The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1913-05-29
~ RAY sTANNARD BAKER.

tcopyright by The {. 8. Mcclure Coz
Uncle Tommy Doweli and Uncle Luther
Doweil were twins only In age and patrf-
gottsrn- In everything. else they were as
Atfxs<ent as black and white or hot and
cold. Uncle Tommy was short, and purfy,
nnc bAld OF head, with q remeniscent
4vtnkle In his blue eye. and q certain
avr4Rntliness in his step that quite belied
Aas age. Also - had two good, stout,
gtrbby legs, aEshsugh they were q bit
bowed and stir, so that he thumped
GlnArtly with his heels when he walked.
what Uncle Tommy lacked OF reaching
Hatnre's standard OF a man, Uncle Luth-
or made UP. He was gaunt and STOPPING,
and so spare that one almost expected to
hear him rattle In his old blu clothes like
withered peas in a pod. Fine trouble lines
snapped his forehead. and his beard was
khtn and gray, when he walked. ne
fnrched al every step and bore heavily on
hia cane, for he had left his good right
lag on the bloody slopes at Chickamauga,
and FOR nearly 80 years he had stumped
Dmtnfrlly about on q wooden leg, =,
Uncle Tommy was bluff and prosperous.
He lived In a comfortable house In West
Alden. ard when all his children came
home for Thanksgiving dinner. Uncle
Tommy's wife put all the spare leaves In
ne dining table and carved two turkeys.
Uncle Luther had a little one-story
nhop across the county line In the adj
3OintnK town Of Amery where he Boldered
1eahy milk pans and tinkered clocks. II
WA next the lane. In the farther corner
az his son Jonathan's land, and he made
ND hts W bed and cooked his meals in
che little room in the rear. He seemed at
laast 90 years older than Uncle Tommy
and he had become ~querulous n quay
@xy. so that Jonathan and his thrifty wire
RToaned under tina responsibility OF look
Ing after him. 49, L..*
And that shows how two brothers, who
have been boys together, men together,
and soldiers together, may drift apart.
Wor years Uncle Tommy and Uncle Luth-
On had net met. except at gatherings OF
old soldiers, and these were not pleasant
meetings. For the two little towns, albeit
ehoy lay out on tho wide Minnesota
prnirie. with only a. imaginary line be-
tween them. could not agree. 1t was the
kind oS dtssensfon that grows rank ana
strong in little communities Were there
aro few outside interests to occupy the
intervals 81 attention. And the old sol
Msrs TOOK ii up, and fought It GUS az val
fAntiys as they had marched On V~icksburg.
ThAy might have had a Grand Army post,
With reminiscent campfres. and they
uixht have had Fourth OF July celebra-
lions and Memorial day parades; but as
certainly as Uncle Tommy led the hosts
81 West Alden In one direction, Amery
and Captain Bradley could be depended
upon 70 march in exactly the opposite
direction. ..-t '# .'r-g
As for uncle Luther, he always followed
UncIe Tommy's procession, wherever II
wignt lead. Again and again the old sol
dterH or the two towns met In the Inter
asts or harmony. Uncle Tommy would
come to preside, and Uncle Luther would
nscond tho motions, IN then they all
would slump Off into h quagmire OF dis
nension. At such times the hres OF a stir
ring past would blaze up In Uncle Lnth-
erss faded eyes, his stopped shoulders
would gtiffen back. q faint flush would steal
into his cheeks, and he would nod his old
gray head as II in time to martial music
that none but he could hear. Sometimes
fas tears came up to his eyes, and the boy
who was fortunate enough to hear him
falk thrilled with the quick pride OF strife,
and lonRed to shoulder a carbine and
march away to the, music of the fife n
drum. =.|
FOR two years the towns had held Me-
moriai day services. but they had been
nn0urnfuily 6ispirited. Uncle Tommy, BY
sheer force OF character, had been mar
shall Of the day, and Uncle Luther and a
fsw ~stragglers from Amery had marched
with the parade; but Captain Enoch and
his supporters stood by with gloomy for5
baarance, and offered no word Of encour-
aRement.> There was really little need OF
Memorial day services. except in the Alb
Stract. Tie cemetery, where the discord
Of the two towns was buried, lay on a
bare prairie knoll, set around with pre-
else rows Of spindling cottonwoods that
languished half the summer with thirst
and whipping winds and dust--and It CON
tained nd soldiers graves. but Uncle
Tommy's parades marched up the road to
aA 49,. go knIlr 1900 q -
Uncle Luther felt hat the country's "a q
wherever they might liz. had been on
cred. 81 ~..t ~r8.>T. a
ON the third year the old soldiers met
again, thoroughly determined to be har-
monious. In 10 minutes time Uncle Tom
my was humping on the pine table with
his cane, and several or the other. old sol
diers were clingtng to Captain Enoch's
scat tails, while the two men glared and
ShreAtened. And then Captain Enoch exc
waited q weil-planned ian movement,
routed Uncle Tommy, and ran up the
Anery colors. A few minutes later his
faction. acting with the right OF might,
had decided upon all the important fea-
lures Of the parade. And to further rout
Uncle Tommy and his retainers, they APP
pointed Uncle Luther to she honored po-
aitiof OF marshal OF the day. ~
AT first Uncle Luther was dumb with as
A = AoN M ASOA tAhIA " w
marshal as Uncle Tommy, They had be-
longed to the same regiment, M both
had reached the rank OF corporal, Uncle
Luther on one leg n Uncle Tommy on
two. But Uncle Luther always had de-
ferred to Uncle Tommy az IL he had been
an older brother, and II seemed to him
hardly short of sacrilege to appear as
Uncle Tommy's rival. So he struggled to
his feet, and held up q lean finger to catch
Captain Enoch's eye.
"Td rather have Tommy have the
place" he faltered; hes better fitted for
n than ] be-" . -. us ~
But Uncle Tommy was storminE down
ina room. .. ... ~
Keep it," he roared. and he went out,
@amminR the door after him.
Uncle Luther followed him a few steps,
w1stfully. and then he dropped back in his
seat. n listened dumbly while Captain
Enooh and the exultant revolters planned
d details of the parade.
s ITS Amery's turn this year." gloated
Captain Enoch.
Uncle Luther walked up the road alone.
His step was brisker than usual. and
there was a brighter CLEAN in his eye. He
could not help feeling proud that he had
been honored There were other men in
Amsry who would have served better in
his place-he knew that well enough, for
ne was old, and he didn't walk easily
but he was glad with Joy OF appreciation,
For 30 many years he had been an unno-
nced. crippled tinker, and when at last