Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1902-08-16
THAT HEADS STONE

| with his mother, Malvina, and farmed
and wrote books about insects. When
| his mother died, he planted her grave
with violets and pansies. and at the
head was white marble monument,
but he didn't display any taste-noth-
Ing on it but the old lady's name and
the date she died.
| "Nbw, he was the last man in the vii
lage I'd ever have imagined would
have married. But when the little mil.
liner, Melinda McAllister, came into
the place he was struck. Everybody
warned her and told her about his ia
ther hanging himself In prison. and
how queer his mother was, and that
Mortimer was odd, too. and wouldn't
come to any good. She listened, with
her eyes big and cool and a little hot
patch Of red on her cheeks like daub
Of paint. but she never said word.
But we were not prepared for the
worst. A day or two before the we'd
ding in comes Mrs. Johnson and says.
| Shut up the doors tight and the win.
| dows. I've got something to tell you
that'll make your hair rise up she
says, whispering like So l shut the
door, she clasping her hands together
| like one possessed.
Its about Melinda she went on.
He has got a tombstone for her
"'Who" asked |. as if didn't know,
but my knees knocked together and
felt queer.
"'Mortimer Barbour says she. My
| nephew Johnnie WAS after Il birds
nest In tree that stands in his gar
den. The limb broke. and down he
, went right OH to the roof Of the Old
clubhouse that hasn't been used for
years. 1t went in under him like tin
| der. and as soon as he could pick him.
self up and found no bones broke what
should he see but new white grave
stone standing In corner against
some rubbish. He went up to it and
saw melinda Barbour" cut ON it and
| the date she is to die
81 don't believe it, said l. but felt
| faint at heart.
"As soon as l said didn't believe it
! Mrs. Johnson said we would go our
selves and see. And we did go, Morti-
mer being away In the fields, and ell
| tered the courthouse. We saw the stone,
just as Johnnie said, a real gravestone
| of white marble and on it the name
Melinda Barbour with the date Sept.
g. below it. But the rest we couldn't
make out.
HES going to let her live three
months. May heaven forgive him!
! from what she said.
The next day | went to Melinda
and told her the whole truth. And.
would you believe it, she said she
thought Mrs. Johnson and had no
business prying about either peoples
affairs. If he had bought ME a thou
sand gravestones, Id have him just
the same, said she.
80 they were married the next day
in the chapel, but Melinda was white,
as a ghost, and she trembled so that
she could hardly walk. They went
away by train, and we threw some old
shoes after 'em. but all the wishing of
Joy was make believe, and never saw
q bride with such white, set face.
"They were away nearly three
months. Then they came back to the
old house, but folks said they were not
happy; that she was as cold as stone.
and he was always at his books and
old insects.
zone day had letter asking me to
come and see her. She was lying down
on lounge when l got there, white
and SO thin, her big eyes with sorry.
hungry look In them. but she had on a
smart gown and was as pretty as a
picture AS soon as we had shaken
hands she said:
"'Do you know what day tomorrow
isT I thought for moment and said
1t was the Sd Of September. The day l
am going to die she said In soft,
quiet way. Then she said he was very
good to her, but she couldn't get that
gravestone out Of her head day or
night.
"All at once it came to me how mat
tiers were. She had been too proud to
give him up. Besides, she loved him,
too. and she had been too proud to tell
him about it, and 50 betwixt the two
the poor child was almost beaten out.
She asked if | would go out to the out
house with her and see the stone. She
wanted to see it and was afraid to 80
alone.
Then queer thing happened. Nor
timer had come into the next room
while she had been talking and heard
every word. / never saw anybody SO
moved as he was when he came ill.,
els it that tombstone which has
stood between us?' he said, and went
on to explain that it had been ordered
for his mother. He was such bad
writer that the stonecutter mlstook the
name Malvina for Melinda, and after
the stone was half done it was found
out, and they made him pay for it. So,
as it was his, they brought it to him,
and, not knowing what to do with it,
he had just put it away in the out
house and FORGOTTEN all about it,