St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1889-03-23
HER ONLY oRAve.


Came q It
She came into my oflce In . South
ern Kansas town one day In the middle
Of summer. She Was q thin-faced.
faded woman Of hfty, with sunken eyes
and look Of frightened despair. She
had seen sorrow and suffering. Her
dress was q tasteless affair OF dirty
brown and green. with red ribbons
dragging Mt the side.
"Are you the city clerk?" she asked
In a pitiful tone that showed her un-
familiarity with city ways She was
timid. hesitating and frightened
mo, madam, am not" replied.
"Where is he?"
Really I do not know. In his office.
presume"
'Where is his office: I'm 20 puzzled
with things here that I can't nnd
nOthin'." she pleaded.
Something about her made me leave
my desk and 60 to the door Of the
city clerk whose Office was on the
same floor He was not In; the ofics
was closed. returned to my visitor.
IL am sorry. madam. but he has
gone out and the Office IL closed"
..Oh, dear, l wish / could find him. J"
.'Couldn't you leave word with mel"
Il don't know-you might help me
some. You see. I walked In from my
house six miles out In the country. and
I didn't want to come in for nothin'."
'Of course not shall be only too
glad TO help you"
'YOu sec it's about my lot In the
buryin' ground. Belts is buried there
MY name is Belts. I'm his widder."
There was little choking sob in her
voice that made me turn my head and
look out of the window, though with
out seeing any thing. In q moment
| she went on:
"Betts died Inst spring and left mo
alone. We put him up there. though
l wanted to take him bac! East where
the children is. an where we grew up.
but l couldn't. 1t cost too much"
'.Are none of the children heree"
asked. to divert her thoughts
'.Not one l can 60 back to them.
and l suppose l will have to, but /
want to stay near Belts rs long as ] can.
So l live alone out on the prairie and
sew. But, as Twas q sayin'. I amt got
much money. and / was told that II /
didn't pay for Belts lot the men would
take him up and put him in the poor
house corner. An they shan't do that
They mustn't stir him"
"But haven't you paid for the lot
yet?" l asked.
mot quite. but pretty near. You
see John Chats our oldest bOy) ID
goin' to send it to me. but times ID
hard an he don't earn much. 50 II
comes slow. But we'll pay 1t. and
Belts won't be moved TO the potter'a
field. will he?"
mo. madam, Of course not: But
who told you he would be. anyhow?
1.-THE undertaken"
The villain. he was trying to ruin hii
rivals reputation.
"You see." she continued in the same
piping voice. ''it was awful hard f0s
me to lose Belts. and Two struggled r
pay the doctors bills The lot
couldn't pay for just now. but wheu
my son sends the money will. Betta
was the first one to 60. and We all feel
so bad yet. Iwon't have him put IN
the potter's field, not II It kills mo-"
assured her that would see h<
city clerk and be certain that the form
OF her husband was not disturbed. and
she went slowly and mournfully ou
into the street and started on tho l0n{
walk homeward.
Her sole companion seemed thai
lonely grave In an unpaid-for lot II
the bleak prairie cemetery. For tha
she lived and for that she would sacrl
fee any thing. It gave me pleasure I
few weeks later to know that 'John'
had forwarded the money for the lot
and Belts" would be allowed to sleel
unmolested in his original last resting
| ,,1>~~ notv,oit Evnn Prooa