"
People would look inquiringly at his empty sleeve.
"I got that at Gettysburg in the second day's fight," he would explain,
complacently.
He was often asked whether he was a member of the Grand Army of the
Republic.
"No; 'tain't worth while. I done my fightin' in '63 and '64--them times. I
don't care about doin' it over again in talk. Talk's cheap."
This made folks smile, for he was continually fighting his battles over
again in conversation. Every regular customer had been made acquainted with
the part that he had taken in each contest, where he had stood when he
received his wound, what regiment had the honour of possessing him, and how
promptly he had enlisted against the wishes of parents and sweetheart.
"Of course you get a pension," many would observe.
He would shake his head and answer, in a mild tone of a man consciously
repressing a pardonable pride.
"I never 'plied, and as long as the retail tobacker trade keeps up like
this, I reckon I won't make no pull on the gover'ment treash'ry."
And he would puff at his cigar vigorously, beam upon the group that
surrounded his chair, and start on one of his long trains of reminiscences.
Pages:
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111