The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-02-01
A BELATED FUNERAL.


The minister looked up as the gat,
clicked. He was shoveling the snow
from his walk, and scratching In,
Jumps of ice with his shovel from th,
two narrow boards which ran from th,
front door to the street.
could you take a funeral to-mor
row ?'' asked Miss Caldwell, pausinl
before him.
The minister pushed back his warn
cap and looked up.
"a funeral?n he repeated, bewilder-
ed. "Who's dead?'
Amos Dyer" replied Miss Caldwell
grimly.
Amos Dyerl Amos-Well, Sarah,
guess you'd better come in and tell me
little more" said the old man, lead
ing the way,
The minister's study had an outside
door, easy of access for small children
easy, too, for those in trouble TO sliI
into from the darkness without being
seen by curious eyes. There was nc
need of locking the door; no one want
ed the doctors commentaries, nor the
shabby horse-hair-covered sofa, nor the
sleepy hollow chair by the stove.
The minister stood his shovel in tbs
the corner of the porch and opened the
door. Miss Caldwell sat down in the
sofa corner and took off her shawl
Amos Dyer, I said" she began. 81
knc it's little late in the day, bnl
still, funerals funeral, aid be never
had one"
mo" said Dr. NARROW, "that is true
enough. But he has been buried a
year, and 1 see no reason why he
should have one now. To open up that
story"
Certainly. That's what say. But
he has to have funeral, nevertheless.
I'll tell you all about it if you Will listen
few minutes.
"Pve been down to New York for q
week, visiting Lucy. / always go about
this time, and We go around together
and look at the shop windows and buy
little things for Jacks stocking"
"How is Jack, by the way?" inter
rnpted the minister. ~ heard he wasn't
we'll"
"Just you wait, DIR. NARROW, I'm
coming to thst," said Miss Caldwell,
portentiously. "WelI, as was saying,
we have a good time together once a
year, Lucy and 1, just as if We were
girls again.
"But the minute got there this year
/ saw something was the matter. Lucy
looked worried, and Jack was just mis-
erable-just miserable, DIR. Marlowl as
pale and thini But didn'tsay word
at first. looked all around their little
fiat-the've just moved to new one
and said how coy it was. And we had
oysters for supper, and Jack didn't want
any, though | knew they didn't often
have them. But still / didn't ask a
question. And at last Jack went to
bed, and when he kissed me and | saw
mis- eyes look 50 sad, just wanted tc
cry. Then Lucy came aud sat down
by me and said:
Sarah, / never needed you more.
Do you see how i'll Jack looks?
Miss Caldwell paused and searched
for her handkerchief.
81 just love that cbiid,n she apollo.
gized, wiping her eyes. "Weil, l tried
to pooh-pooh it; said he was growing
fast, and was thin, and all that. because
saw she was so distressed, but she
wouldn't listen.
"'Sarah,' said she, just as solemn
Sarah, that boy is grieving himself to
death because his father had 80 fu-
neralr
Nonsense. said l. He doesn't even
remember his fatherl
"sPerhaps if he remembered more
about him he would not be sorry he
was buried quietly, said Lucy.
Then she went on to tell that Jack
has a strong remembrance Of the old
home up here. lie knows just how
the house looks, aud draws dozens Of
pictures Of it, with the big white pill.
lars and the elms in front. He remem-
bers how his father held him on his
pony and let him ride up and down.
And he remembers how in summer the
people of the village used to come and
have tea on the lawn, and how he used
10 march up aud down like little
prince and pick flowers for them"
''So he did" murmured DIR. MARROW,
stirring the ire-''so he did"
aAnd then he forgets,n said Miss
Caldwell, her voice trembling. "Thank
Heavenl ne forgets. He knows moth
iag Of the dreadful climax Of it all. o
how Amos dyer was found out to be 8
mere swindIer. OF the bank failure
and all the poor deposItors besiegine
that house and shrieking for their mon
ey. viii you ever, ever forget thai
night, doctor?"
The minister shook bis gray head
"Ii was a dark tinle for Norwood, .
he said, simply.
oAnd there it all ended The bal
loon collapsed. Amos disappeared in
the darkness, without word Of good
bye even 10 Mary. Add poor Lucy''
money was lost too, so she and Mary
took the boy and went 20 the city and
went to work, and In year she died.
ssPoor thingr' whispered the doctor
10 himself. he had baptized her
watched her grow from babyhood tC
womanhood; married her. with some
misgivings, 70 the brilliant stranger
who was dazzling the quiet village with
his splendor. He had baptized hel
baby boy, too, aud named him for hi
mothers father, the good old Judge
whom every ybody honoredi and thal
dsy he had seen the change in Mary''
face. The JOY of life was over, except
As she could find 1t in her baby.
And be had buried her. How sig
nificant had the words OF the praye'
sounded: at hath pleased Almight,
q; a nf Hls nrenf nereH TO take al 6