The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-09-09
A Forbidden Inquiry.


"And suppose never return"
IL will go and weep over your grave"
"You won't have to go. | have no
mind to be buried over there. | made
my will yesterday and gave directions
that IL die abroad my body shall be
sent home to lie In the family lot at
Avondale."
"'rheu will weep there"
"IIow 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 hin.
A month later word was cabed 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 go abroad, where her mortal part
was, when he remembered her farewell
words. AS soon as tht 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 splnstcr cousin, her only
relative, who gave as reason that 1t
would be better he should not be pres
cnt 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 Il
few hours.
lie spoke OF these flowers TO her cousin
and asked If she had placed them. She
had not and seemed surprised.
He was troubled. 1t is singular that
we should he jealous in case of the
dead.
Every Sunday afternoon he went to
tie cemetery, and every time lie found
fresh flowers on the grave. They must
have been placed there in the morning
Tho next Sunday lie went at dawn and
waited and waited TIL 10 o'clock for
this rival for the dead. At that hour a
Young girl came and strewed flowers
~ lue grave y bleut .Itilcl Nuihc W
him. lie advanced and addressed his
! fellow mourner. She had been friend
Df hts former liancee.
Every Sunday morning these two
u.et at the grave of one for whom they
had n common love. lie grew to look
forward TO the meeting not so much us
Il Ec,agcholy event as reunion with
one who was filing the void in his
!ica:t void which. II filed at all, can
i;e doic only by living person. But
this 2lrl of flesh and blood was from
fhc lirS: constrained, and her constraint
had grown on her, When they met her
ores would brighten; but, looking down
o. 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
Il, ings, but ON Sunday afternoons, and
were often prolonged until late in the
evening. 1t was pleasater TO sit by Il
|, warm fireplace than stand out in the
cold cemetery, where the winds shrek
cd through the lcaiiess branches.
, He besought her to- marry him. She
, refused. From the expression OH her
face his words seemed 10 have had the
effect rather of clods falling on Il
coffin than of great comfort.
/, When the crocuses were sprlnglng mp
! she proposed that they go again to the
cemetery He sighed and consented,
but at the appointed time he made cx-
cuses. she said, though with evident
8 reluctance, that she would go alone.
9 SO he went with her. ON the way she
was silent and melancholy. TO see her
1 one would have thought she was going
{ 70 her own funeral.
y He carried the flowers to the grave
2 while she stood at the gate of the In.
4 closure. He had strewn them when
[ looking up, he saw figure coming
q down the roadway. Shading his eyes
I. with his hand TO see more distinctly, he
staggered back against the iron rail
The woman over whose grave he had
}. strewn 6owers-his lost love-was
!. coming.
a She advanced with n slow step, Sc
r rlous expression on her face. There
!. was nothing ghostly about her. On
4 the contrary, she was plainly mortal
}. What astonished her herothed most
O was that her friend appeared In nc
3 way surprised at this return from the
l dead to the quick.
J. "This Is wrong have done you,
Q said the returned one, "and ! regret
}. It, but laid the plan long ago and re-
q solved that 1 would carry 1t out
e When We parted l began n brooding
/ over your words that you would "weeI
I over my grave" Then / became nos
: sessed with II desire TO learn how long
| you would weep for me or II you would
b be faithful TO my memory. gave out
thqt was dead and caused an empty
box to be buried here. More thar
that arranged for her. pointing &c
Y his fellow mourner, 'to come here tC
{. meet you. have learned what 1t Is
n better should not know-that the
|, dead have no place in the hearts OF the
I living that cannot be easily occupied
by another"
3 These were the only words spoken
. What else was there to say? The three