The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-08-07
EUcning Story
A Tombstone for Susan.
BY CLARIsSA MACKIE.

Plumb, the local stonecutter, Clipped
away at a slab of snowy marble. rs
Susie ricketts, dead?" he gasped at last.
: Oscars teeth gripped his pipe and
he turned wary eye toward Susan
ricketts, windows. He was nervously
aware that Susan was watching him
from some vantage point and he
wondered e)~hether she would object
most to the marble chips on her
orchard grass or to the fact that he
was wasting some of her time to speak
to passing neighbor.
| mo, she amt dead" he said after
! a while. q.
T.Sot yeti" roared oscar. Not YETI
"Sick?"
| Nope"
~--Then-why-th tombstun?"
4 Because she wanted to-thats rea-
son enough-~it's enough for me" he
always was forehanded, y know.
! jerry
| jeremiah sagged weakly against the
fence His mind was inca pable of re-
adjustment after such a shock. First
the sight of Oscar Plumb sitting in
Susan Ricketts, orchard, placidly cut
ting into a slab of white MARBLE was
disturbing. enQugh-Oscar's place for
chipping mbstones was in his little
stoneyard by the river, or, on rare oc-
casions, in the churchyard. Second,
the idea OF Susan's thinking of any
thing so practical was absurd in itself.
She was a CHEEKY little thing, sought
by everyone who needed help-girls
brought their love affairs to her SYM
pathetic ear, and married women con-
fided their minor troubles, while in
their hearts they pitied her because
she did not belong to their ranks.
/ With these thoughts revolving in his
min 10 a
cage, jeremiah watched Oscars bright
tools as he chiseled out the letters
I''S-U-S-A-"
''Uuless she ldides right away-why,
she might get married before she gets
a chance to use it, burst out Jere-
miah.
Oscar nodded. And if Ed Finney
comes home and marries her and she
couldn't use it because her name not
lbeing ricketts, any mora good tomb
stun'd go to waste" he said gloomily.
Jeremiah groaned and plodded on
to the postoffice, where he found the
usual crowd of loungers, with the
added interest of several strangers
who had just arrived on the mail
train. One of these, big, brown
man, dealt jeremiah a singing slap
on the shoulder and then gripped his
hand.
! well. Jerry Hart, I'll bet you don't
know mel" he boomsd in a deep voice.
"Dog-gone it, don't wanter,""
snaried jeremiah, backing off, and
/ The stranger rubbed Jeremiah's
shoulder. I'm sorry, Jerry. but it
[ pays you back for the licking you gave
= me once down by the old frog pond
don't !1t:d rem member Ed Finney?" o
home for? Thought all your folks
: moved out to Idahoi"
so they did CAME East to sell
some cattle-and thought I'd take a
look around the old town." smiled Ed
Finney, but jeremiah thought there
was a = purpose behind the careless
1 glance of those gray eyes. He stood
: aside while Ed shook hands and joked
with his old friends and after a while
2 he reached out and touched Mr.. Fin
ney's neat blue serge arm.
l You staying with US while you're
here, Ed. Come along now-Lucy'll
) give you raspberry shortcake with
5 thick cream-you know I married
: Lucy Bee" he reminded the prodigal
t son of RosedaIe as they walked down
the street.
Lucy Bee remember-sweetest
girl in Notwithstanding one" said
} Ed, reminiscently.
2 A light came into Jeremiah's dull
brown eyes 1t was the greatest mo-
ment of his life; for the instant his
: hand was on the wheel of destiny.
Il .'Hark," he said, inclining his sandy
head.
t They both stopped short and listen
? ed. Thru the mellow evening air came
the fluting song of a robin-the soft,
= nigh 'tweeeeet' of swallows dipping in
the golden highland the clinking
sound of metal against stone.
Whats that?" asked Ed, curiousIy.
t Sow bells ?''
3 That's Oscar Plumb chippin' a
: tombstun'-you remember Oscar?"
f Yes; I remember-who's dead %
! I ctr
= Ricketts,
r Jerry" Ed Finney gripped the
g. others arm, and this time Jeremiah
= kept perfectly still.
t miah.
/ In the silence the robin sang to its
mate and the swallows dipped in pools
Of sunshine When Ed spoke hts voice
was strained Jerry, came home to
marry her-we quarreled two wears
ago ard l went off was a crazy loon
in those days. but I've learned a lot
and one thing is that she is the best
girl in the woodland it breaks my
heart that I've got to go back west
Jerry nodded. shes had a tough
/, time of it. but CHEEKY as a little wren
/ Lucy and know how good she can be
f4-and almost everybody saws the sa me
e you really want to marry her Ed %
Ed nodded CURLY. His gray eyes
were tragic-he wore the look of a
man who has followed Joy over hills
and mountains and thru deep valleys
> and has lost sight of her forever
Come along" said jeremiah. 1--WE
got to pass the house,
They passed the coy little house
e and came to the orchard. where Os-
e car Plumb was showing the half COM
pleted work to Susan Ricketts,, who
z dimpled and sparkled in the. sunset
glow like the flashing swallows with
their glints of sooty black-that was
her hair-warm brown-her eyes
r and deep blue-her pretty cotton
/: idress.
n Oscar saw them and called over
l''Here. jeremiah, Susie wants me tc
7 put 'spinster' under the Susan Rick
: cts and I tell her there's plenty time
lyet to get married-cricky-Ed how
~tbe ye?"