Evening star., 1914-04-12
THE DAILY STORY.
The Parade.

jeremiah Markham. sitting on the stooT
in the May sunshine. listened in speech
less woe as his daughter Maria firmly
informed him that the parade Memoria
day would have to get along without one
jeremiah Markham proudly acting as
flag bearer for his post.
You were almost done up last year
pa, and ] said then to myself Never
again for pa If it was only parade
long Main street. she explained, u
wouldn't put the tiniest straw in the way
Of your marchin': but, my soul, When
think Of YOU trudgins along the highway
from the village clear out to the GENE
tery. ii all the dust and it's sure to be
warm as blazes. why-I can't stand tc
think Of ii. pa-at your age.
jeremiah WINGED. Sufferin' Moses.
h. muttered. If | amt sick Of hearin
Maria spiel about ase. ! don't feel Old
Dang it, I amt old, SiNty-four ain'i
much. ] reckon. Ezra Pierson was sixty
FIVE when he up and married john
Browns widow. and-sosh.
Jeremiahs glance strayed over Maria s
husbands $ fields to where against the
horizon. nestled an old farmhouse. Il
reckon that's what should have done
ten years ago when ma died-after a re-
spectacle waitin' spell" he murmured
I'd he workin' round over there now
reckon the second Mrs. Markham
wouldn't hand out the age dope like
Maria (she'd be gettin' there herself>,
nor be plumb silly about my .overdoin
when | pottered round as | pleased. II
too late now OF course Nary a woman
l know would take me and there's nary
a one I'd want, l reckon
His contemplation over. satisfied that
al overZealous daughter was not watch
ing from a window. jeremiah picked up
trowel, rake and hoe, and started for the
cemetery up the road. AS he walked
along he thought dolefully of the parade.
she'd let him march Well, for almost
forty years he'd carried that flag In
Painesville-he reckoned he'd heap
rather stay home than give 1t up. he
was tired trying to make Maria see that
he felt real spry and he had given over
attempting to work on the farm u
course. he realized she fully believed her
attitude was kindly, was for the best;
hut-..Dang the bestn' he walled as he
approached the cemetery and wildly pic
tured the ceremonies which would take
place there in less than three weeks.
When he drew near the Markham lot.
which adioined that of his old war com
panion, Stephen Dubbs. he found Ste
pheu's widow seated on the iron settee
between the two lots.
,.'Hodwy, Mandy2' jeremiah called
'"Tolerable, jeremiah" came back at
him
They had been Mandy and Jeremiah to
each other since district school days and
neighbors always. There had been a
time when jeremiah had thought Mandy
Gibson the sweetest little thing round
Painesvlle He often walked over to her
son-in-law's farm, where she lived. There
was something so restful about Mandy
and comforting. She knew how he chafed
under Maria and her sympathy was ever
ready. He always felt glad when he
thought of Mandy that her Sally had
none of Maria's foolish notions. He was
pretty certain Mandy pottered about as
she saw fit
He had been sitting beside her some
moments, discussing the blooming quail
tiles of rnarigolds and phlox, when sud
denly he exclaimed Mandy. do The
sauirmed uneasily-"do I-honest, Mandy,
do i look awful old"
Mandy Duhhs switched round on him
wide-open blue eyes which weren't the
least bit faded. Jeremiah Markham,
she cried, 'forevermore! What's into
you? You look awful old. Why, good
ness me, when you came UP the walk
just now ! couldn't help thinkin' what a
real spry-lookin' man you are. Old-for-
evermoreI Mandy paused in breathless
indignation. In her excitement faint,
sweet flush crept into the cheeks that
were wonderfully unwrinkled
jeremiah as he looked at her forgot
the exultant thrill which her words had
sent through him. Holy smokel Mandy
was likely lookin' woman! He had
never noticed before that in spite of age
creeping on she had retained the COM
plexion he had Hkened once to the sweet
tea rose that bloomed on his fathers