Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1915-07-17
SYMPATHY
Copyright. Puck
BY MAX MERRYMAN.


entered the car at Kalamazoo and sat
down directly In front of q sallow,
hatchet-faced woman with a palpably
false front which had slipped awry SO
that the parting was In the neighbor-
hood OF her left ear. Her hat of many
and gorgeous colors had Slid down to
her right ear, and she bore evidences
OF having travelled far. She had the
eager look Of woman who wants to
know things and who seeks informa-
ton by questions as probing as an
Xray machine. No sooner had the
lady with the outward and apparent
signs OF recent bereavement seated
herself comfortably than she Of the
want to know" type leaned forward,
laid an ungloved and unclean hand on
the shoulder Of the lady in black. and
said:
WAS 1t recent?"
"I-I-beg pardon: did you speak
to mer'
"Yes. did. asked was 1t recent?
A wilder. I take it. from the veil?"
yes. am widow"
well, I'm one that kin feel for you.
Been a wilder myself many time
an Off, as the sayin' is. Was he sick
long?"
mo; only a week or two"
We'll. had one that went that way.
Then l had one that fingered. Dunno
which Is wuss. Somehow you kin
never say that you are really prepared
for 1t, no matter whether they linger
or go sudden. What allied him?"
Fever"
81 want to know! Well, reckon
you done all you could for him.
There's allus a satisfaction in feelin'
that. had FIVE different doctors for
one O. mine. so l hadn't nothin' to
regret. Your man leave willT"
Excuse me. but"
Three"
II want to know! Well, I hope
they'll be comfort to you, but you
that they've been no greet of comfort
SO fur. My oldest girl was just begin
min to airn her three-an-half a week
when she up and run away with a
grocer's delivery-man an married him,
SO couldn't expect nothin' from her.
My oldest boy was only twenty-one
when he up an married an old-maid
school-teacher In the thirties. rec
kon she thought Is was case o. the
last car. Yes, AMI reckon further that
she wishes she'd. let that car go by,
fer they been as pore as Jobs turkey
for long time, his health givin' out
an her savin's givin' out, too. l rec
kon you got your thirds Of your hus-
bands prop'ty7"
No reply.
81 think a widder ort to have half.
an they say they do in some States,
but I didn't happen to be Twin in any
of them States when any O. mine
went Didn't make much difference. fer
none o. them had much more than
enough to bury 'em. an one Of 'em
didn't have that. l reckon you'll put
up a tombstun?"-
Excuse me, madam, but"
II got tombstuns up to two O. mine.
but amt seen the time when / could
put Mp one to my third. give q straw
berry festival an raised money
enough that way to most pay fer the
stun l set up for my second. We had
slathers an scads o. strawberries on
our place, an no one else seemed to
have any that year, 80 l give straw
berry supper an charged a quarter a
head an got my seconds tombstun
money that way. Some folks thought
It ruther a queer way to git tombstun
money, but l didn't see that 1t was no
wuss than the Cem'tery Association
In our town havin' a ball an oyster
supper to raise money for new
hearse. But some folks would OF
talked IL I'd raised my money sellin'
Bibles. 1 bet that veil o. yours cost
a purity sum. It's real Grape. amt it?"
Silence.
81 couldn't afford only a kind OF
a cotton Grape for any Of mine, an
you know it turns kind of yallow.
They say that wearin' mournin' Is 60
in out, anyhow. The way look at 1t,
q wilder oughtn't to put on black
onless her grief is RELY felt. II
there's heart In 1t, / reckon it's all
right to mourn, but-was he conscious
at the lastT
Madam. you really"
my first was. but my second was
kind o. dopy. an my third didn't have
no time to be either. fer he fell head
first down a ninety-foot well, an
reckon he never knowed what hurt
him-pore critter. Sometimes l feel
that it's Just as well to have 'em go
that way. 1t saves them. an It saves
you good deal. or course IT amt
pleasant tc have 'em go at all. but we
have to all come to 1t some day. Still,
I feel to sympathize with them what's
an the minnit you came |
into the car I made up my mind I'd
give you my sympathy. OF course,
can't bring 'em back. but II
. You plan to go on keepin' house.
I reckon"
No reply.
1T think it's best-speshly when
lxlx NJ rat