The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-08-09

Soh - Saso Dill one lcll IL
in her will that she was to be Gre
mated.
'Cremated!' l exclaims. DO you
you mean she wants to be stuffed
and put on the mantle-piece Don't
you do it, Bill
" It's not that, says he She
wants to be burned to ashes-cre-
mated in an oven
1 see,' l remarks, real hearty,
and you don't fancy eating vlttles
cooked after her.
" MOI he yells. I've got to take
her to crematory and burn her in
place made for that. It's a cere-
mony same as burying.'
Well, why don't you go ahead?'
I demands, some vexed at his stupid
ity. ia burn my mother-in-law in
a minute. take it kind that your
wife's ma left word to do it.
I'd rather bury her. says Bill.
You see when she's burned, Mary
wants the ashes back to keep in the
house. She says it's the proper
thing
Il din't just see what the trouble
was, but az Bill was low in his mind
l cheered him up as best l could, ard
told him to take as many days as was
needful to make a good job Of burn
ing his wifes ma.
Next day Bill turns up in the
quite solemn in black
clothes. L want you to do me a
favor, says he.
What is it?' | asks.
"'Come with me to the cremation
he says. Mary says she can't bear to
go, and l don't want to be alone.
Doesn't seem scarcely decent
/ aint good mourner,' I says,
but never desert shipmate. So
we trotted off to the crematory, and
sat on chairs in front of furnace
while Bill's wifes ma was cremated.
1t was terribly gloomy, specially
when tho man in command came and
says very solemn and blue, It's all
over. What shall you do with the
ashes?'
" She's gone, says Bill. Poor
woman! Did she leave many ashes?'
" Not many says the man. viii
you take 'em with you?'
=" That's the proper thing?' Bill
demands.
1t is, says the man.
All right, says Bill, resigned L
thought maybe Mary was wrong, but
what's proper must be done.
So the man sweeps up the ashes
and brings them out in little pot.
Here are the remains, he explains.
" How'll carry her?' asks Bill,
all in a cold sweat, looking at the
little pot.
Put her in your pocket I says.
1t don't seem decent Bill pro-
tests. L can't carry my wife's ma
home to her in my pocket
SO we discusses the matter, and
| suggests a hearse. Too big saws
Bill. I aint going to make a Joke of
1t hauling this little through San
Francisco in big wagon
1T all ends by us starting ont
with the pot in our hands very gin
gerly. So we goes Cor a few blocks.
when Bill gets an idea ri buy
bucket says he, and put the pot in
that There won't be no scandal that
way.
Il was doubtful in my mind, but
let 1t go, seeing it wasn't my funeral.
We got tin pail slowed the re-
mains in it, and started on. Present
ly BIZ says, This is sorrowful &C.
casion. Let's have a drink' So we
had drink, end Bill felt better. We
had another, and Bill thought it was
all for the best. We stopped in an,
other place, and he said il was queer
to think how death came to all of us.
i thought she never would die he
remarks, lugubriously.
" You better get home with them
remains, | eXhorts him.
Looks like a lunch-pail.' saws
he. | must comfort Mary for the
loss of her ma.
Do, says l. Excuse me if I
quit chief mourning and go back to
the ship.
80 | left him and went back TO
the Dom Paul, where | ate a dinner
not so hearty as usual for thinking
of tin bucket with a mother-in-
law in it. l was smoking my pipe
afterwards when in comes Bill, all
flustered.
" What the matter?' I demands,
for he looked terrible upset.
I've lost her. he retorts.
=" Lost who?' ! inquiries.
My mother-in-law,' says he.
She's around somewhere in a tin
bucket
Come to find out Bill had been
terrible low after | left him, and
stopped several times for drinks.
When he gets home he's some ex-
allied. Where's mas remains?' de-
mands his wife.
Then Bill was up against It, and
can't explain. How could ~ he de-
mands, fearful, when I'd left the old
woman sitting on some bar?'
You couldn't l answers. But
haven't you found her?'
MOI he bawls. She amt no.
where to be found. knew she'd
bring me bad luck And he amt to
be consoled."
Twizzle heaved his huge shoulders
In commiseration. "You saw him
Just now? Well, Bill's feen hunting
that tin pail with them remains In
all these years. OF course, every
bar he goes into to inquire he takes