At sight of them the
soldiers brought their pieces up to a salute, and held the posture
rigidly until the second dead man in his yellow box had joined the
company of the first dead man in his.
Just before this happened, though, one of the nurses of the nunnery
hospital did a thing which I shall never forget. She must have seen
that the first coffin had flowers upon it, and in the same instant
realized that the coffin in whose occupant she had a more direct
interest was bare. So she left the straggling line and came running
back. The wall streamed with woodbine, very glorious in its autumnal
flamings. She snatched a trailer of the red and yellow leaves down from
where it clung, and as she hurried back her hands worked with magic
haste, making it into a wreath. She reached the second squad of bearers
and put her wreath upon the lid of the box, and then sought her place
with the other nurses. The guns went up with a snap upon the shoulders
of the company. The soldiers' feet thudded down all together upon the
stones, and with the priest reciting his office the procession passed
out of sight, going toward the burial ground at the back of the town.
Pages:
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387