The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1905-05-25
Wilkes, I emit I've had my heart set so
long on coverin' the graves this Decoration

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Il thought likely you wouldn't want to.
Poor Sallie. AndI I'll never see her again.
Mrs, Wilkes turned away with a hopeless
air, and went slowly back to her room.
Mrs. Pell hastily prepared to go to the
florists to select and order her flowers.
She felt very sorry for Mrs. Wilkes, but
OF course she could not lend her that
money. II she had saved it for any other
purpose but that She had tried for so
many years to be able to cover those
graves with roses. and now when she had
the money-to give 1t all up.
She hoped Mrs. Wilkes did not think
her mean. She would have been glad to
do anything else for her.
And IT was a pity that she could not
see her sister before she died. She was
the only relative she had, too.
II 1t had only not been that money! And
II 1t We're not Decoration day! She wanted
TO put flowers on their graves at the time
that other people We're remembering their
dead.
Mrs. Pelrs steps became slower and
slower and slower, and as she came in
SIGHT of the florists shop, she stood still.
and remained in deep thought for some
mute Then she turned suddenly and
walked back to the tenemens. and into
Rtfs.-Hfiikes' ronm SaAzfoafd the latter
Sitting with her ace in her hands and cry
ing.
Mrs Pell put her precious s1.6s in ner
hand.
There" She said, Just take 1t. Hurry
and get ready, and I'll go to the train With
You. | do hope youll find saIlie alive"
Oh" cried Mrs. Wilkes. sure and 1
always knew you We're a good woman.
Poor Sallie! I'll be seem her again.,
Mrs. Pell did not sleep we'll that hight.
1t hurt her to think of those two graves
being fowerless another Decoration day.
Ihey We're in such a remote part of the
cemetery that they never shared in the
general decoration of graves. She decided
that she would not go to the cemetery at
all. She could not bear to think of seeing
others carrying their flowers while her
hands must be empty.
But in the morning she changed her
mind. IL seemed unkinc to leave her
graves unvistted. She would go in the aft
ernoon when the services were over and
the cemetery would be comparatively de-
serted. 1t was such a lovely day. The
ride in the cars would do her good.
MIR. Graham, his wife and Berta and
Tom drove out to the cemetery. their car
rage filled with baskets Of roses. They
mad almost stripped the many bushes in
their garden.
After Their grandfather's and grand
mothers and Aunt Edith's graves had
been piled high with odorous blossoms
there was still a large basketful Of beau
tifui white roses left.
Let US drive around and see IL there
are any graves without any flowers" said
Berta.
Yes" said Mrs. Graham, IT k that
thought"
But there did not seem to be any graves
undecorated until they reached a more
distant part of the cemetery. There two
sullken graves, with weather-worn wood
markers at the head, were fowerless.
ROW lonely they look!' said Tom.
Yes sad Mrs. Graham, II think thas
you must empty this basket on them"
Let Tom and me do it," said Berta. So
she and her brother jumped out of the
carriage and e over to the two graves.
lhere were enough roses to completely
cover them both.
Now they dom look SO lonely" said
Berta, with a backward glance. as she
drove away
Ana so 1t was that when late in the aft
erhoon Mrs. Pell came to the lonely spot
where lay her husband and son, she found
the two mounds a mass Of exquisite roses.
ANA they looked like the roses she had had
in ner little country home in those long
past days-the white roses that Teddy
had so loved.