The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1885-05-08

nAA NtAlt ttuhtfil WIN Jus ftth@~ "
her. hidden away In the stone.
You here?"
i started. Behind me stood the gar
rulous old man my companion IN the
cars. looking down at me seriously. ana
without a word he seated himself be-
side me on the snnken stone near
Parna's grave. For awhile we were
silent. an | the children in the school
house across the way began 70 recite
something in a chorus. their voices
rising and falling ia a mono'onons chant
Poor PARMA" said the old man,
softly.
You knew hcr?"
He mold d. and, taking hold OF my
arm. pa nted 10 a church spire that
| showed itself on a hill 10 the west,
That where I'm going he said. III
amt three miles away. and. a we have
10 stay there till the track is Gear for
the train, | thought I'd Just walk down
and see the graveyard My folks are
bur ed yondcr. under that pinc-trcc,
and | suppose I'll lay alongside Of EN-
som day. | told the girls 10 bring me.
I'D rather be here than anywhere else,
l guess" ".
After a minutes pause he stretched
out his hand. raised the marble Hap,
and looked al the portrait OF Parna with
a wayering smile.
cts a good likeness he continued.
Her old father had il put in. She was
all he hal lett, and he didn't stay long
after she was gone. He used To come
here and sit and look at the picture by
the hour. Many's the time have $ en-
him sitting here all alone, sort o talk
ing. as though she could hear. lie was
childish, and | guess he thought he
|, knew that he had come 10 keep her
: company. Perhaps she did. And the
, old man let the flap fall over the por-
! trait and turned his blue eyes TO me IN
solemn wonder. ..She Il ed 10 teach
! school across the way.' he went on,
; ..and all the children came to hi
! funeral. 1t don't seem but yesterday
that we stood here listening to The
4 clumps Of earth falling on her collin
Poor Parma, She was a good girl
! Everybody loved her."
n His voice broke. but IN absent smile
fingered on his face. "she was en-
q gagged TO be married." he said, with
certain hesitation. " and her swccthear
u was most broken hearted. lie WASH
OF much account. but She thought
- GOOD deal Of him. and lie was gong =
study for the min stry. though his folk
| were awful set against it, for, you see
70 he wasn't so young. being femme sc
: oh, he was nigh onto ten years oldc
10 than her
Il And after she dicd?' l asked.
TO He drew down his mouth: ''Well. h
A. give up all thoughts of studying for tn
W ministry. You see he never felt he ha
" 4 real call for it; but he would hay
ne stud ed TO please her. After she WI
IN d n he did as his folks wanted him 4
: and went TO a village where an uncle
an his kept store. And he kept store
r. made some money AT il. too; and whe
eli his unc.c died he got the business.
And did he ever marry
ut EYES, said the old man. slowl
ps and with an odd. d~eprccatory smil
N. ..Yes. he married a woman no mo
is like Parma than Martha in the Bible vi
an like Mary. Not but what she was
ad GOOD woman" he added. hastily. ian
'a- an smart oma a regul
ro-ahead. all energy, always driyin
as always saving. up before dayligh
Ith sill, l don't believe Parma : swecthea
nd ever forgot her. though he did mar
.p- and have ch ldren. Those were n
he daughters that brought me 70 the drpt
)ut YOU NAV have seen EN-. They are DO
ed married now. and they are 90
tor like their mother. They are The
ed mother right ovcr again. 50
spcak-all push and energy and n
.he lust keep their husbands going all I
time. Now. Parna."-here his Vol
ds. rrew soft and he looked at the pictu
oil AGAIN -..she wasn't one of that 20
She was gentle. and she had a K
voice She had a good deal of cnere
a too, but there wa a womanly way abc
ter her; | don't know how 70 express y I
a actly. Why. sometimes over there
hin the school the boys were regular 2
Die. ones. but She could rule en-. You =
she got 'em to love her: that was 8
We They came TO her funeral. and the y
rest BOYS carried her coffin. ! RENE
hat Der one chap. Abe Mo,ely he was. q
led he was a limb Of the law. and nobo
ere could control him. he was Away tg
mes in and getting into mischief; but WI
tall they buried Parma he stood there y
en- where that %tallest clump Of golien-r
a i. and he kept his arm over his lace
all the while the minister was talkll
Earth 10 earth. ashes 70 ashes y
Wy. PARMA"
ugh He said no more. but with a trcmbl
IRA hand lie picked 4 bunch Of the asterS
ar his feet. and. though they grow wild
ne about. these he laid on the grave. "
rbic a ioyous shout The children burst ou'
'rna school. and the old man and ] rose
~ walked away together IN silence. J.
the did not dream that he had revealed
rbic me the romance that had made his
rcd 4, .xnno .wn., ana sad he ala not kr
II 4 bnxv much H. had old as we sat