The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1906-05-18
s eleft Stnrp.
A GENTLE GHOST.
Mary =, WIsils, in IIarpe-'s Magazine.

Gut ia front Of the cemetery stood {
white horse and a covered wagon The
horse was not tied, but she stood quite still,
her four feet widely and ponderously plant
ed, her meek white head hanging. Shad
ows Of leaves danced on her back. Their,
were many trees about the cemetery. and
the foliage was unusually luxuriant fol
May. The four women who had come il
the covered wagon remarked it. Il never
saw the trees 50 forward as they are thi.
year. seems to me, said one, gazing nj
at some magnificent gold-green branche:
over her head
81 was sayin' so to Mary this mornin' -
said another They re uncommon for.
ward, | think
They loitered along the narrow lanes
between the lots; four homely, middle-syed
women, with decorous and subdued enjey.
ment in their worn faces. They read with
peaceful curiosity and interest the inscrip
tious on the stones; they turned aside to
lock az the tender, newly blossomed spring
bushes-the Towering almonds and the
bridal wreaths. Once in a while they
came to new stone, which they rur,edi.
ately surrounded with eager criticism.
There was a solemn hush when they
reached a lot where souc relatives uf one
ofthe party were buried. She put bunch
oi flowers 90 grave, then she stood hook
lug at It with red eyes The uther,
grouped themselves aefereniiaIly aluyf.
They did not meet auy on. in the CEN
ctcry until just before tbey left When
they had reached the rear and Oldest por-
Jlon Of the yard, aul were tbinkius Of
rctTacius their steps they became sudden
j. aware ct child sitting in a b.; st their
right; The l1s held seven Old leaning
stones dark and n,,ssy. their inscriptions
diasly ;rsera5lc The chill sat ri.,-e "a
ONE, and -he looked mp as the staring kuo,
81 women Ri,h Kind of innocent keen
us>.. Ike baby Her face was small and
for aud pluchej. The women stood eve
iug her
What your name, htlc -irlg'' asked
oue- She had bri-h; flower iu her bon
Eei and smart lift 10 her chin. and seemed
the natural s{akcs woman af the party.
Her uamc was lioluss, The child turned
her head siievay, and n,urmurci >,uic-
thing
Whais Ne can't hear. Speak up.
don he afraid What gour uaa.e
The woman nodded ,he bright flower over
hrT, and -p"Ae wi,h sharp pleassninezs
Nancy Wrya, said the child. With =
tamil catch o: her brcsth
Wreug
The ebild nodded She ker: her H,,lc
pink carving mouth parted
l,s : noboiy knov. remarked the
gue>'jousr, reaccsircly. II guess shr
comes frum--oycr there She made. a
significant ulp,!on of bead toward ,he night.
Wherc Do YOU live. Naacye .hc askel.
The child al-o noiionel iozzrl the
ri9L,
II Thought 50, aid the woman.
How old arc yoag
Ten
The women exchanged gIance-. Are
yuu sarr yen ~ Jcll;a the irulhy
The child nodded
never sgw a giTl So vnall f,r her axe
Il she Is, said one woman 10 another
YES, said Mr. Holmcs. booking At
her erili,aily she i dreadful small
She considerable smaller than my Mary
wss j. tscrr any oF yoar folks buried ia
this hi2 said she. fairly lowering With
aiiab.liiy aai determined gracioasncss.
The child, up,urne5 iace suddenly
ktndl'l She began speaking with a soft
vola6.a,y that vas an odd contrast To her
previous hesitation
That's mother, said ,he, pointing to
one oF the s,ooe-, IAN that's father. an
there's John, an MsFg' ret, au Mary,
an Susan, an the baby, aud here -
Jane
The wumea stared a, her IN aDazetncnt.
;. Was II your began Mrs, Holmes
bat another woman stepped forward stout
ly impetuoas
Land i, /. the Blake lot saiI she.
This child can be ans relation TO EN-
You hadn oueh, to talk 80 Nancy
It's 50. said the child. shyly persist.
ent She evidently hardly graspci the
force Of the woman : remark
They eyed her with increased brwilier-
ment. II can be. said the woman 70
the others Every one Of them Blakes
dicl years ago.
i ye seen Jane volunteered the
thll3 with candid smile in their faces
Then the stout woman sank down on
her knees beside James stone aud peered
hsri a, il
She died forty years ago this May.
said she, with gasp II used to know
her when | was child She was ten
years old when she died You ain ever
seen her You hadu' ought to tell such
stories.
II aint't t seen her for long time %
said the little girl
"What made YOU say you seen her at
alp said Mrs, Holmes, sharply thinking
this was a capitulation.
Il dill use TO see her long time ago,
an she used to wear a white dress, an
wreath on her head. She used To come
here an play with me-
The women looked at each other with
pale shocked faces; one nervous; one shiv-
cred, ''She ain quite right, she whis-
pered Lets 20 The women began
filing away Ms Holmes, who came last,
stood about for parting word to the child
''You can't have seen her said she,
severely, IAN you are a wicked girl to tell
such stories. You musn do it again, re-
member. -
Nancy stood with her hand on James
stone, looking at her. "Sbe did, she
repeated, with mild obstinacy
There somethin wrong about her, |
guess, whispered Mrs. Holmes ru.tling
on after the others
81 see she looked kind of queer the
minute set eyes on her, said the uerv-
Gus woman.
Vixen the four reached the front of the
cemetery they sat down to rest for few
minutes. 1t was warm, and they had still
quite a walk, nearly the whole width of
the yard, to the other front corner where
the horse and wagon were
They sat down in a row on a bank; the
stout woman wiped her face; Mrs. Holmes
Strengthened her bonnet Directly oppo-