF the way in a
twinkling.
"Oh, Nelson, say, is this you?'
sobbed the clear voice, "or is this
only another Decoration day dream of
the old picture?"
why, it's me. Of course!s and the
man was crying as he kissed the care
lines an the upturned face; "'course
it's me, and, Bess, my sister, do
raley see o once more2 It seems toe
good to be true; it does, raley!" He
stood strokfng the wind-blown hair
from her temples in his old brotherly
way.
For some time the happy two were
%obltvious Of everything but each other,
but the curious crowd grew until It
seemed that half ths village were