The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1899-06-02

Mrs. Andrew Gamble sat there knit.
ting in the still, dark room. She
gave little start as Mrs. Carter en-
tered.
"Oh," she said, in a low voice, "l'm
really glad to see you, Mrs. Carter. No,
don't take that chair-that's An
drew's, and l can't bear it. The rock.
er's easier to your back. Undo your
shawl, do"
II had to come over, Marietta
seemed as il l must. ] couldn't bear
the thought of you sitting here all
alone. ! wish Iscould help you-O,
Mariette, ! wish I could!"
Mrs. Gamble looked up from her
knitting quickly. eyes, it is lone
some with Andrew gone" she sai6,
quietly. She was slight, sweet-faced
woman, and the loose wisps of hair,
turning gray, curled prettily around
her face.
For a very little space neither of
the women spoke. The subdued creak
OF their rockers sang dirge in the
visitors ears. She was wondering
how Marietta could knit stockings,
and look so composed, and curl her
hair. Still she had been crying. Her
eyes looked Redeemed.
Then the visitor spoke in a sharp
whisper, drawing the words ont SOL
emnly. "Wasn't it dreadful sudden,
Maretta?"
Yes, it was sudden. Still I'd been
expecting as likely as not it might
happen. He's never been real hearty"
MOP" Mrs. Carter assented, with a
doubtful, upward infection. Andrew
had looked hearty, very.
Ever since he sprained his knee
Joint last fall he's been alling espec-
tally; it seemed to use him up"
IL never noticed that he limped."
swell, he did, going up hill and
coming home after long trip"
Another pause, and another stanza
of the creaking dirge.
"When did-it happen, Marietta?"
whispered Mrs Luther Carter then.
''Three O'Clock this morning, or a
few minutes past. We were up all
night with him. l didn't get a wink
of Sleep"
"Poor child!" Mrs. Carter softly
patting the knitting needles. Did
did-he suffer much?"
"No, | guess not. That was
mercy. He didn't seem to sense any
thing all night. We did everything
we knew how to for him-everything
Laudanum didn't seem to do any
good" She began to cry suddenly.
II was 50 fond of him." she sobbed,
alphabetically.
"Yes, yes, do cry, Marietta-it'll do
you good. You ought to cry. It's a
mercy you CAN
IL don't know how we are going to
get along without him, Mrs. Carter"
Its great loss to the neighbor-
hood. We all feel it," Mrs. Carter
murmured "Luther aud I were all
stuck in heap. lie read it in the
paper. Just think OF our finding it
out In the newspaper"
Mrs. Gamble lifted her dropping
head with an air of solemn pride.
"Yes," she said, they put it in the pa
per right away. l didn't spose they
would in to-day's, but they're dread
ful smart about getting things in.
When Andrews Uncle Andrew died,
they got that into the morning paper
too"
1t was warm in the room and Mrs.
Carter took up paper from the table
to fan herself. She folded it neatly
and set it waving with slow steady
strokes.
"Whcn are you going tO-t0-whcn
will you-bury him, Marietta?' she
asked at length, gravely.
Mrs. Gamble took up her knitting
work. "Oh, we buried him this
morning as soon as it was real light.
We thought we might as well get it
done with and we wouldn't feel so bad
when twas over"
"Why, Mrs. Gamble! Why, never
heard OF such thing in my born days
Il never" She spread out the news
paper fan In abstracted agitation, and
stared at it absently. Her face ex-
pressed the utmost amazement ana
horror.
Suddenly her eye fell on one OF the
items In the paper. She read 1t hastily
pnce-twlce. Then she glanced at the
papers date. 1t was the morning pa.
Der, aud the notice in II was Of the
loss our respected towns
nan, Andrew Gamble has sustained |
his morning-as VIC 60 to press-in
he death of his valuable and pet
ed cllesnut horse" etc, etc.
Mrs. Luther crumpled the paper in
ler fingers and rose. "Well, Mariet.
ia, l must be going. I'm real sorry
Tor you and Andrews. but 'tlsn't as IL
twas one Of the family, you know.
..&
She rapidly went home, and finding
tho borrowed paper, thrusted It irto
Luther's hid unceremonlously point
Ing to the date. For the drst time
they Noticed that it was old And a mo-