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Show il lirs GREAT DAY ,.". i mo: ;:!y Runaway Youngster's , Fcotsteps Were Guided by a Special Providence. mo: T-" V-LY had been promised that he j -r.o'jid be taken to the cemetery. m '- Tie blue-coated troops, the boom-a' boom-a' : :.' the cannon and the grave dec- 5 - . ::s united in forming a most fas- s occasion for Billy as each '-' ::r;al day returned with its sacred ol1 -iations. Needless to say, he cter'- .'ri and fretted, and was not at all Billy when grandma said her : ached too badly to take him. ,r-: Jhe have to have a headache sr::r Xriaorial day? Why couldn't in " -i get dressed and take him? ir:. ;t couldn't he go alone? But s;::- .::ia was obdurate, and three ca': :: of nursery and toys were pre- t t- v- for Billy instead of bright croi: -2 stretches of marvelous burial jp;t:' :1 thundering of cannon and ciiK. 'is of wonderful brass-buttoned oKr ;ran hour Billy engaged in guid- ,zr.c - i:s tin soldiers to a hastily made to t :-tery, where they shot imaginary s off over impromptu graves dec- :ee: i -'H with paper flags. Suddenly a c -a roar penetrated the sunny it) :' a- Billy's heart bounded. Five gh; -'fs later a chubby figure in gray e ;;: ;! and cap, barehanded, his gloves iifti. 'dropped in his haste, let himself ' 'Jt of the front door and made ij;t: ta? to the spot from which the ' ;s sound had emanated. w;. tassed in the gates unnoticed, ion ' "is soon in tQe heart of action. f v. 1 splendid it was. Hundreds of i f.:t " " "ags and some that were not c H. ':7- Billy heard a man say that u.j;. ";'J'?S in them had been made by ioi: :;ranl bullets. So many soldiers! '- stood on a grassy mound, a pic-liF'; pic-liF'; ,0' profoun3 attention, brown curls fli "5 in the wlnd. eyes fastened on ' chanting scene. Suddenly an old gentleman In uniform stepped" up" and, pinching his cheek, said: "And jour name, littlo man?" "Hilly Martin." The old gentleman echoed the name slowly, shaking as though he had the Plsy. "And do you know ,.ny of the foldiers?" "Xo, hut grandpa fell at Apple Mad-docks, Mad-docks, and grandma and I alwavscome to celebrate, but she's sick, so I came alone." Apple Maddocks was rapidly translated trans-lated in the old man's mind to Appomattox. Appo-mattox. "And your father?" "Havon't any. Haven't any mother only grandma." People passing wondered to see tears raining down the cheeks of the old soldier and wondered still more when, after a few words with one of his comrades, he grasped tightly the hands of the hoy, and thev passed out together. Hilly was an adept at answering an-swering (ptestions. A little later un excited child broke into the sanctity of grandma's room with a startling au-nou au-nou ncement. "There's a soldier downstairs says he knows you, grandma; wants you to come right down.'' Grandma, ail In a flutter, made a hasty toilet and descended. de-scended. "Will!" "Yes, it is indeed I. Margaret. A year in a southern hospital, a shattered shat-tered memory, which only returned after many years; then a weary search made almost hopeless on account of your later marriage. Jlut it has ended happily!" Hilly danced around in a maze of j:y. He had a" new grandfather, grandma grand-ma didn't have a headache and crown of delights he wasn't going to be scolded for running away. |