Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-24

again. 40 shot rang out.
The women passed on-unharmed Their
ascending footsteps grew fainter ana
fainter and died away.
But, ere either side had opportunity to
catch its breath. the sound Of other foot
steps. ascending the mountain, resound-
ed on the sharp night air.
\ breathless waN. tense straining OF
the eyes through the openings In the
brush along the pathway-and another
traitor came into view. Martin Grohsman
the one side nor the other. He, too, was
ladened with white flowers and they drop
ped from his awkward arms, unaccus-
toned to such a burden. as he walked.
On the Gray side of the line the bushes
shook audibly and leveled rife cleaned
| in the moonlight But no shot rang out
Put down that gum. Yep! They spared
our women folks" the old Squire had
| commanded, in a voice hoarse with
! emotion.
| Unframed. Martin. too. assembled the
Rainbow. his footsteps dying off into the
| distance along the same path the women
/ had taken.
! A silence. Not brush moved on either
| side of the line. The lone boot of an owl
sounded far down the mount anside
Suddenly the bushes on the Gray side OF
the line parted and white shirt waved
i on the end of rifle.
Almost simultaneously a white shirt
/ held aloft on rifle barrel was raised on
| the other side.
/
holding up the flag of truce. He mad
| done that once before-at- Appomattox.
| with rage in his heart. But it was differ
| emf now-his Molly had been spared to
| him.
| The stranger appeared from the other
/ side He too, held aloft a flag of truce.
/ He had done that once before. also with
/ shame in his heart. But II was different
| now-his last son might have been Sleep
ing the same sleep with his soldier boy.
With unfaltering steps the Blue ana
the Gray advanced slowly to the middle
of the "fghtin' ground" There they
/ laid their rifles aside.
| They faced each other silently. awk-
| wardly
Stranger the old Squire began. at
last. his voice strangely soft and shaken.
you spared my gal tonight"
| "Out west where l come from we don't
shoot women the plainsman replied.
tersely. but without even a trace of anger
| or malice in his tone. And you spared
my boy-I guess we're quits. And I
| guess we've learned our lesson from tina.
! boy and that girl and those flowers, amt
/ we?"
I'VE hev-but tn Rainbow"
That's 1.-THE Rainbow. 1t ought to
be piled so high with Decoration Day
| flowers that We couldn't see the dividing
line But that amt business. Look here.
| Squire Gray, l may as we'll tell you that
just before you waved your flag Of truce
/ / got a message that the last survey
| comes out ike Inc TTSt. i WIS preparing
| to signal you when you flew your nag.
/ I'm not wanting TO take what know be-
| longs to somebody else. But / want the
Rainbow I'll buy 1t. if ycp'll sell and
move that grave. ! don't want rebel
| sleeping on my land.
Dunno as you'd be tribulated long or
! that grave even if I'd sell. which aint
willing to do, for him as is in 1t MT agin
us. He were a Yank.
/ He waso" Grohsman questioned. why
that alters everything. A Union soldier!
had son killed in the war"
That's sure unlucky. / had three
killed in the war" was the slow response.
IT were all l had.
/ And you care about your enemy's
grave? You're better man than l am,
/ Squire The grave is safe.
| Stranger, l fit the best ! could for TO
years: then I quit and went to work at
! home That young Teller was in hard
| luck and aginst all them times. but
i I won't have him pestered none. seem
! he's got nobody else to human over him
| or watch his seepn' place
| Suddenly Hannah Hanks appeared de-
scending the pathway.
She stopped, nonplussed. at the strange
spectacle before her-Squire Gray and the
stranger in conversation with their rifies
lying on the ground. Then she approach
ed slowly. glancing anxiously from one
man 10 the other At length she smiled
grimly.
I'm deemng there won't be no need
cessity fer dividin line arter ALL" she
said. there amt none up there on RalA-
bow" --..--