Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1900-06-21

10 tombstone at the head of his grave.
TIE wedding garments were again pre-
pared and the guests invited to the
feast.
This time the date was set for Sum
day, and the quiet calm Of Saturday
evening had settled down upon the vii
lage, when lone man with bundle
under his arm appeared and walked
straight to the Widow Jones' house
without asking for directions. He en-
tered without knocking. and, as he
placed his bundle on chair, he said to
the astonished woman before him:
well, Mary, you see I've got back =
Isis it Caleb?" she gasped, as she
peered into his face.
cts Caleb for sure. I suppose you
thought was killed in that railroad
wreck, didn't you?"
''Of course we did! Caleb, this can't
be you! It must be your ghost!''
'Im your old Caleb in the flesh Mary.
Have l got back in time to stop your
Maria ge?'
1--WE were to be married tomorrow.
Shoe! That's another close shave!
I'm awfully sorry about it, but I
couldn't get here any sooner. L got a
knock on the head in that smash
which made me looney, and I went wan
eeering over the country till L was
picked up and sent to an insane asy-
lum. 1t was only the other day that
the wheels got out of my head. So
Arson was ready to toe the mark
again? He's dear old brick!''
Again Arson Davis came running
over to verify or disprove the news.
When he saw Caleb Jones in the flesh
his feelings were hurt
1T wouldn't have believed it of you'll
he said as he reluctantly shook hands.
"Caleb. this is carrying the thing too
lar. You shouldn't have turned, up a
second time.''
Il do feel kind O. meun about it, adj
mitted the returned.
II should think you would! When a
mans dead and buried and has tomb
stone over his grave it's his business
to stay dead"
Il know you feel sort o. edgewise
about it, he said to Arson. a few days
later, "but I'm hoping that when do
go you'll toe the mark
"Why,. yes; promised to- was the
reply, land 1 never break my word.
Yes, you can depend on me.''
This time it was year before Caleb
had any further adventure. although
his heart trouble grew worse, and the
doctors told him he was liable to drop
dead any day. He went away one day
on seven mile journey to visit sis.
ter, and while crossing a bridge on
which crowd had gathered to watch
the flood, the bridge gave way with a
crash and 36 people were swallowed up
in the rushing waters.
That Caleb was among the swallowed
there could be no doubt. as hat q
dozen people who knew him saw him GO
down. During the next three weeks
most OF the bodies were discovered. and
his was among the number. The widow
identified it by dozen different marks.
and had been very particular about it,
because Arson Davis had said:
Mary, of coursesI shall marry YOU
when the year is up, and we can't at.
ford to have any more mistakes"
The body was duly buried, the weeds
put on for the third time, and the tomb.
stone erected over the grave said that
Caleb was not dead, but only gone be.
fore.
In that the epitaph was partly right
and partly wrong. Had it said that
ne was not dead, but only gone down
the Ohio river it would have hit the
nail on the head. For a time Arson
Davis kept doubt in his mind, and the
widow never looked at Ca,eb's old boots
without wondering if she could DOS.
slbly have been mistaken in her identi.
hcatlon, but as time went on, Caleb's
little way of breaking in upon matri.
monlal programmes was forgotten.
AS the year was drawing to close
Arson suggested that date be named,
and Mary named it. It was to be quiet
wedding this time, and it was to be in
the evening, and two days before the
event was to come off Arson went mr.
to the cemetery and made sure that
Caleb was sat home,' and likely to re-.
main there. .-
He reckoned without his host. and
only with tombstone, however. The
widow was dressed for the maria ge
and the minister on his way to the
house when Caleb Jones returned. fo,
the third time and calmly announced:
well, Mary, I've got to disappoint
you and Arson again. and say I'm
feeling mighty mean about it,"
He had gone into the river, sure
enough, but beam had floated him
for 20 miles before he was picked mr.
by steamboat. The steamer was 90.
ing down the river and in hurry. and
Caleb was finally landed in Cincin.
natl.
The three-times widow said he ouph1
to make up his mind to live or die. and
quit making her nervous over it. bu1
OF course she was glad he had. come
back. With Arson Davis it was DIFF.
ferent however