Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-08-22


Abbie Pencils eyes. This wasn't
much more'n village then, and it
made quite stir. tell you. when one
day he turned up missing. He was
owing good many, an there was
them that thought at first he'd skipped
out; but about a month after. his body
washed ashore. and then folks re-
membered that a boat disappeared the
day he did. So we concluded he'd
gone out fishing. and been upset some
way. Well. no. What with being
knocked about in the water, there
wasn't any looks to speak of left. but
we knew it was him from the height
an the clothes he wore, besides. you
know he was all the man that was
missin'.
'.But I tell you. Miss Abbie took it
hard, though she said she couldn't be
thankful enough that his body was
found. She bought this lot, and had
him buried. an then. if you'll believe
me. as fast as she could earn the money
maxim dresses an trimmin' bunnits,
she paid up all his debts. forced the
money onto old people if they didn't
want to take it. An in these thirty
years. unless she's been sick, theirs
been hardly a day that she hasn't Wis
tied his grave. Some folks thinks she's
little shattered, but i guess its only
her coming here, and because she
never took no notion to marrying any
body else. 'Tany rate, she's as kind
hearted a little woman as ever
IS 80
among the poor an sick"
This homely story of her hearts ro-
nance increased my desire to know
more of this faithful mourner. 1t was
a wish easily accomplished. Some lit
tie attentions to her flowers sufficed to
win her friendship, and her confidence
on that theme of which she never
wearied-the goodness and gifts of the
young man who had been dead so
long, that save for her loving mention,
his very name would have been we'll
n Ugh forgotten.
And the better knew Miss Abbie,
the deeper became my interest, for, in
her lonely, narrow, toilsome life. this
brief bloom of love had left glory
whose brightness had never faded. a
music whose sweet cadence. fingered
still. Over her work she hummed the
old songs she had sung with her lover;
through the daily fret and care. the
memory of the happy hours when he
had been by her side stole like a soOth-
ing charm. The young lover who had
died SO long before seemed to have
perpetuated in her heart the youth
that, in one sense. had died with him.
while her sorrow, instead of iso-
lating her from the world in selfish
her kind; the ache of her own heart
had made it quick to vibrate to the
SORROWS of all hearts. And often, as l
watched her turning away from that
f1owery mound, with her sweet peace
full face. would wonder if the living
man, the lover become the husband,
and wearing away in the friction of
every day life, the vail of loves fond
ideal ill usion, could have filed her
heart. and remained the solace and in
SEPARATION that his memory was.
Some such thought as this was pass
ing through my mind one June after
noon, as watched her so cheerily busy
among the roses and geraniums that
made her plot mass of bloom. Pres
entity my attention was attracted by a
man sauntering down the narrow gravel
walk toward us. This was in itself no
unusual sight; for though the old Gem
etery was no fashionable city of the
dead, still, many passed through it.
going from street to street, to say
nothing of the many who enjoyed
strolling through it's quiet, shaded
walks. But this man was so seedy and
disreputable In appearance. so clearly
specimen of the unwhOlesome genus,
tramp, that regarded him with sus-
picious clOseness.
Aimlessly he lounged along, with
sneering glances at the monuments and
flowers, evidently considering them a
waste of both money and sentiment.
With a careless half-impudent look at
Miss Abbie that might have been
wholly impudent but for my presence,
he was passing by, when his eye chanc-
ing to catch the name on the head
stone, he stopped with sudden start
and involuntary exclamation.
'.Malcolm Mcknight Randall!'' and
SILVER seemed to pass over him as he
read the words.
Did you know him?" asked Miss
Abbie, looking up in surprise at his
tone and manner.
well, yes, think I did," and a
peculiar smile crossed his face; ''but
didn't know before that"-he paused
as if to moisten his dry lips-''he was
safe under the sod.
''Yes." said Miss Abbie, with simple
sadness. and apparently not noticing
the fiippant words, though the tone in
which they were uttered was hard and
forced. He was drowned in the lake
thirty years ago this summer"
then followed the oft-told story of the
young man. full of beauty and strength
and promise, who had gone out that
far-away May-day never to return alive,
| and of the wave-worn body given ten
der burial here.
Il left about that time myself. and
never heard of it, remarked the stran.
ger. "a handsome fellow, believe
| some called him." he added, and again
| Al 4,