The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1894-11-17

decently 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 anticipat
ed.
eve can go without our roast beef
Sundays" Harriet suggested, timidly.
eyes, and tea once days enough
for anybody" Margaret answered.
So, without a word of regret, or
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.
Lets wal 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 to night;
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,"
swell, 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,
1t amt befttin'-and you know it.
Nor yet Scripture. He was a good
man, but We don't know nothing
about his religion. 1t don't suit,
somehow. I 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 other-Bob-you know?"
"No, we couldn'tp' snapped Miss
Margaret. "We amt goin' to have
no nicknames 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
morning, 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 tightly together
"Is anything the matter, sister,"
Harriet asked "Where have you
been?"
"Of course there amt anything the
matter. Can't / go out for little
without your gettin' riled up7"
81 was afraid somethin' had hap
pened to you"
"Guess I can take care of myself.
Seems to me / smell somethin' burn
in"
cts the toastp
Harriet turned meekly to the stove.
She asked no more questions, Mar
garet kept her own counsel, and life
in the little cottage went on as mo-
notonously as ever.
y X
1t was a cold, bleak day in early
November. There was not a bit of
greenness left anywhere; the frosts
had been early and severe. Even the
bright tinted leaves had fallen from