Lower coast gazette., 1913-07-19

Antletam, FREDERICKSBURG, Gettysburg
and the Wilderness; at Spottsylvania
it had fallen into the enemy's hands,
only to be r%ecaptured five minutes
later in a desperate charge. A score
of brave men had lost their lives In
bearing it. In all the South there had
been no more gallant regiment than
the one that followed It.
Upon Tallentyre's reverie broke the
harsh clangor of the rising bell. He
dressed quickly, and before any one
else in the dormitory, he was down.
stairs and outdoors.
In the sunlight the gold stars on
his flag were ~glittering brightly. Al
ready. heads were being thrust out
of windows to look at it. Tallentyre
seated himself on the steps, and wait
ed in an exultant expectancy of trou.
bic.
They were younger fellows who
first came out and gaped upward
fourth and fifth-formers,-and. al.
though Tallentyre listened intently
to catch any fighting word, he heard
no disparaging comment, only a u
muir of. wonder. And he was aware
that the glances cast toward him, al
shy, were not u%nfriendly.
Not until some of his own crowd ap.
and Ransom, and
Ford, and McKee-did any one ad-
dress a remark to him. These four,
after surveying the flag, came up to
him, and Kendrick said:
"Was that flag in the war, Tally?"
eyes," Talentyre answered. 1T was
in twenty.seven battles"
"Was it really?" They looked aloft
with increased interest, and then Ran.
some said, Il never saw a Confeder-
ate. flag before. Is that what was
called the Stars and Bars?"
mo. The Stars and Bars was more
ike the Stars and Stripes. This was
he battle-fag Of the Army OF North.
I'm Virginia. But eventually it was
by all the troops east of the
Mississippi, except by General Gle.
,urne's division, ana was known as
he Confederate Battle-Flag, and al.
. as the Southern Cross. Cleburne's
had a blue flag with a white
ircle. There weren't many OF these
ags with the pale ground. Most Of
hem were red"
A group had gathered around Tai.
when he saw their interest,
G forgot that he had expected hos.
lily.
You're a regular walking encyclo-s
edia, Tally" exclaimed Ransom.
Where did you get the fiag?" ask
i Mckee. /.
TT belonged to my grandfather's reg.
nent."
The breakfast-bell sounded, and pre-.
snted Tallentyre from imparting
lrther information. AS they passed
dining room. Ransom put his
and on Talentyre's shoulder, and
lid, Il think it's a mighty fine idea,
hanging out that flag.
IN guess just how you feel"
So there was, after all, no word of
no comment at which Tai.
ntyre could take affront. Masters
nd boys alike seemed interested in
is flag and sympathetic with his mo
He felt ashamed of having had
liter thoughts. He would have been
l%generous indeed had he refused to
Ear the memorial wreath for Henry
Ierriam's grave.
And yet, as the morning passed, he
ID begin to feel an odd Of re-
,ntment-not because of any hostil.
y, but because of the atmosphere of
,mpassion that seemed to be envel-
him. It was the interest of pity
lther than of admiration that the fel
WIS gave his flag. 1t was in some
hat the same spirit, he thought, that
octor Davenport stopped and said to
i'm, just as the procession was on the
oint of starting, I'm glad you're
filing to do this, Tallentyre." There
as everywhere a covert recognition
the fact that he was alien to the
,irit OF the day.
So he walked at the head of the
xth.form procession, bearing the
reath, in a loneliness greater than
at of leadership. He felt that aft
the ceremony was owe he would
Re to go of by himself for the rest
the day. But instead Of that, he
Ould have to sit through the chapel
:~ercises and hear Hendricks grand
ther give a prosy talk about the
ni0n-always the Union!
The little graveyard lay on the
,pe of a hill; In one corner of it,
der an elm, was Henry Merriam's
ave. The sixth form gathered
und and barred their heads; Mckee
ok up from the mound the withered
cath that had lain there since the
It Memorial day. Then Ford read
ND tho 1ottor fhof tho x,oupn