The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1914-12-29


sandsroSad! he heard the crunch Of
wheels and presently Q man wills.
tltng. The sound seemed to bring
him out OF his Isolation. He was still
in a world where men could whistle,
He; stepped out into the road as the
wagon drew up. The driver stopped
his horses suddenly and said in q
gruf, but not u%nfrtendly, tone:
'Mornin."
Good. morning"
What do you want, comm round
skeerin' my horses 80 early In the
morning"
"a ride in your wagon and some
thing to eat"
The man took from under Re
wagon seat some pieces OF bread and
meat and a bottle OF coffee.
II keep a perambulatin' house Ell
entertainment. Breakfus' fer two et
you wan ter bring a friend, an
trained walters. All you want now is
a fire ter warm it by an somebody
ter perside at the bar, which I'm him"
There was a CLINT Of honesty in the
rugged face and a frank tone in the
voice that inspired confidence, and
Jim led the way to where his wound
ed friend lay.
Purity as a picter. I'd like ter set
him up on the mantel piece ter look
at, but in a storm I'd rather tie tel
you"
He so far yielded to the universal
dominance of the picturesque as to
kindle the fire and heat the break
fast for the wounded boy.
Now. you fellers CANT stay hyer,"
he said after the breakfast was fin
ished. ITS dangerous. Somebodyll
com along an nab you en-. leastwise,
my hotel is the only trav'lin one in
these parts, an when it moves on you
won't have no feed" Thar's a place
down hyer on the road whar you'd
be safe 'nough. I'll take you thar
They's Yanks en- you's rebs. I take It,
but they amt people to go back on a
Teller what's wounded, ner n ats
takin' keer er the unfort'nit."
"Yes; we're rebs. What are you?'
"T'm a teamster," replied their host
with a fine air of neutrality.
They stopped in front Of a cottage
with q rose vine growing owe it and
pink roses peeping out brightly. A
great Newfoundland dog sleeping In
the yard arose and came to the gate,
wagging his tail in a friendly way.
Here we are" said the teamster,
lifting the boy out. AS he carried
him up the steps, confident OF the
welcome he did not stop to ask, a
girl came out on the portico.
How are you, Rosalyn? You see
I've brought you a Johnny reb to
take are Of"
The girl frowned darkly.
"How dare you call him names?
Maybe he was that when he fought.
! When he is wounded he is a south
ern soldier"
"she had brown eyes, thought
shlvers, looking at her with a long.
slow glance through half shut eyes
She vas not defiant now, but gentle
and sympathetic, and shivers thought
she had tears in her eyes when she
looked at him. He could not see
well. He was dazed by fatigue and
the pain of his wound. Even as he
looked at her he drifted OF into IN.
consciousness.
When he came back to the world
the soft eyes still looked compassion
ately at him. His thought went back,
cropping for a memory OF her.
"You are the girl who waved the
flag at me-"
s0h, but I wouldn't If I had known
that you would be wounded. I'm SO
sorry"
Sorry that I am wounded?"
eyes, and that 1 waved the flag"
II am not sorry for that; I rather
liked 1t. Perhaps I am not SO sorry
for being wounded as I was some
hours ago."
His wound had been skilfully
dressed and the pain was %lessened.
Through a window opposite his couch
he looked out into a mesh of pink
blossomed vines above which was a
CLINT OF blue sky, sun-bathed. And
the soft eyes yet looked at him sor-
rowfully. Small wonder that his grief
was assuaged.
July dreamed into August, August
drowsed into September, September
awakened the woVld to a new life.
and then Jack shivers went to his
southern home, leaving a very sor-
rowful little maiden in the cottage
under the oak trees, but she held a
sweet hope in her heart as he held
her hand at the parting and said:
When the war is over"
The daisies have blossomed many
times on the field OF Gettysburg md
the SHOWS Of time have descended
upon the heads that Then were young.
In the little cottage, under the mag
uolias, a whiteiafired man and wom-
an go hand In hand adown the slope
OF life. When the Fourth Of July
comes she lifts brown eyes upward
to him and says: Lets hang out the
old flag, Jack?" He assents and she
brings it from its hiding place. The
passerby might say that its colors
were faded and its stars had lost