The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-11-29

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-I suppose" Miss
Margaret began.
mo, sister, don't" pleaded Harriet.
Lets 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 a 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
Il can't bear to have that name go
on" she said, "even if it was his. He
never disgraced it"
But whoever heard of tombgt9pe
without any name on it?'
well, we could put on his first
me-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.
l 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
Bob-you know?'
NO, we couldn'tr' snapped Miss
Margaret. I'VE amt goin' to have no
nick-names 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 awolle, 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
as anything the matter, sister,"
Harriet asked Where have you
been?"
'Of course there amt anything the
matter. Can't | go out for little with
out your gettin' riled up?"
Il was afraid somethin' had hap
pencd to you"
Guess l can take care of myself
Seems to me l smell sonIethilt
burnin'."
Its the toastr'
Harriet turned meekly to the stove.
She asked no more questions, Margaret
kept her own counsel, and life in the
little cottage went on as monotonous.
ly as ever,
1t was a cold, bleak day in early No
vember. There was not bit of green
ness left anywhere; the frosts had
been early and severe. Even the
bright-tinted leaves had fallen from
the trees, and the whole landscape
was brown and dreamy. In the old
cemetery, where the hill slopes gently
to the south, stood two women, look