Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1901-05-30
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HER MEMORIAL DAY
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by vnLMA CALnwELL.MgLyILLn.

strange, laLdl dHy, GhulHB IOI MSlFIhd
in darkness and oblivion.
With Lola Brooks and dozen others
CHE was waiting the distribution Of
the mail, while the oracle" read
aloud the latest war news. There had
been terrible battle and, though the
bluecoats were the yctors, the loss
was appalling and then, with shaky
| yOlcc--for he had a son there--the
oracle read the names of the killed.
| Suddenly he stopped and dashed his
| hand across his eyes as If he doubted
his vision, then looked again, reading
slowly:
Race r. Wardle."
Amid the screams from the girls
and ordinations from the men, Mel
yna Sinclair slipped out unnoticed,
nor did anyone remember her until
she was found in a dead faint outside.
Still no one guessed the truth then,
or later during the weary weeks,
months and years that the girl carried
her loss and grief ever Rugged to her
heart while she did her monotonOus
duty in the home until one by one
the Inmates there were either dead or
married and the property passed into
the hands of the man who had slowly
woven his tolls about the sick father,
allowing only "tho use Of the tenant
house kept in fair condition, one cow
and her keep as long as she, Melyina,
needed It,"
There was some $500 besides, and
these, with broken constitution and
n heart in much the same condition,
were Mclvinn SincIair's prospects" at
twcnty-seVen.
Quietly she had moved "A few Of the
things she loved best into the small
house, bringing with her Sandy, who
was her very own colt, and a few
chickens. The cow was to be fed and
pasturod with the herd, but she went
over morning and evening TO milk her.
And 80 the years had passed, thirty
and over now, and only n few old
| nuighbors remembered her existence,
! the younger generations thinking Of
her only as that queer old woman"
But she was not queer che was
| Just maiden now, dreaming her love
| creams DER, growing younger Mt heart
| ed living In daily and hourly com
| IMnionGhip with the lover Of her youth,
Race Wardlo'R father had brought
| his body home, but nobody know
whose hand 1t Wns that planted flow.
ers and kept his grave green all the
years after the last Wardle had
moved far away
She was too infrm and too timid 10
join the memorial day professions or
go with the crowd to do honor TO the
dead, but every time, when the como
terry was deserted she carried har
small Offering and laid it beside the
gorgeous floral trophies on the grave
! CT Race r. Wardlo
Md 20 This morning she waited and
Watched az OF yoro and then whom
! the Gyuad Of feet aad music nad died
away and the dust had soCtlcd stIII
and glarinE once more, she returned
to the house to refresh the vase Of
wood yoIcta and make sure that no
harm had come to the one giant lily
which she had coaNod through all the
winter and spring To be IN readiness
for this day. And then she sat down
and dreamed of other days until the
noise outside told her 1t would soon
be her turn.
1t was the next morning that some
one, going to look for lost handkcr-
chief, ospicd little dark figure
nesting close beside the grave Of
Race Wardle, smile on her face, a
bunch of violctS and white lily
claspld in her little bird.claw fingers.
hut it was not until the ring at her
throat was discovered did Patty True,
now old Mrs, CashtOn, even guess the
truth, ANA not until the packet of yell
low letters, tied with n faded ribbon
of rcd, white and blue, was found
among her effects and read, did it all
become perfectly plain.
And to think it was Mclyina Sin.
clair after ALL" she exclaimed, land |
wouldn't have boon afraid 20 take
oath she did not know what love
was.
Hers has hccn perhaps a happier
life than mine" she sighed a little
later, smoothing her velvet gown with
hands that aparl,lod with rings.
II have read somewhere that
"Tho love that's safe beneath the
sod
OR, hettor still, in the bosom OF God,
Is the perfect love complete