The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-05-30
TIE EVENING STORY
A Memorial Visit.
(By Dorothy Blackmore.)

|
But father" Caroline protested
| surely this is not a part of the estate
this-this cemetery?''
Col. Darling nodded his head. Eyes
daughter, it is. I purchased the ole
Craft farm, as it was called, without
ever having gone over the 200-odd acres
of it's extent. The old homestead has
so excellent sight overlooking the
water that took the acres I could moi
see pretty much for granted"
Father and daughter stood in the
| arch made from the branches of two
! ancient hemlock trees that formed q
| gateway to a small and apparently
abandoned cemetery. Here and there
| covered with myrtle vines and creep
| ing wild ivy, were tombstones gray
with age. The little plot gave evidence
| of having been, in days gone by, care
| fully kept, but now it was so over
grown with trees and shrubs as to be
almost hidden. Thus it was little won
der that Col. Darling had overlooked
it when he purchased the property OF
which it was a part.
I'm quite sure shall never enjoy
rambling in the grounds as I had
dreamed of doing" Caroline lamente1.
Tut, tut, daughter, that is all nom
sensew
| Nonsense to you, perhaps, because
you re-wen, you're not given to
moonlight wanderings. Nova girl IL,
of the house at night that I am being
watched by ghosts who have strayed
| from beneath these stones. Oh, father,
do let US go!'' Caroline begged, slip
ping her arm within her fathers and
leading him away.
81 doubt you could even find this
spot again if I were to take you by u
| roundab bout circuit to the house. my
dear soothed the colonel. "So-jn
your own language, more shame to
you! forget it,
And, since youth easily forgets, Ca--
oline did forget the wee, abandoned
burying ground tucked down among
the hemlooks in a remote acre of her
fathers estate. 1t was seldom that she
traversed more than the half dozen
acres which comprised gardens and
Fairgrounds of the old farm.
But If the young woman of the
house made slight use of the country
surrounding the old homestead, she
made the great old-fas hioned rooms
of the manor house ring with joyous
laughter and echo the voices of merry
young people. House party followed
house party, and Caroline was begin
ming to think that her father had not
done her such an injustice after all
in taking her from the gay life of the
city to plant her in the midst of 200
acre farm. Never before had she re-
allied the joy of being mistress of a
real home and at liberty to extend
unlimited hospitality. For, when Col.
Darling had induced his motherIess girl
to comply with the desire of his own
life to have a home in the country,
he had promised her that she should
have all the companionship she want
ed, even if it be a continual round of
entertaining.
The end of May was upon them,
and Caroline was the center of a happy
group of friends from the city. They
i rAI
ton day and had planned the time
honored picnic of that day.
ut seems too good to be true" cried
one of the girls, 'tto think we are GO
ing on a real picnic on Memorial day
Just as all the country lads anc
where 1 was Child added young
man with more than half seriousness
in his expression.
"AIl we can do to make it presactly
real" laughed another pretty girl, lis
to go to some graveyard and sit on
the freshly decorated mounds and eat
our lunches"
Caroline's eyes suddenly flashed and
she jumped to her feet.
Girls and boys!'' she cried. excit-
eddy. 1--WE can do that very same thing!
And let's do it!''
what ?''chorused the others.
Eat our lunch in the dearest little
cemetery you ever saw" Caroline ex-
planned more seriously. Gin this very
firm there lies a small abandoned
graveyard and you can't imagine how
picturesque it is. I'll take a bunch |
of lilacS to put on each of the old |
graves that has been forgotten since |
oh, since before, any of US was
born" she said.
Memorial day dawned as a perfect !
May day should dawn, and Caroline |
was down on the broad old colonial |
porch in her fresh white frock long
before the others were out of their |
beds. She sat beside her father, rock |
ing back and forth in the balmy
morning air, and looking out across
the velvet of the lawns. The fra
GRANGE of apple blossoms was all
about them, for the breezes came to
them across the orchard.
Presently around the turn of thei
winding gravel path that led to thel
main entrance of the farm thereI
came a young man. He walked brisk
ly, and yet there was an expressionI
of uncertainty in his carriage.
AS he approached the two he took
off his straw hat and addressed Colonel
Darling.
.sIs this the old Craft farm-theI
dorado Craft farm ?" he asked.
have recently bought it. What can I
do for you, sir ?"
The young man smiled. II am look
Ing for the grave of my great-grand-
and I was told that it was in
4 small cemetery that was believed to
be in the Craft property" y