Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1899-12-22
Saved by the Sexton
BY A. A. Smith.
Written for this paper.
By A. A. Smith.
Written for this paper.

Authors Note: Saved by the Sexton"
Is a story based upon facts. which were
widely exploited by the newspapers at the
time For obvious reasons fictitious names
OF the parties to the grewsome adventure
are used. and the name of the city near
which IL occurred is purposely omitted.
Newspaper readers with retentive mem
cries. however. Will be able to recall both
the parties TO what may aptly be termed
a provldential crime, and the locality In
which 1t occurred. The lady who owed so
much to the dissertation of her grave lived
for eight years afterward and became the
mother of two healthy children, but the
guilty sexton did not long survive the
shock resulting from his ghoulish nights
work
II WAS by no means tenement house
/ picture upon which the sexton gazed
as he stepped across his own threshold.
The room was small and poorly fur
nished, but it did not present the gaunt
aspect Of poverty in the lowest degree.
There were four rooms in the little
house and they contained all the es-
sentials for comfortable living, even
though the carpets were made of rags
and the scant furniture was worn and
faded. The most dismal feature of the
place was the disconnected face of the
woman who was facing him in the low
rocker.
What makes you SO late, Thomas? ?"
she asked, fretfully.
81 had to finish digging the Whitnell
grave" the man replied. THE flu
neral's tomorrow, and there's lot to
do. Three dollars is not such bad
days work for us, is it, Mary?"
Bad she repeated, turning YEARLY
away. It's all been bad ever since |
could remember. What an aspiring
man you are, Thomas, to talk about
beggarly days work as if You had found
n fortune"
Sexton Williams only sighed as he
went in to his supper. Long expert
ence had taught him the futiity of try
ing to dispel the fretful melancholy of
his wife.
The same old bill of fare again."
sighed the querulous woman opposite
him. 'Who wouldn't get tired of the
same old things over and over again +?
| do wish we could live like some body
for awhile, just for the novelty of it,"
"Why don't you talh?" she demand
ed, as Thomas ate his supper in silent
constraint. zone would thiuk ii was
gloomy enough without bringing your
graveyard manners into the house.
suppose the Whitnells will make a
swell affair Of their funeral to-mor-
row?"
Indeed they WILL" responded her
husband, Frightening with the thought
of having something of interest to inn
part TO his wife. she is TO he buried
in her wedding clothes. There's an ele-
giant necklace and some pearls, and
diamonds"
Diamonds" exclaimed the wife.
THE idea of putting them into the
ground. It's a shame
"Worse than the barbarians, replied
the sexton, "buL she requested it, and
the mourners seem more anxious than
anything that the corpse shall present
a striking appearance. The under
taker said it would be done, and / saw
her laid out in them myself"
"Oh, dear" fairly groaned the wom-
an. And all that shameful waste
while l can't have as much as pair of
new curtains 10 replace these wretched
rags. If l were man ibid rob that
grave before those jewels should be put
TO such a shameful use"