The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1920-08-26
sILAs' MEMORIAL
BY MARJORIE PIERCE.

Susan Deborah Mills Fisher Trent
was exceedingly proud of her new hus,
band, her third, rs her name attested.
She was a middle-aged woman. tall,
thin. shrill Of voice and scant of hair.
What little of woman's browning glory
she did possess she drew to a tight
little knob at the back of her narrow
head. She knew all there was to be
known about men, according to her
W judgment, and felt that at last she
had chosen Alright.
The poor deceased Mr.. Mills had
been Il young, rather goOd-looking fell
low when Susan welded him. That
was when Susan was also young and
her hair was not drawn so tightly
back from her thin face. Mr.. Fisher
had been an older man, perhaps forty
five. Susan had ensnared him in the
gooey net of a lemon pie when she
was running a boarding house at
Green Hill. Fisher simply could not
resist Susan's lemon pies, and when
Susan threatened to depart for Howe's
Center to work at the hotel, Fisher
decided that the wisest course for
him to take was to marry Susan and
the lemon pies, which he did forth
with.
Perhaps the pies shortened Fishers
mortal coil. At any rate, Susan was
soon ready for a third attempt at
matrimony. She did not even feign
love to Mr.. Trent. He needed a
housekeeper and she needed a home.
Thus the two were married.
SLANT Trent was about sixty years
old. slim like Susan, and somewhat
bent from long hours of hoeing and
wedding. He chewed tobacco and
smoked. Susan did not know that he
chewed, which fact only goes to show
that ever a woman of Mrs. Mills Fish.
err Trent's experience does not know
all there is to be known about e
She did know that lie smoked, but
never was the filthy odor" OF to-
house. Poor Silas smoked in the
vas out-of-doors. and only the pure
mountain air was tainted.
He was afraid of his wife, not of
her physical person as a whole, but
he was desperately afraid of her
tongue. and she made his life Mt home
very unhappy. He was glad to es-
cape, if possible. for a short holiday.
After about six months of married
life Mr.. Trent decided that he vas
1,,o Gov n hD1;1o. o,,I M, <In oSro,,c
was to visit the adjoining town, he
h%arnessed up the colt and went to the
"show."
At the circus Silas enjoyed his free
dom to his hearts content.
There was a r~efreshment booth at
side and ordered a supper consisting
of "hot dogs" and a glass Of pink lem
onade. When the frankfurters and
lemonade had disappeared Silas was
still hungry and thirsty. so a second
order of three "hot dogs and a pink
a third took the same trail. Silas was
mt last refreshed" and he started
home to Susan.
On the way he felr rather sick. When
he arrived home he felt sicker, and
o 0 Susan in terror called the doc
tor. for SilaS was writing and groan-
ing in agony. Pains seemed to he
in every part of his poor thin body
at the same instant.
The doctor arrived. hut SiiaS died.
Even IL doctor could o overcome nine
hot dogs attacking at once.
Susan was. to all appearances,
stunned by grief. How she m0urned!
Black crepe was not enough. Tears
continually drowned her eyes till after
Silas was buried. She talked of what
a great love had been taken from her,
and as proof Of her loyalty to his men,
ory she showed her friends a small
box in which, she explained. she had
placed Il ''memorial" Of her poor dear
husband. This box she wore suS-
pended from a cord around her
scrawny neck, and tucked carefully
under her black alpaca waist.
All the countryside was Interested
in that "memorial.' Everyone was
| curious. What could old Mrs. Trent
be wearing in that box as a remeu-
| brance of her departed third?
And so on ran the rumors. The
| newspapers in the nearest city heard
Of "Mr. Trent's memorial" and re-
portcrs. eager for copy. rushed to SUI
| sans humble cottage for information.
| They returned with snapshots Of the
| much discussed box. but no informa-
ton as to it's contents.
No one was able to satisfy his ever
increasing curiosity. and Sc the box
with it's memorial" was the wonder
and mystery Of the village until the
| day on which Susan Deborah Mills
Fishcr-Trent revealed its secret.
1t was not many moons after Silas
| Trent's death that Susan was sorely
stricken with a toothache. She has
tened to Il dentist. She had only seven
Of her own teeth in her mouth, and he
advised their extraction. Susan ut
first objected. She claimed that she
was minus the necessary funds for the