The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1912-07-04

day
1 guess Aunt Ellen kne~ best. al
ter all. abe soIiIoquixed- u ~lsa /
hadn't called her hateful. because
she really Is very kind 70 me" sha
assured herself III punish myself
By going home and putting On my
very Oldest dress and
But something happened Just then
that entirely changed her plans. As
she was hurrying along the road she
heard footsteps behind her that also
seemed 10 be hurrying. Suddenly
some one spoke her name She turn
ed TO see a man IN a uniform rapidly
approaching. He held an umbrella
over his head which partly concealed
his face.
Ny. how Phyllis heart thumped.
For in those stirring times 10 have a
soldier III uniform address a little girl
j vas enough 70 make that little girl
have thrills" for weeks after when
ever she CHANGED TO think Of IL. But
the man quickly raised his umbrella.
giving Phyllis a glance at the face be
meath.
% Uncle Robert. where did you
! come from she cried, in her ex-
element letting her own umbrella
! drop into the mud and rushing into
| the one arm stretched out TO receive
+ her.
| Then a shadow fell athwart her
face, for she saw that her uncle car
ried his right arm in a sling. Every
| body in those days of the Civil War
! knew what that meant. Her uncle
, had been wounded in battle. It was
very sober little girl that accom-
panied her uncle back to the hall;
and she listened with tears in her
blue eyes while he told Of the whizz-
zing bullet that but for the protec-
ton of his arm might have stilled
| the beating of his heart forever.
| Home on a furlough; and she had
been the first one to receive him, No
wonder that Phyllis Jordan stood
very straight as she walked along
beside her wounded soldier. What
would Aunt Ellen say! Then bright
thought entered her busy brain. She
! aunt for the meeting.
But things are always happening
contrary to the way we plan them,
and when they reached the corner of
the street Phyllis found that some
one had got ahead Of her as news
bearer. July storms are not of long
duration, and the rain had nearly
Zee
picking and their bandage-making to
rush out to welcome the returning
soldier. When the uniformed man
had been escorted up the steps a
rousing reception awaited him as he
stepped into the hall. A young lady
seated at the piano was playing the
familiar War-sOng, when JhOnny
comes marching home" while buzz
of pleased excitement had taken the
! place of the more serious occupation
in which the women and children had
previously been engaged
Poor Aunt Ellen was given hardly
a chance to greet her furloughed
husband And she never thought to
ask Phyllis if she had changed her
uECSS. anu uOuDL IL Lue CIllu uSI-
helf gave thought to her rain-soak-
ed garments, all were for the time
) being SO happy.
All were so eager to hear from
, their loved ones down in Dixie
, that Uncle Roberts tongue was kept
!, busy answering their many questions.
81 don't think it makes much diff
ference what kind of clothes you
| have on when you are happy" Phyl-
} lis vouchsafed when her Aunt Ellen
, at last took in the fact that she was
still wearing the garments she had
been sent home to change.
: 81 guess you are about right
: child,' her aunt responded, "but do
= hope you haven't caught cold"
, Phyllis has now grown to be a
) grandmother; and she is never weary
? of telling her grandchildren about
that rainy Fourth of July when she
ruined her Shaker bonnet, and when
3 her Uncle Robert came home on his
first furlough.-Helen M. Richard
son. in Girls World.