Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1901-08-20

the morning Of the wedding, when she
was told. that she was not to return to
the poorhouse again.
"And verify, have this day met with
a great deliyerance," said she, and tears,
the first shed in many a year, mingled
with the old creatures thanks for this
unexpected happiness. AS Mary was leav-
ing she whispered in her ear, IF your
travels lead you near my Willie's grave
drop a tear on it for my sake. You'll
find it under the buckeye tree, where the
tall grass and wild flowers grow"
George had relatives in Chicago, and.
after spending a short time in that city
Mary, remembering Sally's request, ex-
pressed a desire to visit the spot renown-
ed as the burial place of willie and
Willie's father" Ever ready to crafty
her slightest wish, George consented, and
toward the close of mild autumnal day
they stopped at small public house on
the border of a vast prairie. The arrival
of SO misunderstanding people caus-
ed quite a commotion, and after duly in
specting Mary's handsome travelling
dress and calculating its probable cost,
the hostess departed to prepare the even
ing meal, which was soon forthcoming.
When supper was over and the family
had gathered into the pleasant sitting
room, George asked if there was ever
man in those parts by the name Of Fur
bush.
What! Bill Furbush ?" asked the land
| lord.
George did not know, but thought like
| ly that might have been his name, as his
son was called William.
-'Lud, yesv' returned the landlord. 81
knowed Bill Furbush well-he came here
| from Massachusetts, and l from Var
mont; but, poor feller, he was too weakly
to bear much, and the first fever he took
| finished him up. His old woman was as
| clever a creature as ever was, but she
| had some high notions"
did she die, too?' asked George.
"No, but it's pity she didn't, for when
Bill and the boy died she went rayin'
mad, and never felt SO like cryin' as l
did when l see her tearin' her hair and
| goin' on so. We kept her a spell, and
then her old mans brothers girl came for
her and took her off; and the last heard
| the girl was dead, and she was in the
poorhouse somewhere. East. She was
born there, b'lieve.''
mo, she worn't, either" said the land
| lady, who for some minutes had been
aching to speak. mo. she warn't, either:
1 know all about it. She was born in
England, and got to be quite a girl be-
fore she came over. Her name was
Sarah Fletcher, and Peter Fletcher, who
died with the cholera, was her own un-
Gle, and all the connection she had in
this country; but goodness. SUI, what ails
you?' she added, as Mary turned white,
while George passed his arm around her
to keep her from falling. Here, So
phrony, fetch the campfire; she's goin'
to faint
But Mary did not faint, and after
smelling the camphor, she said, $50 on,
madam, and tell me more Of Sarah
| Fletcher
"She can do it." whispered the land
lord, with a sly wink. "She knows ev-
erybody's history from Dan to Beer
shelby"
This intimation was wholly lost on the
good-humored hostess, who continued,
"Mr. Fletcher died when Sarah was
small, and her mother married a Mr.,
/ don't justly remember his name"
''Tenlplew suggested Mary.
Yes, Temple, that's it. He was rich
and cross, and broke her heart by the
time she had her second baby. Sarah
was adopted by her Grandmother Fletch-
er, who died, and she came with her
uncle to America"
''Did she ever speak Of her sisters p
asked Mary, and the woman replied:
Before she got crazy she did. One
of 'em, she said, was in this country
somewhere, and t'other, the one she re-
membered the best, and talked the most
about, lived in England. She said she
) wanted to write to ZEN. but her uncle, he
hated the Temples, so he wouldn't let her
and as time went on she kinder forgot
4 'em, and didn't know where to direct
and after she took crazy she never would
speak of her sisters, or own that she had
: any,"
SIS Mr.. Furbush buried near hereT
asked George, and the landlord answered
Little better than stones throw.
can see the very tree from here, and may.
be your younger eyes can make out the
graves. He ought to have a gravestun
for he was good feller.'
The new moon was shining, and Mary
who came to her husbands side, could
plainly discern the buckeye tree, and the
two graves where willie and Wilie's
father had long been sleeping. The
next morning before the sun was I'D Mary
stood by the mounds where often in
years gone by Sally Furbush had seen the
moon go down, and the stars grow pale
in the coming day, as she kept her tire
less watch over her loved and lost
Willie was my cousin-your cousin,
said Mary, resting her hand upon the bi
| of board which stood at the head of the
= little graves. George understood hel
wishes, and when they left the place
handsome marble slab marked the spo
where the father and his infant son wer,
' buried.
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