Aladdin O'Brien

"Do you mind," said Aladdin after a pause, "telling me about what yourchances are?"

  Peter reddened uncomfortably.

  "I'm afraid they're not very good, 'Laddin," he said. "She--she saidshe wasn't sure. And that's a good deal more apt to mean nothing thaneverything, but I can't straighten my life out till I'm sure."

  "My chances," said Aladdin, critically, "shouldn't by rights be anywherenear as good as yours, but as long as they remain chances I feel justthe same as you do about yours, and want to get things straightened out.But if I were any kind of a man, I'd drop it, because I'm not in herclass."

  "Nonsense," said Peter.

  "No, I'm not," said Aladdin, gloomily. "I know that. But, Peter, what isa man going to do, a single, solitary, pretty much good-for-nothing man,with three great bouncing Fates lined up against him?"

  Peter laughed his big, frank laugh.

  "Shall we chuck the whole thing," said Aladdin, "until it's time to goback to the army?"

  "No," said Peter, "that would be shirking; it's got to be settled oneway or another very quickly." He became grave again.

  "I think so, too, Peter," said Aladdin. "And I think that if she takesone of us it will be a great sorrow for the other."

  "And for her," said Peter, quietly.

  "Perhaps," said Aladdin, whimsically, "she won't take either of us."

  "That," said Peter, "should be a great sorrow for us both."

  "I know," said Aladdin. "Anyway, there's got to be sorrow."

  "I think I shall bear it better," said Peter, "if she takes you,'Laddin."

  A flash of comparison between his somewhat morbid and warped self andthe bigness and nobility of his friend passed through Aladdin's mind. Heglanced covertly at the strong, emaciated face beside him, and noted thesteadiness and purity of the eyes. A little quixotic flame, springinglike an orchid from nothing, blazed suddenly in his heart, and for theinstant he was the better man of the two.

  "I hope she takes you, Peter," he said.

  They rolled on through the midsummer woods, heavy with bright leaves andwaist-deep with bracken; little brooks, clean as whistles, piped awayamong immaculate stones, and limpid light broken by delicious shadowsfell over all.

  "Who shall ask her first?" said Aladdin. Peter smiled. "Shall we tossfor it?" said Aladdin. Peter laughed gaily. "Do you really want it to belike that?" he said.

  "What's the use of our being friends," said Aladdin, "if we are notgoing to back each other up in this of all things?"

  "Right!" said Peter. "But you ought to have the first show because youmentioned it first."

  "Rubbish!" said Aladdin. "We'll toss, but not now; we'll wait till weget there."

  Peter looked at his watch.

  "Nearly in," he said.

  "Yes," said Aladdin. "I know by the woods."

  "Did you telegraph, by any chance?" said Peter. "Because I didn't."

  "Nor I," said Aladdin; "I didn't want to be met."

  "Nor I," said Peter.

  "The sick man and the lame man will take hands and hobble up the hill,"said Aladdin. "And whatever happens, they mustn't let anything make anydifference."

  "No," said Peter, "they mustn't."

  XXIX

  Our veterans walked painfully through the town and up the hill; nor werethey suffered to go in peace, for right and left they were recognized,and people rushed up to shake them by the hands and ask news of such anone, and if Peter's bullet was still in him, and if it was true, whichof course they saw it wasn't, that Aladdin had a wooden leg. Aladdin,it must be owned, enjoyed these demonstrations, and in spite of hislameness strutted a little. But Peter, white from the after effects ofhis wound and weary with the long travel, did not enjoy them at all.Then the steep pitch of the hill was almost too much for him, and nowand again he was obliged to stop and rest.

  The St. Johns' house stood among lilacs and back from the street by thebreadth of a small garden. In the rear were large grounds, fields, andeven woods. The place had two entrances, one immediately in front of thehouse for people on foot, and the other, a quarter of a mile distant,for people driving. This latter, opening from a joyous country laneof blackberry-vines and goldenrod, passed between two prodigious roundstones, and S-ed into a dark and stately wood. Trees, standing gladlywhere God had set them, made a screen, impenetrable to the eye, betweenthe gateway and the house.

  Here Peter and Aladdin halted, while Aladdin sent a coin spinning intothe air.

  "Heads!" called Peter.

  Aladdin let the piece fall to the ground, and they bent over it eagerly.

  "After you," said Peter, for the coin read, "Tails."

  Aladdin picked up the coin, and hurled it far away among the trees.

  "That's our joint sacrifice to the gods, Peter," he said.

  Peter gave him five cents.

  "My share," he said.

  "Peter," said Aladdin, "I will ask her the first chance I get, and ifthere's nothing in it for me, I will go away and leave the road clearfor you. Come."

  "No," said Peter; "you've got your chance now. And here I wait until yousend me news."

  "Lord!" said Aladdin, "has it got to be as sudden as this?"

  "Let's get it over," said Peter.

  "Very good," said Aladdin. "I'll go. But, Peter, whatever happens, Iwon't keep you long in suspense."

  "Good man," said Peter.

  Aladdin turned his face to the house like a man measuring a distance. Hedrew a deep breath.

  "Well--here goes," he said, and took two steps.

  "Wait, 'Laddin," said Peter.

  Aladdin turned.

  "Can I have your pipe?"

  "Of course."

  Aladdin turned over his pipe and pouch. "I'm afraid it's a littlebitter," he said.

  Again he started up the drive; but Peter ran after him.

  "'Laddin," he cried, "wait--I forgot something."

  Aladdin came back to meet him.

  "Aladdin," said Peter, "I forgot something." He held out his hand, andAladdin squeezed it.

  "Aladdin," said Peter, "from the bottom of my heart I wish you luck."

  When they separated again there were tears in the eyes of both.

  Just before the curtain of trees quite closed the view of the gate,Aladdin turned to look at Peter. Peter sat upon one of the big stonesthat marked the entrance, smoking and smoking. He had thrown aside hishat, and his hair shone in the sun. There was a kind of wistfulness inhis poise, and his calm, pure eyes were lifted toward the open sky. Agreat hero-worship surged in Aladdin's heart, and he thought that therewas nothing that he would not do for such a friend. "He gave you yourlife once," said a little voice in Aladdin's heart; "give him his. He isworth a million of you; don't stand in his way."

  Aladdin turned and went on, and the well-known house came into view, buthe saw only the splendid, wistful man at the gate, waiting calmly, as agentleman should, for life or death, and smoking smoking.

  Even as he made his resolve, a lump of self-pity rose in Aladdin'sthroat. That was the old Adam in him, the base clay out of which springsthe fair flower of self-sacrifice.

  He tried a variety of smiles, for he wished to be easy in the difficultpart which he had so suddenly, and in the face of all the old years,elected to play. "He must know by the look of me," said Aladdin, "that Ido not love her any more, for, God help me, I can't say it."

  He found her on the broad rear veranda of the house. And instead ofgoing up to her and taking her in his arms,--for he had planned thismeeting often, as the stars could tell, he stood rooted, and said:

  "Hallo, Margaret!"

  He acted better than he knew, for the great light which had blazed forone instant in her eyes on first seeing him went out like a snuffedcandle, and he did not see it or know that it had blazed. Therefore hisown cruelty was hidden from him, and his part became easier to play.They shook hands, and even then, if he had not been blinded with theegotism of self-sacrifice, he might have seen. That was his last chance.For Margaret's heart cried to her, "It is
over," and in believing it,suddenly, and as she thought forever, an older sweetness came in herface.

  "You've changed, Aladdin," she said.

  "Yes, I'm thinner, if possible," said Aladdin, "almost willowy. Do youthink it's becoming?"

  "I am not sure," said Margaret. "The fact remains that I'm more thanglad to see you."

  Aladdin fumbled for speech.

  "I'm still a little lame, you see," he said apologetically, and tookseveral steps to show.

  "Very!" said Margaret, in such a voice that Aladdin wondered what shemeant.

  "But it doesn't hurt any more."

  "Then that's all right."

  "Where's Jack?" he asked at length.

  Margaret became very grave.

  "I'm afraid we've betrayed our trust, Aladdin," she said. "Because onlyyesterday he slipped away and left a little note to say that he wasgoing to enlist. We're very much distressed about it."

  "Perhaps it's better so," said Aladdin, "if he really wanted to go. Didhe leave any address?"

  "None whatever; he simply vanished."

  "Ungrateful little brute!" said Aladdin. Then he bethought him of Peter."I'll come back later, Margaret," he said, "but it behooves me to go andlook up the good Mrs. Brackett."

  He hardly knew how he got out of the house. He felt like a criminal whohas been let off by the judge.

  The sun was now low, and the shadows long and black. Aladdin found Peterwhere he had left him, balancing on the great stone at the entrance, andsending up clouds of smoke. He rose when he saw Aladdin, and he lookedpaler and more worn. "Peter," said Aladdin, "from the bottom of my heartI wish you luck."

  Aladdin had never seen just such a look as came into Peter's eyes; atonce they were full of infinite pity, and at peace with the whole world.

  "Peter," said Aladdin, "give me back my pipe." His voice broke in spiteof himself, for he had given up golden things. "I--" he said, "I'll waithere a little while, but if--if all goes well, Peter, don't you botherto come back."

  They clasped hands long and in silence. Then Peter turned with a gulp,and, his weakness a thing of the past, went striding up the driveway.But Aladdin sat down to wait. And now a great piping of tree-frogs arosein all that country. Aladdin waited for a long time. He waited untilthe day gave way to twilight and the sun went down. He waited until thetwilight turned to dark and the stars came out. He waited until, afterall the years of waiting and longing, his heart was finally at peace.And then he rose to go.

  For Peter had not yet come.

  BOOK III

  "Where are the tall men that marched on the right, That marched to the battle so handsome and tall? They 've been left to mark the places where they saw the foemen's faces, For the fever and the lead took them all, Jenny Orde, The fever and the lead took them all.

  "I found him in the forefront of the battle, Kenny Orde, With the bullets spitting up the ground around him, And the sweat was on his brow, and his lips were on his sword, And his life was going from him when I found him.

  "We lowered him to rest, Jenny Orde, With your picture on his breast, Jenny Orde, And the rumble of pursuit was the regiment's salute To the man that loved you best, Jenny Orde."

  XXX

  As a dam breaking gives free passage to the imprisoned waters, and theyrush out victoriously, so Vicksburg, starving and crumbling in the West,was about to open her gates and set the Father of Waters free forever.That was where the Union hammer, grasped so firmly by strong fingersthat their knuckles turned white, was striking the heaviest blowsupon the cracking skull of the Confederacy. On the other hand,Chancellorsville had verged upon disaster, and the powers of Europewere waiting for one more Confederate victory in order to declare theblockade of Southern ports at an end, and to float a Southern loan.That a Confederate victory was to be feared, the presence in Northernterritory of Lee, grasping the handle of a sword, whose splendid bladewas seventy thousand men concentrated, testified. That Lee had lost thebest finger of his right hand at Chancellorsville was but job's comfortto the threatened government at Washington. That government was still,after years of stern fighting, trying generals and finding them wanting.But now the Fates, in secret conclave, weighed the lots of Union andDisunion; and that of Disunion, though glittering and brilliant likegold, sank heavily to the ground, as a great eagle whose wing is brokenby the hunter's bullet comes surely if fiercely down, to be put todeath.

  Early on the morning of July 1, 1863, Lee found himself in theneighborhood of a small and obscure town named Gettysburg. A militaryinvasion is the process of occupying in succession a series of towns.To occupy Gettysburg, which seemed as possible as eating breakfast, Leesent forward a division of a corps, and followed leisurely with all hisforces. But Gettysburg and the ridges to the west of Gettysburg werealready occupied by two brigades of cavalry, and those, with a cockinessbegotten of big lumps of armed friends approaching from the rear,determined to go on occupying. This, in a spirit of great courage, withslowly increasing forces, against rapidly increasing forces, they did,until the brisk and pliant skirmish which opened the business of theday had grown so in weight and ferocity that it was evident to the leastastute that the decisive battle of the New World was being fought.

  XXXI

  There was a pretty girl in Manchester, Maryland (possibly several, butone was particularly pretty), and Aladdin, together with several youngofficers (nearly all officers were young in that war) of the Sixth ArmyCorps, rather flattered himself that he was making an impression. He wasall for making impressions in those days. Margaret was engaged tomarry Peter--and a pretty girl was a pretty girl. The pretty girl ofManchester had several girls and several officers to tea on a certainevening, and they remained till midnight, making a great deal ofnoise and flirting outrageously in dark corners. Two of the girls gotthemselves kissed, and two of the officers got their ears boxed, andlater a glove each to stick in their hat-bands. At midnight the partybroke up with regret, and the young officers, seeking their quarters,turned in, and were presently sleeping the sleep of the constant inheart. But Aladdin did not dream about the pretty girl of Manchester,Maryland. When he could not help himself--under the disadvantage ofsleep, when suddenly awakened, or when left alone--his mind harped uponMargaret. And often the chords of the harping were sad chords. But onthis particular night he dreamed well. He dreamed that her little feetdid wrong and fled for safety unto him. What the wrong was he knewin his dream, but never afterward--only that it was a dreadful,unforgivable wrong, not to be condoned, even by a lover. But in hisdream Aladdin was more than her lover, and could condone anything. Sohe hid her feet in his hands until those who came to arrest them hadpassed, and then he waked to find that his hands were empty, and thedelicious dream over. He waked also to find that it was still dark,and that the Sixth Army Corps was to march to a place called Taneytown,where General Meade had headquarters. He made ready and presently wasriding by his general at the head of a creaking column, under the starrysky. In the great hush and cool that is before a July dawn, God showedhimself to the men, and they sang the "Battle-hymn of the Republic," butit sounded sweetly and yearningly, as if sung by thousands of lovers:

  Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord: He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored; He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword His truth is marching on.

  The full sunlight gives man poise and shows him the practical side ofthings, but in the early morning and late at night man is seldom quiterational. He weakly allows himself to dwell upon what was not, is not,and will not be. And so Aladdin, during the first period of that march,pretended that Margaret was to be his and that all was well.

  A short distance out of Manchester the column met with orders fromGeneral Meade and was turned westward toward Gettysburg. With theorders came details of the first day's fight, and Aladdin learned of theofficer bringing them, for he was a Maine man, that Hamilton St. Johnwas among the dead. Aladdin and the officer talked lo
ng of the poor boy,for both had known him well. They said that he had not been as brilliantas John, nor as winning as Hannibal, but so honest and reliable, sofriendly and unselfish. They went over his good qualities again andagain, and spoke of his great strength and purity, and of other thingswhich men hold best in men.

  And now they were riding with the sun in their eyes, and white dustrolled up from the swift feet of horses and men. Wild roses and new-mowngrass filled the air with delightful fragrance, and such fields as wereuncut blazed with daisies and buttercups. Over the trimmed lawns abouthomesteads yellow dandelions shone like stars in a green sky. Men,women, and children left their occupations, and stood with open mouthsand wide eyes to see the soldiers pass. The sun rose higher and the daybecame most hot, but steadily, unflinchingly as the ticking of a clock,the swift, bleeding, valiant feet of the Sixth Army Corps stepped offthe miles. And the men stretched their ears to hear the mumbled distantthunder of artillery--that voice of battle which says so much and tellsso little to those far off. The Sixth Corps felt that it was expected todecide a battle upon Northern soil for the North, and marching inthat buoyant hope, left scarcely a man, broken with fatigue anddisappointment, among the wild flowers by the side of the way.

  If you have ever ridden from Cairo to the Pyramids you will rememberthat at five miles' distance they look as huge as at a hundred yards,and that it is not until you actually touch them with your hand that youeven begin to realize how wonderfully huge they really are. It wasso with the thunders of Gettysburg. They sounded no louder, and theyconnoted no more to the column now in the immediate vicinage of thebattle, than they had to its far-distant ears. But presently thecolumn halted behind a circle of hills, and beheld white smoke pouringheavenward as if a fissure had opened in the earth and was giving forthsteam. And they beheld in the heavens themselves tiny, fleecy whiteclouds and motionless rings, and they knew that shells were bursting andmen falling upon the slopes beyond the hills.