Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-06-08
Story of a Monument.

Story of a Monument.
She was handsome and wealthy
young widow, and bad but just lost
her husband. Full of grief over the
loss of her loved one, she sought a
dealer in monuments, a friend of the
dear departed.
Seeing the sympathetic face Of her
husbands friend. the tears burst afresh
from her eyes, as she greeted bin sob
bing, "You have heard it; George is
gone"
Yes, he hal heard it.
"And now" said she, "I want to get
a monument. the finest and most i'm
posing monument that you can make.
L don't care for the expense. You have
them costing $4,000, do you not p she
venturec.
Oh, yes, he could build her q splen-
did monument for that. He would
prepare design and submit it to her.
"You will have IL ready soon, will
you not?" she pleaded. "This even
ing?"
mo; not this evening"" he replied,
but he would hurry it up as fast as
possible and would bring it to her
residence. And so it was settled, and
she went away, very grateful for the
ready sympathy, and anxiously expect
art for the design.
Then the monument man got out an
old design and had 1T transferred to a
clean piece of paper, and in fifteen
minutes was ready for the widow, but
of course it wouldn't do to show up for
week or So The long days dragged
out their weary length finally, and the
marble man assumed an appropriately
funeral countenance, sought out the
widow, and submitted his work. He
found her somewhat more reconciled
to her loss, and little inclined TO be
critical, but on the whole She was
pleased with the design.
"But," she said, Il have been talking
over the matter with my sister, and she
thinks $1,000 ought to buy very nice
monument. Couldn't you make one
like that for SCOOP
mo-" responded he, "but can build
you handsome monument for $1,000
Shall l make design for one at that
figure"
Eyes; L wish you would, please, and
| will come to your Office and examine
1t in week or two"
Il will bring it to you"
ooh. no; won't trouble you to dc
so. There is no particular hurry about
it, and will call upon you; it's my
turn, you know" and she smiled
graciously upon him as she bowed
him out.
Well, what was a poor monument
man to do? He could only wait, busy
ing himself meanwhile, in getting up
elaborate and really beautiful designs.
One day he met the lady on the street,
dressed in the merest apology for half
mourning. He bowed obsequiously
and informed her that the design was
finished, and he thought could not fail
to be perfectly satisfactory.
"Oh," she said, 81 have been so busy,
don't You know, with one thing and
another. that 1 have forgotten all
about it. Let me see, how much was
that to cost?"
"Five thousand dollars"
"Oh, dear, l really can't afford to pay
that much. Now couldn't YOU" this
very bewitchingly, snake a real nice
monument for about $500? 1 know
you can, and 1 will come around and
see you soon; goodbye"
Then the monument man went to his
Office and told his grief to a three.leg
ged lamb and a stone angel.
Some time after this, the charming
widow with male friend, whom she
called Charley" dropped in again.
DO you know" said she, 81 feel sc
ashamed that 1 never came around tC
look at your pretty designs. Charley
and have concluded that those great
costly ornaments are so foolish, after
ones dead, you know. We think its
wicked, don't we CharleyP" Charley
allowed that it was. But" she contin.
ued, "those little white boards such as
they put up at the soldiers graves,
Charley and think are very nice. So
neat and unpretentious. Couldn't you
make one of them for me and put
Georges monogram on it? His initials
make such a very pretty monogram. I"
The monument mans cup was full.
and he spilled over on them. He told
her that Charley could get an old shin
gle aud tack one of Georges business
cards on 1t.