The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1919-12-19
"Agin the Guument'
BY C. M. MORRISON.

Somehow or other old Billy Giligan
got a Crouch against these United
states back about the time Of the
5aaic Of 1879. lie got The idea that
he old U. S. A. had cold-decked him
omchnw or other, 80 he cert Of be
an to live by himself ovcr on his old
ace, that was mostly grown NJ With
iriags and imprinted apple trees.
lie had fought in an Illinois regi
ent in the Civil War. But FOR 40
ears he had been pointed ont as a
or OF a neighborhood curiosity, the
nam who wouldn't apply for a
pension" He would froth al The mouth
very time he saw a tax collector,
nd 1t grew TO be one battle to gel
4 dime u Of him for tie "uses and
purposes OF the STATE
lie stood off every driver" that
anne along during the late ur2leas.
ntness. and they finally lei him alone
He stayed holed up right along. f.
actually dida't know when the war
.egan or when, IL ended. lie used TO
come out of that tangle OF an old place
hat be called home AID go back in
.ithout saying a dozen words to any
body and what he did say W 5 mostly
grunts.
Nobody knows how he first learned
that one Of his sisters boy had been
over there and had come back with
medal or two, one from the wal dc
partment OF the United States am
another one that the French genera
pinned on him one frosty morning owe
the Meuse.A rgonne sector, where Sc
many Americans lost their lives.
And nobody knows when old BIZ
Ciliigan got hold OF that lad and car
ried him on to the old rattletrap Of
i, house back Of the apple trees and ih
+, brush and sat there all night by h
Id fireplace learning that there be
i jeen about the biggest war that ths
|, stars ever looked down 0 n
? Ii was long about Christmas whel
old Billy rounded up the lad. seemiHs
/, y. He kept him up there for a da,
!, r so, just naturally soaking in ever.
: hing that the 10y told him. 4 mus
:, ave been an awiul jolt to get tire idl.
: tory and the full horror and the IN
~erstanding Of all those anxious eAy'
lat the rest Of the world had beer
= frying 10 stand up under a day at .
ime for the fun f%our'years.
ID 1t is a fair guess that the danger tina
ie he one lad had gone through, hl
iorror of the U-hoats, the landing in &
N TRANCE country. the desperate plsh p.
Ie gainst a desperate and a strange en-
my who fought with fire and poison
ID ust have stirred tn old man out o
lis calloused shell that the year Aat
u built around him.
Seemingly it stirred something il
n his old heart and brain that had beef
Nv slowly dying since the days OF 1861
nd He q been a man without a countr,
nd All these years. And while he had beef
Jet M there the nation, the same natioI
he or which he had fought a full hal
ue century ago, had been going ahead an
ed rowing and extending It's power an
IN. is principles.
I'm He must have done a lot Of might
in sclomnly serious thinking for a da
or so. The boy had gone back to hi
es, mothers home and old Billy had bee
re- ,ef alone to sit before the ancier
iel fireplace and mediate on what ha
,rk cone to pass.
ice His thinking took a strange turl
led Il happened to be Christmas Eve whe
nd no amt into town. That was not
his ,abit Of his. II is doubtful II The oil
per IS. inhabifant recalled seeing old BIZ
on the streets at that particular tim
far We game ike a man in a hurry al
of Ai'h his mind made up. and came |
lily 0 he post office steps There WI
md 4 be crowd there, and he hesitate
ice a minute and crossed over to the ban
nto @Haye you got any blanks for me-
in axe out Llber,y Bonds?' he said wh'
be. "a had reached the window. The
nen sstant cashier rubbed his eyes al
rts. qtarcd. why no, Mr.. Gilligan,'
am Hammered, ~the loans are all oy
ing u Icing time ago. Didn't you knc
han hap"
and moo faltered the old man at t
inst e.na.ow. 81 didn't You e-w well.
ion nave been a fool. ! didn't understa.
ven bsut this war and ] wouldn't let Al
ms" body tel me. Now, Il It ain't too Ia
In want ybur help. You see, ! heard
ney lot Of things recently.
no That boy, George, he is back and
otor has been telling me about this whit
un- thing. simply didn't know, that v
ugh All. And now the old government !
sec nude a man and a soldier and a bet
iuch American than | am out Of him. 4
un. Il put a medal on him, a medal Il
city he deserves.
II. Il tell you. sir, that Il is a squ'
isn't government and the best that IN
Their is on this earth, II came in and
we're stopped the Kaiser. and now men
'inal 20 on living and having a chance
edge happiness. fought against SLAYER,
had hat boy and otaer boys have BE-
,oat lighting against the same thing.
vest. government hadn't changed Il =
then me. and now, sir, isn't there so
was thing where a few dollars will hel
pos The cashier thought a minute