The daily sentinel., 1913-06-23


but thought we'd be so happy together you and I,
even IL was a failure Then when everybody began
picking at didn't say anything; Just stuck to
f. because saw was pleasing you But l knew
1t wouldn't last. l know I'm not newspaper
or-any-oth observation-disclosures. B-hut l love
you daddy; and l wanted TO be you. and |
wanted to make you proud of me" He crumped
then blurted furiously: Now the whole worlds a
blank, and you've spent four hundred and foryeight
dollars on me that you'll have to work yourself to
death paying back And can't help you. Oh dad
dy. -cant-hep-you! That's what hurts me- He
lifted his sodden, tear-stained face to his father.
Hiram Johnson licked his dry lips and tried to
keep the dismay out of his voice In his breast his
heart sank heavily. Leander" he said. and his voice
broke. He waited a moment. staring beyond the
boys yellow head at the old house His eyes saw
the back porch with the pals and the broom above
It, the trash underneath. But he paid no attention;
his mind was dumbly working at this catastro-
phe. Finally. he gave it up.
"Leander boy. Pm sorry I reckon that's all can
say, Leander; I'm sorry This amt what either of
us had right to expect Is it, Leander? Somehow
feel as If we didn't iibe with the town, even
with the world. There, now, don't cry, Leander
You're good boy, good boy anybody's
had Don't worry about the money. II that's what's
worrying you. I'll take care of that"
But what are We going to do. dsd? What are we
going to DOR
81 don't know" he said at last. 81 really and truly
'on't know. o. course, can go on this way, just
as l am can take care o myself without any
trouble. until I die. I don't matter. you see. It's
you, Leander What about you?"
The boy hung his head.
''Tve tried my best Leander Now don't 70 and be
hurt at what I'm saying. l wouldn't hurt you son.
for all the world. But I've tried. way l know
how, to help you-its been my failure well
yours I don't know anything to do" A sob
came into the old mans throat. Cant you do any
thing for yourself. Leander? Amt there anything
you can do? You're a grown man now know this
towns been hard you. But there's other towns
maybe they're not all like Happydale. If you could
Just get out and do something for yourself nowi II
you only could! That would change their opinion
of us. I ask you honestly, Leander. amt there
thing o could do, by yourself?"
Leander looked at him grimly for moment. Just
one thing dad 1 can't tell you tonight But I've
been thinking it over all day-a day I've been think
ing It over" He wiped his eyes Strengthened up and
took his hat from his fathers hand. II want you to
remember Observation-Disclosures you're thinking of
want you to remember that, somehow-it amt
my fault or yours, dad-but-I amt brave. sim.
ply can't help it. I amt brave. Every ought
10 be that, II he's going to get on in the world"
And SO, at midnight. without telling his father.
Leander stole away and caught train up to juno.
tion point of the main line. There lay OF vol
unteers who whsked away in the morning
ward Tennessee volunteers in the of the United
States of America against the Kingdom of Spain.
Leander was with them. trembling at what he had
DONE
There was camp at chickamauga while the war
was on. Many many men never came out of that
camp; for the rains fell and the crawled and
fumed with CHASTITY sickness through their bodies. A
little bewildered man sat Secretary of that War;
and beneath him other little bewildered scut-
tied in heersketer panic grittins their teeth. sulk
ing boasting, but always doing wrong. All the
volunteers who went into that camp went full OF
spiritual fire, divinity, exaltaton. Strong, fiery
lads: determined men. The hearts of the sturdy
states had beaten happily at their going Each star
in the flag tear at their going. And they kissed
good-by to their fathers and mothers and sang their
valiant songs they went into that civilians camp.
Many, many men never came out of that damnabe
place: for Ignorance, fetid and swollen had marked
the tent sites where the young lads lay. What had
the United States known OF war? In thirty the
brains of had nodded and decayed. Nobody
knew how to pitch a camp. The tents sat one above
the other on a hillside The rains came: the filth
washed down upon the tents below; the sun blazed:
the fever from the ground and into the veins
of the soldiers waiting there This is all there is to
the silent story of Chickamauga.
Leander in that camp. Leander stricken
with the fever and 1t ate greedily through his nat
chest and his skinny legs. Then he put in big
night a storm. hurryng up, peted at this tent with
sheets rain and blew 1t down with shrieks of wind
In the morning some energetic medical men lifted the
off the sick. Eight of them were dead. Le
Rnder of the eight.
The next autumn travelling said to a group
of townsmen in the Commercial Hotel at Happydale:
I'm a Columbia man, class of '97. Seems TO
remember classmate of mine-quiet chap-named
Johnson-who from this town. Wasn't her"
"Yeh Didn't amount to much. You mean Leander
Johnson" said Doc Sniffen.
What about Johnson? yelled old Burckhardt.
This gentlemans talking about Leander" shouted
Snifen in reply. 81 said he didn't amount to muchi"
Old Burckhardt coughed. NO. He didn't. | al.
ways said he wouldn't. He was costly experiment.
Leander l reckon that's about the last expert
in Columbia education this town1 have"
The travelling man laughed contentedly at tho
thought
Doc Snifren misunderstood him, leaned over and
spoke in whisper: You can laugh but'-jerking
his thumb at the blinking, figure OF Burckhardt
1t amt no laughing matter for him. That expert.
ment cost him pretty penny. Nobody else cares.
Course, nobody else put up anything. Even Leanders
old man didn't put up anything For four long years
II always Burckhardt. Burckhardt Burckhardt
He the one that was hard hit"
And the old earth groaned and began 1t all over
again. For Leander had returned to the jelynsh
whence he He had gone back to fourteen
Gecillion, B, @.