Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1901-03-06
CHAPTER NIX.
A s%YMPATnETIC TRIENp.

A SYMPATHETIC friend.
The next day was the day Of Aga.
tha's funeral.
She was 10 be buried In pcrchcster.
by the side Of her six children. and, as
the day was fine, the whole town, as
by ommon consent, assembled IN the
road along which the humble cortegc
was TO make lis way to the spot lndl-
Gated.
From the windows Of f~armhouses,
from between the trees of the few
scattered shickcts along the way, sad.
dcncd and curious faces looked forth.
till Swcetwater. who walked as near
as he dared to the immediate friends
of the deceased. felt the imposslbility
of remembering them all and gave up
the task in despair.
Before one house, about n mile out
Of town. the procession paused. and at
n gesture from the minister every one
within sight took OF their hats, amid n
hush which made almost painfully ap.
parent the twittcring Of birds and the
other sounds Of animate aud mani.
mate nature which are lnscparable
from a country road. They had reach.
cd Widow Jones cottage. In which
Philemon was then staying.
The front door was closed and so
were the lower windows, but In one Of
the upper easements n movement was
p%rrccptible. and In another instant
there came into view n woman and n
man. supporting between them the I'm.
pasSlblc form OF Agatha's husband.
Holding him up In plain sight OF the
almost breathlcss throng below, the
woman pointed to where his darling
lay aud appeared to say something to
him.
Then there was TO be seen n strange
sight. The old man, with his thin
white locks flutterins in the breeze,
leaned forward, with a smile, and,
holding out his arms, cried in n faint
but joyful tone, "Agatha." Then. as II
realizing for the first time that II was
death be looked upon and that the
crowd below was a funeral procession,
his face altered, aud he fell back, with
a low. hcartbroken moan. into the arms
IL those who supported him.
As his white head disappeared from
sight the procession moved on, and
from only II pair of lips went up that
groan Of sorrow with which every
heart seemed surchargcd-onc groan.
From whose lips did it come? Sweet
water underworld 10 find out. but was
not able, rr could any inform
Inn 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. lie had meant
to ride. for the distance was long for
men past co; but, finding the latter re.
solved to walk, he had consented to do
the anne rather than be separated
from his son.
lie had fears for Frederick-he could
hardly have told why-and rs 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
ilcult TO quit the young nan for a mo.
ment or even TO turn his eyes away
from the face he had never seemed 10
know till now. But rs n friend and
stranger were now rapidly leaving the
yard he controlled himself and. assum-
Ing n more natural demcanor. asked his
son IL he were now ready to ride back.
But. Ia Ills astonishmcnt, Frederick re.
piled that he did not intend to return
TO Sutlicrlandtown ut present, that he
had business In Dorchester and that
he was doubtful as TO when he would
be ready 10 90 home. As the old gen.
tlcman did not wish TO raise a contrO-
ycrsy. be- said nothing. but rs SOC as
he saw Frederick disappear up the
road he sent back the carriage he had
ordered. saying that he would return
In n dorchester gig n. soon rs lie had
settled some affairs of his own. which
might and might not dctaln him there
till evening.
Then he proceeded to n little inn,
where he hired a room with windows
that looked out on the hlghroad. 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 the window and
set out OH foot for home.
1t was now dark. but n sllvery CLEAN
on the horizon gave promise Of the
speedy rising OF a full moon. Other
wise he would not have attempted to
walk over a road proyerblally dark
and dismal.
The churchyard. In which they had
just laid away Agatha. lay In his
course. As he approached he felt his
heart fail. and stopping n moment al
the stone wall that separated h from
the highroad. he leaned against the
trunk Of n huge elm that guarded the
gate Of entrance. AS he did SO be