The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1917-01-04
The Answer to
His Question
Why the Widow Plmpton
Didn't Give 1t Sooner.
By CLARISSA MACklE

MAY morning. Hell tie "Ai'S
gate of the Plimpton farm cleaned
in the distance he paused for brief
instant, and the whistle died away
into silence.
"She loves me. l know she does.
It's nothing but sheer contrariness
to keep me dangling along. | swear
I'll settle this matter today or
Gilbert paused and swallowed hard.
Then his big brown clinched fist fell
to his side, and he resumed his
walk.
The Widow Plimpton sat on the
step of the side porch making flow
er wreaths-heaps of yellow eyed
daisies, dark green ivy and box, an
armful of purple lilies, mass OF
svringa blooms and few very early
roses which the hot month had fore
ed into flower.
Good morning." said Gilbert
Butler from the stone wall.
Widow Plimpton raised a sweet
face to his. face framed in dusky
hair, with cheeks like pink roses
and golden brown eyes. "Good
morning, Gilbert" she said gravely.
"Going to the cemetery, | see,
said Butler disagreeably.
of course. 1t is Memorial day"
"You 90 there every Sunday toe"
said Gilbert quickly.
Anna Plimpton crimsoned indig-
nantly. "Why shouldn't II" she
asked haughtily.
"It's heathenish custom. Amt
it enough that George Plimpton
should have got killed down there
and then to be brought home and
buried with military honors, and
Just because you're his widder"-
Because / am his widow | shall
continue to express my love and
respect for his memory by visiting
his grave as often as l please. You
must be very small minded, Gilbert
Butler, to grudge few flowers to q
dead soldier"
Gilbert redeemed to his ears, and
his blue eyes flashed ominously. u
don't grudge the flowers, Anna"
he said with slow deliberation, "but
it seems to me if you could spare a
little kindness to some folks that
are alive, meaning myself, it would
make more real happiness. George,
he's been dead nine years, and l
been coming to see you for five Of
'em."
Widow Plimpton rose to her feet
and daintily shook. the broken
leaves and stems from her white
gown. Then she slipped four
wreath. over her arm and descend
ed the steps.
'1'm going up to the graveyard
now, Gilbert. viii you 60 with
meT she asked gently.
'1 can't" he said almost roughly.
"You're not treating me fairly,
Anna. If l were dead up there in
the graveyard you'd come and put
flowers on my mound, but just be-
cause Pm alive you grudge me one
bit of happiness. You have never
given me an answer to that ques-
ton l asked YOU"
Anna Plimpton bit her red lip re-
fectively. "If you will go home and
think the matter over quietly per-
haps you may discover why your
question may not have been an
swered."
She went out of the gate and dis
appeared up the white path that led
to the cemetery on the hill.
Gilbert stared after her with
fascinated eyes until she disappear
ed among the clustering cedars;
then he took her advice and went
home.
All that day he wrestled with the
problem. What reason could there
be for Annals withholding that long
delayed and coveted Eyes" Was
he not Industrious, of good habits,
possessed of comfortable means and
not i'll looking? And there wasn't
another living man whom Anna had
favored with her smiles, and yet
'tBy thunder" he exclaimed at
last. "It must be because I'm so
all fired mean spirited as to be jeal-
Gus of a dead man. She's seen it
right along and despised me for it. {"
He sat thare an hour and thought
deeply. At last he went into the
house and ,pened the door of the
sitting room.
In the iare bow window luxuri-
ating in tn, waning sunlight were