Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-22

M IL S'pose the cOunty'l take care OF
y home home or q another. That What we pay
at seems shame don't it," began
Mrs Watkins again; but her sympathetic comment was
cut short when the pallbearers began crowding out
through the doorway with the coffin between
them and the curious little group outside the palngs
pushed forward to it ALL for everyone knows that
next to the passage of bride and groom their carriage
there nothing of such absorbing interest to bysander
the start of that last journey all eager to
postpone But the cortege that passed out from the
saggn cottage the covered black wagon at the curb
offered little in the spectacular line to reward the waiting
onlookers; for it County funeral and County
Commissioners prone to expend their hundreds
of thousands model ails for cuthroats and house
breakers while they hurry the dead to Poters Field
with the smallest outlay of time and dollars.
1t plain pine coffin the four men bore across the
little dooyard and through the group of gaping women
and children to the county wagon Not flower relieved
its grim outlines, not tiny wreath bespoke the SYM
pahy of any human soul for the woman who had finally
found rest Nor would she have been surprised could
she have known for life had brought her few of its
and many of its thorns and that she had laid
her burdens down forever her toll-hardened hands
would i'll become the blooms that had been denied her.
CLOSE behind the coffin walked Emmy, the ten year
- old who facing the world alone. One hand
tightly cutched the broad palm of Samuel Winters
citizen of the world actor upon occasion, ne er-dowee
in general and with the other Emmy managed soppy
rag of handkerchief that had done duty since the day
when the county physician had bruSky told the child
that her mothers troubles Winters had no
more intimate relationship with the family than his
broad sympathy with fellow creatures distress wher
ever they found. Winters lodging with Mrs Ger
senberg what time his theatrical associations did not
call him wider fields, had to know the dead
woman, Mrs Seymour, by sight she passed his Win
dow with her burdens to and from her washtubs He
knew Emmv-everyone knew Emmy. And when he
learned that death had followed distress into the little
house, that Emmy alone and in trouble as is the
custom of his profession Winters volunteered.
He it that had summoned certain OF the neghbor
women the Seymour home when they hesitated only
for of leadership; he that had ured Emmy away
to the unwonted delights of restaurant while prepare
tons for the burial going forward; he that had
purchased the Grape the doorbell handle when he
found that the bountul outfit Of the county did not in
cude such outward manifestations of a sorrow the
county did not expect the poor to ee and, now that
the funeral actually at hand Winters found himself
by virtue of his self imposed prominence in the prelim
nares, installed with Emmy chief mourner.
When the doors of the black wagon had closed upon
the coffin and three of the pallbearers visbl conscious
Of having achieved importance tremendous as it
monentary drew apart little from the crowd to
watch the last before returning to their normal
inches in the community there was an awkward pause
The fourth of those who had borne Mrs. Seymour
her threshold for the last time driver of the hearse
and he gathered his rens and prepared brsky to
go forward with the duties that pateal county board
employed him to perform, his glance fell upon little
Emmy weeping quietly against the plaid vest of Samuel
Winters.
isn't she coming out?" he demanded of the gathering
in general, noddng CURLY toward the child
Winters started in disnay and embarrassment. Here
contingency upon which he had not figured. His
neager plans circumscribed sadly by the chronic pau
city of the Winters purse had gone further than the
moment that had arrived; but funeral without
mourner at the grave plainly impossible, even
Tidenst., which boosted little of the conventional
tiles In his momentary conuson-for Winters
seldom disturbed in his poise thanks to his intimate
acquaintance with the great world outside OF ldenst
the voice of Mrs Watkins to him the heads
of the staring children
what shame" that estimable woman confding
to the assembage. Little Emmy can't go to her
avs f11para chOI11d would a