The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1903-02-27
BRENTON'S MONUMENT
L. n. MONTGOMERY.


don't know just how I'm going
to manage it, but it must be done"
Josephine's sallow little face took
on an expression Of determination,
and her thin, faded lips settled into
a yet harder line. She looked out
from her doorway, over the beds Of
striped ribbon grass and rich crimson
peonics, we the lush clover fields,
and the pond in the pastures below
them, TO the burying ground on the
sunrise slope of the hill beyond.
"All Of my family are buried there,
and there's a real good, handsome
white marble headstonc TO every ORC
Of them. Brcnton lint there, but
a monument he shall have just the
same"
Abner Dolman nodded. not know
ing just what to say. Secretly he
thought il n piece of folly OF Jo-
scphine Kclly's part, hut he knew il
would not do TO say so.
what good i, a monument going
10 do Brcnton Kennedy. when he's
buried Thousands of miles away? /
don't know where shes going to get
the money to put it up with" he said
10 himself, us he went away around
the curve Of the birch trees that
hcmmed the little brown house in.
Josephine did not know either. II
was a problem. but a problem that
must be solved. She had been think
ing it over for weeks. cvcr since the
news had come that Brcnton had died
in the Klondikc.
Brenton had been Jo.cphipe's
brother, but she seemed more like his
mother than his sister. She had been
20 years old when Brenton was born,
and her mother died. Josephine had
brought him up. Their father had
died ten years later and Josephine
and Brenton lived alone together. Jo-
scphinc had a very little money COM
ing in every year from a small invest
mcnt Of her fathers. II was enough
10 live on il she practiccd the most
pinching economy. josephine did
not mind that. She wa used TO it.
But when Brcnton grew up she
knew he must 60 away. There was
nothing for him to do in Springvalc.
Benton was a good boy, honest and
steady. Josephine did not allow her
self TO worry when she had to let him
go. She thought Brcnton would
come out all right, They had a few
plans for the future, when Brcnton
should have made enough money to
come home and buy a farm in Spring
vale-the Morrison farm il possible.
Josephine had always thought the old
Morrison homestead the most bcauti-
full place on earth.
And ! shall go and keep house for
You till You get married. she told
him. "Thcn Ill just want a corner
for myself and a bit Of garden. Only
you must marry a nice girl, Brcnton."
Brenton went TO the Klondike.
Six months later Josephine got a brief
letter from n stranger telling her OF
his death from pneumonia. She
grieyed so over it that her neighbors
thought she would fret herself to
death. Abner Dolman declared that
it was only the hope of putting up q
monument to Brcnton that kept her
alive at all.
Josephine was very determined. II
would take time. but she must carr
the money somehow. She knew just
the kind Of monument she wanted.
Nothing second tie would do. She
must have the best. She had picked il
out from Mr.. PurGy's designs already.
1t would cost 800, but Mr.. Purdy told
her he would make it $50 for her.
She picked bcrri,. all that summer,
as long as they las; d, and took them
over to sell at the ummcr hotel on
the mountain. She put hcrpride un.
der her feet and did days work fol
her neighbors. She took in washing
for the men who were building The
factories at Springvale Center, WheI