El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-03-23
CHAPTER XIX.

"A S1MPAIHEIlC KLEIN
The next day was the day of Aga
tha's funeral.
She was to be buried in Dorchester.
by the side Of her six children. and, as
the day was fine. the whole town, as
by common consent, assembled In the
road along which the humble cortege
was to make it's way to the spot indi-
Gated.
From the windows of ~farmhouses.
from between the trees of the few
scattered thiekets along the way, sad
dened and curious faces o forth,
till Sweetwater, who walked as near
as he dared to the immediate friends
of the deceased, felt the imp~ossibility
of remembering them all and gave up
the task in despair.
Before one house, about a mile out
of town, the procession paused, and at
a gesture from the minister every one
within sight took off their hats, amid q
hush which made almost painfully ap-
parent the twittermg of birds and the
other sounds of animate and inani-
mate nature which are inseparable
from a country road. They had reach
ed Widow Jones cottage, in which
Philemon was then staying.
The front door was close and 80
were the lower windows, but in one OF
the upper easements a movement was
p~erceptible, and in another instant
there came into view n woman and q
man, supporting between them b Inn
passibIe form of Agatha's husband.
Holding him up in plain sight OF the
almost breathIess throng below, the
woman pointed to where his darling
lay and appeared to say something to
him.
Then there was to be seen a strange
sight. The old a with his hin
white locks fruttering in the breeze,
leaned forward, with a smile, and,
holding out his arms, cried in a faint
but joyful tone, "AgathaI" Then, as IL
realizing for the first time that it was
death he looked upon and that the
crowd below was a funeral procession,
his face altered, and he fell back, with
q low, heartbroken moan into h arms
Of those who supported him.
AS his white head disappeared from
sight the procession moved on, and
from only one pair of lips went up that
groan of sorrow with which every
heart seemed surcharged-one groan.
From whose lips did it come? Sweet
water endeavored to find out, but was
not able, nor could any one inform
him unless it was Mr.. Sutherland,
whom he dared not approach.
This gentleman was on foot like the
rest, with his arm fast linked in that
Of his son Frederick. He had meant
to ride, for the distance was long for
men past GO; but, finding the latter re-
solved to walk, he had consented to do
the same rather than be separated
from his son.
He a fears for Frederick-he could
hardly have told why-and as the GER
emony proceeded and Agatha was SOL
EMMY laid away in the place prepared
for her his sympathies grew upon him
to such an extent that he found it diff
ficult to quit the young man for a mo-
ment or even to turn his eyes away
from the face he had never seemed to
know till now. But as a friend and
stranger were now rapidly leaving the
yard he controlled himself and. assum
ing a more natural demeanor, asked his
son IL he were now ready to ride back.
But, to his establishment, Frederick re-
piled that he did not intend to return
to S~utherlandtown at present, hat he
had business in Dorchester and that
he was doubtful as to when he would
be ready to go home. AS the old gen.
tleman did not wish to raise a contro-
versy, he sal nothing, but as soon as
he saw Frederick disappear up the
road he sent back the carriage he had
ordered, saying that he would return
in a Dorchester gig as soon as he had
settled some affairs of his own. which
might and might not detain him there
till evening
Then he proceeded to a little inn.
where he hired a room with windows
that looked out on the highroad In
one of these windows he sat all day.
watching for Frederick, who had gone
further up the road
But no Frederick appeared. and with
vague misgivings. for which as yet he
had no name. he left b window and
set out on foot for home.
1t was now dark. but 4 silvery CLEAN
on the horizon gave promise of the
speedy rising of a full moor. Other
wise he would not have attempted to
walk over a road proverbially dark
Inc dismal.
The ~churchyard. in which the, had
just laid away Agatha. lay In his
course. AS he approached he felt his
heart fail. and stopping a moment AT
the stone wall that separated It from