The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1894-11-30

SSsA. - eAACy olCPt VI Wdhcus II tucy
shed tears IN the darkness, If their
poor hearts ached with the pain Of
forty years ago, they did not tell each
other of it,
They were astir early next morning.
The September sun had hardly begun
to warm the world when their scanty
breakfast was over, the dishes washed
and put away, the old carpet swept
and the room busted.
Miss Margaret came out of the tiny
bedroom with her bonnet on.
where are you going?''
Harriet looked up, surprised; she
usually did the errands.
'I'm going to ask Mr.. Morgan to see
to things for the funeral I'm the old
est, and it's proper should do it.
You'd better put on your other dress,
an go an get that money out of the
bank"
And SO the matter was settled; and
poor old Bob Barton, who had died
alone, and left not relative in the
world, nor a cent of money, instead of
being laid in a pauper's grave, was de-
Gently buried, and followed to his last
resting place by two sincere mourners.
When the expenses were all paid.
the sisters found their little sum re-
duced more than they had anticipated.
"We can go without our roast beef
Sunday" Harriet suggested, timidly.
YES, and tea once days enough
for anybody" Margaret answered.
So, without word of regret, or a
thought of yielding their project, the
sisters made their sacrifices, and then
they went to give their order. After
all, their money would procure only
the simplest OF simple stones; but they
were satisfied.
whats the inscription" asked the
man in attendance, when the stone
had been selected.
Harriet turned helplessly to Mar
garet, and Margaret looked blankly at
Harriet. Neither of them had thought
of that.
"Why-his name-1 suppose" Miss
Margaret began.
mo, sister, don't" pleaded Harriet.
"Let's wait and talk it over and come
again"
And so they walked slowly home.
They had way-these sisters-of not
speaking until they had thought a
thing out, each for herself. Miss
Harriet lighted the fire when they
reached home, and made the tea, while
her sister set the cups and plates on
the table. sliced the bread and put on
the wee bit of butter. 1t was chilly
evening, but they put on their shawls
and let the fire go down. There was
no paper to read tonight; so they both
knitted. Margaret worked steadily,
but Harriet stopped now and then in
an absent-minded way, and she passed
over more than one dropped stitch
without seeing it. 1t was she, of
course, who finally broke the silence.
81 can't bear to have that name go
on" she said, "even if it was his. He
never disgraced it."
''But whoever heard of tombstone
without any name on it?"
"Well, we could put on his first
name-and-and-a verse of poetry,
mebby, or somethin' from the Scrip
lures"
Harriet Staples! Poetry! The
idea! Itain't befittin'-and you know
it. Nor yet Scripture. He was good
man, but we don't know nothing about
his religion. 1t don't suit, somehow.
1 guess it'll have to be jest the name
Robert"
THAT sounds kind o. cold like"
Miss Harriet hesitated. Nobody ever
called him that. Couldn't we have the
know?
''No, we couldn'tv' snapped Miss
Margaret. "We amt goin' to have no
on that stone"
Harriet said no more, and the next
day they gave their order. Miss Mar
garet was even more quiet than usual
during the remainder of the day, and
when night came she went to bed
earlier than was her custom. In the
when Harriet awoke, she
was startled to find her sister gone.
She kindled the fire. wondering what
could have taken Margaret out so
early. By the time breakfast was
ready her anxiety had increased to
such an extent that she was in the act
Of putting on her own bonnet to go in
search of her. when the door opened |
and Margaret appeared. She looked
cold and blue, and her thin lips were |
shut slightly together.
"Is anything the matter. sister,"
Harriet asked. Where have you |
oeen?"
.sOf course there amt anything the |
natter Can't go out for little with
,ut your gettin' riled up?"
81 was afraid somethin' had hap
,encd to YOU"
'Guess / can take care of myself.
seems to me l smell somethin'
,urnin'."