The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1908-09-10
: A Forbidden Inquiry.
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The last bell rang for the passengers
who were on board to bid friends good.
by to so ashore.
"Adieu, sweetheart. shall count the
hours till you return"
care you sure?'
Certain"
"And suppose never return"
Il will go and weep over your grave"
"You won't have to so. l have no
mind to be buried over there. l made
my will yesterday and gave directions
that II I die abroad my body shall be
sent home to lie in the family lot at
Avondale."
'Then will weep there"
GLOW longT'
''For my lifetime"
He hurried ashore and stood looking
from the end of the dock up at her,
throwing her kisses which she threw
back at him.
A month later word was cabled from
abroad that she had died suddenly of
heart disease while climbing a noun
tain in Switzerland. He remained for
three days in stupor, then was about
to 90 abroad, where her mortal part
wass when he remembered le: = rewell
words. AS soon as thu cool weather
set in an oblong box was received from
Switzerland and buried In Avondale
cemetery. He was not notified of the
burial by her spinster cousin, her only
relative, who gave as q reason that 1t
would be better he should not be pres.
ent But as soon as he learned of the
fact he went to the cemetery and stood
uncovered by her grave, tears rolling
down his cheeks. He had brought some
plants to set out where their flowers
the next spring would hang over her
grave. Some one had been there be-
fore him on similar errand. Flowers
were strewn over the mound so fresh
that they must have been cut but
few hours.
He spoke of these flowers to her cousin
and asked If she had placed them. She
had not and seemed surprised.
He was troubled. It is singular that
we should be jealous in case of the
dead.
Every Sunday afternoon he went to
the cemetery. and every time he found
fresh flowers on the grave. They must
have been placed there in the morning.
The next Sunday he went at dawn and
waited and waited till 10 o'clock for
this rival for the dead. At that hour q
young girl came and strewed flowers
on the grave. A great relief came to
him. He advanced and addressed his
fellow mourner. She had been friend
Of his former fancee.
Every Sunday morning these two
met at the grave Of one for whom they
had a common love. He grew to look
forward to the meeting not so much as
q melancholy event as reunion with
one who was filling the void in bis
heart, void which, If filed at all, car
be done only by living person. But
this girl of flesh and blood was from
the first constrained, and her constraint
had grown on her. When they met her
eyes would brighten; but. looking down
on her friends grave. she seemed
moved by some inward emotion.
When winter came their visits were
omitted by mutual consent till the
spring should come. Their meetings
were not, as before, on Sunday morn
ings, but on Sunday afternoons, and
were often prolonged until late in the
evening. 1t was pleasater to sit by a
yt,Or f1oy cfo,, So,
cold cemetery, where the winds shrek.
ed through the leatless branches.
He besought her to marry him. She
refused. From the expression on her
face his words seemed to have had the
effect rather Of clods falling on g
coffin than of great comfort.
When the crocuses were springing up
she proposed that they go again to the
cemetery. He sighed and consented,
but at the appointed time he made ex-
cuses. She said, though with evident
reluctance. that she would go alone
So he went with her. On the way she
was silent and melancholy. To see her
one would have thought she was going
to her own funeral.
He carried the flowers to the grave.
while she stood at the gate of the in
closure. He had strewn them when.
looking up. he saw figure coming
down the roadway. Shading his eyes
with his hand to see more distinctly, he
staggered back against the iron rail.
The woman over whose grave be had
strewn Aowers-his lost love-was
coming.
She advanced with slow step, Sc
rious expression on her face. There
was nothing ghostly about her. On
the contrary, she was plainly mortal.
What astonished her betrothed most
was that her friend appeared IN no
way surprised Mt this return from the
dead to the quick.
'This is wrong have done you,"
said the returned one, "and I regret
1t, but laid the plan long ago and re.
solved that I would carry It out.
When We parted began brooding
over your words that you would weep
over INV grave" Then hecamo ms.