Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1905-05-26
Mrs. Pelrs
Decoration Day
EMILY 5. WINDSOR.

fourteen weeks before Decoration day.
She was not an adept at mental arith-
metic. so that IL was quite a lengthy and
laborious piece of work for her TO caicu-
late that If she saved II cents each of those
fourteen weeks, she would have sizes.
She had just finished counting 1t up a
was correct, when her neighbor, Mrs.
Wilkes. from the next room below in the
big house, came in for their
usual evening chat. She was a thin, ner-
vous looking little woman of middle age.
Neither her faded crap hair nor her dress
was tidy. She was a strong contrast 10
Mrs. Pell, who was always neat and clean:
she was much older than Mrs. Wilkes,
too
Most of Mrs. Pell's days were spent in
office cleaning, while Mrs. Wilkes time
was well filed with washing and IRON
ing.
After they had exchanged their news
OF the day, Mrs. Pell said: Would you
think that a body could get a nice lot
OF flowers for one dollar and ~sixty-eight
cents?"
sure and I'd think that a lot of
money TO be spendin' in such a way"
answered Mrs. Wilkes, with a look or
surprise on her weather-beaten face.
I'D like II to me more returned Mrs.
Pell, but not a cent more than u cents
a week can l spare
I'm sure I'm not KNOWN what your
talkin' about" said Mrs. Wilkes, the sur
prise in her face increasing.
'Ill be tellin' you. It's for the graves
on Decoration day. I've just set my heart
on GOVERN EN- with flowers this year.
I've been wantin' to do IL every year, but
somethin' always happened TO prevent.
But this year, they're goin' TO be there"
OH calculated Mrs. Wilkes.
Yes went on Mrs. Pell, I'm feelin'
sure there'l be nothin' to prevent this
year. And it's white roses / a Teddy
was crazy after EN-"
She rocked her chair, and hid her face
In her blue Bingham apron.
Mrs. Wilkes could not enter very deep
ly into her friends feelings. She had
never had any children, and her husband
had been lost at sea so many years before
that ne was now but a dim memory; be-
sides, he had never in life given her any
reason to mourn his loss.
But she kept respectfully silent until
Mrs. Pelrs burst of grief was over.
Then she said: White roses is nice.
You ought to be gettin' a lot for so
much money
Mrs. Pell shook her head. II don't
know. Flowers is dear"
Mrs. Pell carefully put aside II cents
each week from her meager earnings.
Every time that she passed a florists
window on her way to work, she would
stop and look at the flowers displayed,
and try to decide which window contained
the most beautiful white roses. For i
must get the finest to be had" she would
think.
The prospect of buying those flowers
often formed the subject of her chats
with Mrs. Wilkes.
To the latter $1.es seemed an enor-
nous sum to spend in any such a a
BE sure that you get the worth of
your money" she would say.
They've got TO be fine ones" Mrs.
Pell would answer.
Spring had been long in coming that
year, and it was late in May before
the garden roses began to show their
colors. Mrs. Pell had few opportunities
of seeing any of these, the tenement in
which she lived being in a district where
there was not enough earth room for a
blade Of grass TO grow. Mrs. Pell, like
many of her neighbors, had a few pots
of geraniums on her window sills, but they
were not luxuriant in growth. The air,
close and sunless, was not conducive 10
Horticulture. Mrs. Pell had once tried 10
raise a white rose, but it had died an early
death.
Then her ak TO and from her work
were not In the resident part of the city.
But on Sundays, when she was not
too tired, she went to church. Her way
thither led past many beautiful gardens.
One of them she particularly admired. Ii
was a large. old-fashiuned garden sur
rounding a beautiful old house. There
were roses and roses. Roses climbing over
trellises, and, clambering about the broad
veranda which ran along the side of the
house.
They were Just such roses as had grown
about the little country home TO which
she had gone as a bride, says the Chicago
Advance. The sight of them took her
back 70 the days when she had been SO
happy.
Then had come the darn time when her
husband had returned from the war with
broken health. To mend their fortunes
! they had come 70 the city Rat things haG
gotten worse. Her husband had soon died,
She and Teddy had struggled alone. Sht
had looked forward to the day when
Teddy would be taking care of her, for ne
was a good boy. But he had been laid be-
side his father eight years ago. How he
had loved those roses, He had Otter
said that he would have a garden full o.
them when he was man. He would bt
q man now IL he were living.
The Sunday before Decora ton Mrs. Pei
A went 10 tsluIEH dBA tNd iiNd w wa ~
her favorite garden. She stopped 10 lool
az the white roses. There were such guam
titles of them. The air was filled witt
their fragrance. How she wished that sh,
could have enough of them to cover hel
graves. Somehow, they seemed sweetel
tina the flowers at the florists,
The day before Decoration day came
Mrs. Pell had gone much sooner tina rs
ual to her work. ard by hurrying a grea
deal, had been able to return home at
instead of g., her usual hour.
1t was her plan to put on her best clothes
and then go TO the florists and select AM
order her flowers. She would call 70
them early the next morning, and taxi
them 10 the cemetery. The day was to b.
a holiday
She had just unlock ec her door, an,
entered her room, when Mrs. Wilkes cam
In. Her eyes were swollen from crying.
Sure. and what's the natter erie,
Mrs. Pell.
.It's Sail. She's sick, and going TO die
The woman that's been takin' care of he
wrote to tell me. And she wants to see m
once more
Well, sure and you'll be agoin','' sal
Mrs. Pell.
Mrs. Wilkes burst into tears. ITS tina
I'm feelin' so bad about. 1t costs s. {
60, and me with nothin' but $3.50 to N.
name. You see, I pad the rent two day
ago. And not one Of the neighbors wit
q cent TO lend me-"
And it's too bad, it Is" calculated Mrs.
Peii. feelingly.
Eyes, and there's q train at seven, sal
Mrs. Wilkes, with fresh tears. Unless
she went on hesitatingly. you could len
me enough
IRIS too bad, it Isl exclaimed Mrs. Pei