The Elk Mountain pilot., 1920-11-11
SILAS' MEMORIAL
BY MARJORIE PIERCE

She was a, middle-aged woman. tall
thin. shrill Of voice and scant of hnir.
What little of woman's crowning glory
she did possess she drew to tight
little knob at the back OF her narrow
head. She knew all there was to be
known about men, according to her
own judgment, and felt that at last she
had chosen Alright.
The poor deceased Mr.. Mills had
been q young, rather gcod-looking fel-
low when Susan welded him. That
wns 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 1emvn 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
matrfmony. She did not even feign
love to Mr.. Trent. He needed a
housekeeper and she needed 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 even a woman of Mrs. Mills Fish.
er Trent's experience does not know
all there Is to be known about men.
She did know that lie smoked, but
never was the filthy odor" of to-
bacco smoke to be found In the farm
house. Poor Silas smoked in the
vast 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 at home
very unhappy. AlC was 6tdh W Co
cape, II possible. for short holiday.
After about six months of married
life Mr.. Trent decided that he was
due for a holiday and. as the circus
was to visit the adjoining town. he
hnrnessed up the colt and went to the
show"
At the circus Silas enjoyed his free
dom to his hearts content.
There was a refreshment booth at
the circus. so he betook himself in
side and ordered supper consisting
Of "hot dogs" and glass of pink lem
onade. When. the frankfurters and
lemonade had disappeared Silas was
still hungry and thirsty. so second
order of three hot dogs" and pink
followed the first and finally
a third took the same trail. Silas was
at last refreshed and he started
home to Susan.
On the way he felt rather sick. When
he arrived home he felt sicker. and
soon Susan In terror called the doc
tor. for Silas was writhing and groan-
ing In agony. Pains seemed to be
In every part of his poor thin body
at the same instant.
The doctor arrived, but Silas died.
Even doctor could not overcome nine
Rot dogs attacking Mt once.
Susan was, to all appearances.
stunned by grief. How she mourned
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 ms proof of her loyalty to his men,
Dry she showed her friends small
box in which. she explained. she had
placed ''memorial' of her poor dear
husband. This box she wore sus-
pended from 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 remem-
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-
porters. eager for copy. rushed to Su-
sans humble cottnge for information.
They returned with snapshots of the
much discussed box. but no informa-
tion as to Its contents.
No one was able to satisfy his ever
increasing curiosity. and so the box
with its "memorIaT was the wonder
md mystery of the village until the
day on which Susan Deborah Mills
Fisher-Trent revealed Its secret.
1t was not many moons after Silas
Trent's death that Susan was sorely
stricken with toothache. She has
tened to a dentist. She had only seven
of her own teeth in her mouth. and he
advised their extraction. Susan at
first objected. She claimed that she
was minus the necessary funds for the