Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1901-05-30

to see to 1t, now Aunt Phebe Ann Is
SICK" she explained timidly.
Her uncle looked wistfully at her.
his eyes full of tears. Sylvester was
a dreadful sufferer" he said.
Lucy did not know what to say. She
looked up at him, and her soft face
his.
The old man turned abruptly and
went away. 'Phebe Ann is sinking"
he said, indistinctly, as he went.
Lucy's mother and her aunt rushed
to the door to meet her. us Phebe
Ann dead?" Sarah Cook called out.
No, she amt dead
What did he want to see you FORE
asked Mrs. Kemp.
Lucy hesitated: a shamefaced look
came over her face. What did he
want?" her mother asked, impera-
lively
He wanted to know who put some
flowers on-Sylvester's grave"
Did your" i
"Yes'm."
What did you put on?"
Some lilacs and-roses"
You didn't pick those roses?"
20, mother, the lilacs didn't seem
quite enough! Aunt Phebe Ann has
always done so much" Lucy said.
Her mother and her aunt looked at
each other. 81 shouldn't have thought
you'd have picked those roses without
saying anything about it." said her
mother, but her voice was embar-
raised rather than harsh. She went
back to the kitchen and proceeded
with her work of making biscuits for
supper. The sewing was all finished.
Lucy set the table After supper they
went out in the cemetery and strolled
about looking at the flowers, in the
soft, low light. who brought all that
mess of buttercups and grass. l won
der?" said Sarah Cook, as they stood
over Sylvester's grave.
81 guess 1t must have been Phebe
AIMS husband-it looks Just like a
man." Mrs. Kemp replied. Lucy got
down on her knees and Strengthened
the buttercups into a bouquet.
Il wonder If she'll live the night
out" said Sarah Cook, soberly.
I've listened to hear the bell toll
every morning this week." said Mrs.
Kemp. 81 don't believe she can live
much longer. I'd go up there tonight
II | thought she wanted me to-
The next morning Mrs. Kemp. list
ening with her head thrust out of the
window in the early sunlight, heard
indeed the bell tolling for Phebe Ann.
She's gone" she told Sarah Cook and
Lucy; and Lucy cried.
They all went to Phebe AIMS funer-
al and followed her to the grave Mrs.
Kemp's and Sarah Cooks eyes were
red when they came home There
were a great many good things about
Phebe Ann, after all" Mrs. Kemp said.
81 always said there was" Sarah
returned defiantly.
The morning after the funeral John
Kemp came to the door. Lucy an
swered his knock. He looked old and
detected, but he tried to smile. 81
want to see you a minute SAID he.
mo, can't come in-not this morn
ing. I'm coming before long. l hopa
things will be different from what
they have been. 1t was her wish.
went home that day and told Phebe
Ann how you'd put the flowers there,
and she beckoned to me to come and
lean over. Then she made out to tell
me. She wanted you to have Sylves-
ter's money that we put in the bank
for him when he was born. It's been
growing. We haven't spent any, ex-
cepting for the flowers, and its near
five hundred dollars. She wanted ma
to give it to you right away, and
you're going to have it just as SOON
as l can get it out of the bank. Phebe
Ann said you could have some more
schooling and not have to work SO
hard. And I guess you'll have more
than that, too. some day, If you out
live me. Phebe Ann, she thought
mebbe l could make some arrange
ments with your mother and aunt to
come to our house and live. and take
care of it. She said she didn't want
any other women in there. She knew
they were good housekeepers and
would keep things the way she did.
You tell your mother I'm coming in
to see her some time before long"
John Kemp went feebly down the
walk, and Lucy returned to the kitch-