Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-05-25
In Two Chapters
} ADeeoration . By--
! Day Story. MANDA L. CROKER

In the next room lay the roses and
lilies with the sweet scented heliotrope
he loved 81 we'll: then there were the
daisies. h pansies and sweet alyssum
as finishing flowers
Over there on the wall, where the
streaming sunset light FURNISHED the
hilt. hung his sword. with which he cut
his way through in that deadly charge
at the awful battle of Shiloh.
Yes, there 1t was, where Abner was
wounded. and he. 80 handsome and
strong when he marched blithely way
tothe soundo of the merry martial music,
came home a cripple.
But she would always remember how
proudly he looked up to the stars and
stripes and touched the shining shoul-
der straps when, with sorrowful ex-
clamation. she took hold Of his empty
sleeve. And somehow h caught the
patriotic fire, and was prouder Of her
one-armed soldier husband than she
had ever been of the able-bodied Alb
e He had lived to celebrate several
Decoration days. and how much he
made of them.
Since he had gone to rest in an
honored grave she had always tried
to do the same for his sake. Today she
had a double incentive for being pa
triotic.
Mrs. Neville counted her life as in
two chapters. and felt hat the whole
story pulsed to the sound Of fife n
drum.
We have touched on the first chap
ter, which reached its blaze of triumph
April Z. 1862.
But after the setting light had a
titled the sword of sixty-two, it fell in
golden halo on a boyish. yet manly,
face beyond.
And the blending folds Of the Ameri-
can M Cuban colors just above the
picture ark the second chapter
which today was In the hands OF time
and circumstances. and was coming
out in story form as fast as they could
'set 1t up
She was thinking of this so deeply
that she had entirely forgotten the girl
at her side.
The silver hair and care -lined brow
OF the one. and the sweet, dimpled face
of the other told that a lifetime lay
between them. Notwithstanding their
nearness to each other
They could hear the training on the
green, although neither cared to hear
just then. Their eyes met. 'Tomor-
row is his birthday, too. and he has
been away from home on his
birthday before"
But we can think of him. Lefty, and
Of course, he will remember us, of all
days, tomorrow"
War is something dreadful, isn't 1t,
grandma" the girl whispered across
the grand-maternal knee, in a fright
ened way.
Dreadful things come put of war,
and grand things. too. Lefty. 1t brings
out the bravery and nobility of man.
kind. and unfolds the love OF country,
but the greatest h~eartbreaks of earth
are the h~eartbreaks Of strike. Have you
been to the Office this evening, child?"
Yes. but there was nothing"
well. we will heal tomorrow, may
be. o must be ready early, Lefty. to
carry the flowers. 1 cannot do 1T this
enough: the martial music will hurt
me so. child: 1t always o on Decora
ton day. But 1 am loyal to the lear old
flag, n true to your grandfather's
memory and to our brothers loyalty.
I would not have you think 1 am dis
loyal. Lefty"
"I understand. grandma" And the
girl went softly out on the porch to
cry by herself, with no to see but
the sleepy wrens clinging to the old
trumpet creeper along the caves.
II don't see." she began, II don't see
what Ted wanted to go away from
grandma for. She has kept u and
loved US ever since mamm died years
ago. And what II he should not get
NVSAAs AAN NC JA6N 40 SWO III IA
cottage, o. dear!"
But inside h o sat grandma.
knowing why. OF course, Lefty was a
child; she didn't 10Y Over 80 years
ago Abner had marched away in the
prime Of his life and manhood's
strength, and she was left with the chill
dren at the knee, to be loyal 'by the
stuff" and she knew why; and she
knew how. too.
The clear. martial music sounded on
the church square, and the people were
gathering fro mevery direction. A per-
feet sea of flags surging in from a CIV
en- point announced the coming of the
schools. n the different ''oelers.''
The lovely wreath had been made,
watered with her tears and sanctifed
by a prayer for her grandson in south
ern camp.
And Lefty had gone with 1t,
trying hard all the While to be pa
triotic enough to keep back her tears.
Grandma Neville stood looking proud
ly, yet wistfully. the way she went.
And the boy? Yes. Theodore had
marched away down The square street
to the same national air that Abner,
his grandfather, did. Would "history
repeat itself?" Would Ted come home
with honors, even though 1t cost q sac
riice?
"A great fear choked her. She put out
her thin hands d~eprecatingly to some
unseen presence. and ven out into the
sweet May weather. She went and