The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1908-11-06

MAI got down from his seat and
swung open the iron gate. The woman
drove through and up the path. her
husband following. She drew up be-
fore a lot with a single new-maoe
grave on it.
Who's lots this?' he demanded
Mime" she said. Il sold the spoons
mother left me to get it, an l had Jim
Bell dig the grave this afternoon while
| was gone"
She fumbled beneath the seat and
found a lantern. This she lighted and,
climbing from the wagon, set it or
the ground.
Take hold of one end of that box"
she commanded her husband. I'll
take hold Of the other end"
You can't" he objected.
Take hold as l tell YOU" she re-
peated.
The box was lifted slowly from the
wagon, the woman staggering beneath
its weight. They stumbled across the
lot to the side of the open grave.
Set it down now" she painted.
Careful, Oh, CAREFUL
Gently it rested on the earth. The
Woman Strengthened up painfully,
gasping for breath. She stood silently
beside the man, her head bowed.
will you offer a ~prayer?' she said
at length.
He hesitated.
You're glib enough at class-meet.
in she tainted scornfully.
Still he hesitated.
Then. if you won't, take of your
hat an kneel down.
She felt a dull surprise that he again
obeyed her. Heretofore she had al
ways done the obeying. Side by side
they knelt on the damp earth, and
the began the Lords prayer.
Our Father, which art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name"
Her voice broke. She seemed about
to give way to a paroXysm of grief, but
after a ome she controlled herself
and went on bravely to the cid:
For Thine is the kingdom and the
power and the glory, forever and v e
Amen"
After a time they rose together 81.
lently. The mi turned:
Jim said he'd leave a coil of rope
here" she said. See anything of it,"
He fumbled about a moment.
Here It's he said, and passed 1t to
her.
"Fasten it to the two ends of the
box she babe him. Well lower it
into the grave
You can't he said again, but
nevertheless he made the knots.
Then slowly, carefully and. for the
lowered. She knelt down again and
with her bare hands threw in the loose
gravel until the box was covered.
The man stood by, watching duly.
After a time she arose and turned
away.
The man backed the team and
beckoned. Cit in" he said.
She shrank from him. Il amt goin'
with you," she said.
Amt goin'!" he repeated. why
not? Amt it enough for him to dis
grace an dishonor me without your
dom it, too?"
She drew herself up with blazing
eyes.
"'Twarn't his fault" she cried hotly.
You drove him to it. You worked
him to death an ground him down till
he run away. Then, when he wrote
you he was sick an in trouble. you
said, let him find his own way out,
an when you heard he was goin'
wrong you eve stretched out a hand
to him. You turned your BACK on
him. l amt goin' back with you!
There's blood on every acre o. that
land of yours, an blood on everything
else you've got! He amt so bad as
you are, to my mind. He killed a
mans body, but you killed his soul
years ago! Oh, Tom! Oh, Tom! Oh
my God! :"
He took a step towards her. "You
come with me-" he said, but she
slipped past him and vanished into the
night, running on and on until her
breath was gone and her knees sank
beneath her.
The early morning train had just
left the Craigville station. It was
bowling across the m~arshlands which
stretched away bare and brown in the
mist.
In the real car the conductor stop.
ped before a oma who sat gazing
steadfastly out of a window at a
dreary landscape.
Ticket, pleased" he suggested
mildly.
The woman made no movement, but
continued to stare %vacantly at the
melancholy marshes. At a sharp repe.
tition of the mans demand she slowly
turned a face from which all sign OF
reason had fled, and muttered:
Il amt got no ticket"
Then I'll take your fare. Where
are you going?"
A strange light leaped to the weary
eyes, and the thin lips drew tensely
as the answer came evenly: