The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1919-12-05

". He kept him up there for day
or so, just naturally soaking in every
thing that the boy told him. 1t must
have been an awful Jolt to get the full
story and the full horror and the I'M
derstanding of all those anxious days
that the rest Of the world had been
trying to stand up under day at a
time for the full four years.
1t is fair guess that the danger that
the one lad had gone through. the
horror Of the U.boats, the landing in
strange country, the desperate pushes
against a desperate and a strange en-
envy who fought with fire and poison,
must have stirred the old man out of
his calloused shell that the years had
built around him.
Seemingly it stirred something in
his old heart and brain that had been
slowly dying since the days OF 1855.
He had been man without country
all these years. And while he had been
up there the nation, the same nation
for which he had fought full half
century ago, had been going ahead and
growing and extending its power and
its principles.
He must have done lot Of mighty
solemnly serious thinking for day
or so. The boy had gone back to his
mothers home and old Billy had been
left alone to sit before the ancient
| fireplace and mediate on what had
come to pass. Ha f
| His thinking took strange turn.
1t happened to be Christmas Eve when
he came into town. That was not a
habit of his. It is doubtful if the old
est inhabitant recalled seeing old Billy
| on the streets at that particular time.
He came like man in hurry and
with his mind made up, and came up
to the post office steps. There was
a big crowd there, and he hesitated
a minute and crossed over to the bank.
Have you got any blanks for me to
take out Liberty Bonds?' he said when
he had reached the window. The as
sistant cashier rubbed his eyes and
stared. "Why no, Mr.. Gilligan," he
stammered, "the loans are all over
long time ago. Didn't you know
that?"
moo" faltered the old man at the
window. 81 didn't. You see-well,
have been a fool. I didn't understand
about this war and wouldn't let any
body tell me. Now, If it amt too late
l want your help. You see, l heard
lot of things recently.
That boy. George, he is back and he
has been telling me about this whole
thing. / simply didn't know, that was
all. And now the old government has
made man and soldier and a bettel
: American than am out of him. Ant
it put a medal on him, a medal thai
he deserves.
81 tell you, sir, that it is a SQUARE
government and the best that there
is on this earth It came in and /
= stopped the Kaiser, and now men cal
Y go on living and having a chance a
: happiness. l fought against slavery
I that boy and other boys have bee
n fighting against the same thing. Tn
, government hadn't changed. ! 1t wa
me. And now, sir, isn't there some
! thing where a few dollars will help?
The cashier thought minute an
brought from the safe an engrave
7 slip of paper. 'I'll tell you" said he
Here is Treasury Savings Certif
cate. The government will sell yo
this for about $500 and it will b
worth $1,000 one of these days. D
sou want that much?"
The old man fumbled a minute
counted out roll of bills and too
! the certificate. I'm no longer agi
, the government" he sale as he turne
. to 20. I'm an American and l don
care who knows it."