Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1915-03-12
A MOCK
FUNERAL
BY WILLARD BRAKEMAN

lHere are inventive WTeckS, literary
wrecks, artistic wrecks and many 9TH
er kinds of wrecks. In other words, he |
had spent two-thirds of his life taking |
enormous risks as to loss of time, to |
say nothing of other detriments, seek
ing a fortune in holes in the ground. |
discouraged, he settled down |
on a small piece of ground with his |
wife and children and tried to make a
living for himself and them in a work |
he knew nothing about, farming.
Katie was Johns little daughter.
She loved the big ocean near which
she lived and spent as much Of her
time as could be spared in looking out
upon it from the heights or running
about on the beach. She lived on big
bay that afforded tolerable harbor,
though it was not much used by ships.
However, there was a necessity for
dozed the quiet hours away. He was
not there for business, for there was
no business for him to do. He was
there to watch, and the way he watched
was by doing.
One morning Katie went to the
shore just to have look at the broad
expanse that seemed to her as big as
the heavens above. She saw a ship
approaching, and a ship even far out
at sea was to her as agreeable a sight
as a gull flying up in the sky. The
vessel was so near that she could see
persons on her deck. While the child
looked an anchor was let go, and she
could hear the chains rafting in the
hawse pipes. Then a boat put off to
the shore and pointed for the custom
house. 1t remained there short
while, then pulled back to the ship.
Presently box, oblong in shape, was
lowered into the boat, while those
aboard the vessel stood with heads I'M
covered. Katie understood this to be
the removal of corpse and looked on,
deeply impressed. And it occurred to
her that when the boat had gone to the
custom house it was to request permits
sion to bury body on the shore.
The oars flashed in the sunlight, and
the boat drew near a point on the
beach almost directly below where
Katie was. There was but little surf,
the boats nose grated ON the sands,
and four sailors removed the box from
the boat and carried 1t to the crest of
a hill, where they dug a grave. A few
persons from the little hamlet near by.
pleased at an opportunity to see some
thing doing, even If it were only flu
neral, stood by gaping. Katie, who re-
mained in her own position, saw the
box lowered in the grave. few words
spoken by one of the burial party, the
earth replaced, a wooden headboard
was set up, and all were pulled back to
the ship.
Katie went home and at dinner told
her parents what she had seen. John
Wickersham listened to her recital
but made no comment on 1t. Having
finished his dinner, he went out to re
sumo his work. and when he returned
to supper he was more taciturn ever
than at dinner. AS soon as it was
dark he took up a spade and said t
his wife:
my dear, I'm going to the Shore"
what on earth are you going to the
shore for?"
I'm going to dig up that corpse tina
was buried today"
You're not going to do any sucl
thing. What you going to do that for?
There's gold in that grave"
"Oh, Lordl You've been digging hole
for gold for twenty years, and it,
made you crazy on the subject. Fo
heavens sake do get the idea out o
your head"
Listen to me, Susan. Those sailor
didn't bury a corpse; they buried goods
They're smugglers. Old Grant, tn
collector, is being hoodwinked all tn
while. They asked permission to bur.
a corpse and either tonight or som
night soon they'll take it up, run
into market and make big profit on
of it swindling the government out o
the duty"
The poor woman groaned, and be
husband went out into the darkness
going to the hill his daughter ha
. described. 1t was a lonely spot, an
, he had no great fear of being inter
! rupted by any one passing. He du
down to the box, lifted it out, and hi
suspicious were confirmed by its ligh
ness. He therefore carried it withou
opening it to his home and placed
! on a table. His wife stood by 1
agony. supposing that her husband ha
lost his reason. But John, selling
screwdriver. removed one screw afte
another and took off the lid.
He did not find a corpse. as his viii
expected. but some everything pape
. Removing this. he came to number {
pasteboard boxes. Taking Off the cove
Of one. he displayed a quantity of raj
lace. Every one of the boxes contain
] ed the same kind Of goods. He locke
= at his wife and saw her gazing on I'll
/. lace in wonder.
I Katie" called the father. "con
here" Katie came. and he adde'
That's the corpse you saw buried tn
morning. It's live enough corpse
give us lift l always said I'd fin