Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-17
no Henry 1emrmat~y BY RUTH SAWYER

view from our place. Most famous in the
State says I. Clear days we can see most
anything.
II fetched him through the iron gates and
stood him up close to the monument and
begun pointin' places out. 'Thar's Mount
Washington says I. Some days We can see
the whole Presidential Range. Thar'S
Katahdin :. thar's > But stopped thar
dead. I'd caught something move in the grass
by Grams headstone. The next minute out
come whistle, loudest I ever heard. swung
the jedge clear round and pointed out to sea.
'Thar's Mount Desert says I, and thars Isle
au Haul. That's the Rockland boat We hear
whistlin'-consarn it!
81 looked at Gram. Shed got her head and
shoulders clear and she was whistlin' ag'in fur
dear life. Then she took her fingers out Of /,
her mouth and nodded her head toward our
back. Seemed like she was askin' me fur the
last time to take her home. The jedge seemed
lost in the scenery, and stepped up to Gram
and showed her the geranium slips. Look at
them, says I. Fetched 'em all the way over
to decorate your grave, and here We be, Dustin.
loose and cuttin' up. Hain't We goin to
give in and rest in peace?'
wall, she never said a word, jes' kept work.
ing herself further and further out. was
terrible scairt the jedge would turn round any
second and ketch her. Stood thar on pins and
needles watchin' Gram rise from her grave.
Have heart, Gram begun coaxin' agin.
How'd We like a city Teller like that ledge to
ketch Perkins turnin ghost like?' :. Never
finished what I set out to say. She looked
so queer and upset-so like she wanted to tell
me something and didn't know how. I stood
thar geraniums in hand stick in t'other,
tryin' to make out what it was Gram wanted
to tell me. Then 1t come over me, all Of
flash. 'Twasn't she that wanted to git out;
twas that smart, spunky body o. hern. 1t was
drivin' the sperrit same strong wind drives
cloud afore it. She was ready to rest if that
doggoned crippled-up, pie~bakin, doughnut-
fryn' body would have let her be. But it
wouldn't. 1t was draggin' her out of her coffin,
out of her grave turnin' her loose about the
county like decent sperrit could stand
"Ill fix it, says I. droppin' the geraniumsu
and grabbin' the stick with both hands III
fix it so it'll let We rest quiet twell doomsday'.
and with that laid on Gram with that stick.
beat her up twell thar warnt nothin left but
a scatterin of dust on the spring sod Yes,
ma'am! I reduced Gram to dust and ashes
like the Bible said had to be-"
long sigh swept the stiffness of the room.
The face of zeb Perkins underwent a sequence
of changes Triumph had been there but It
dwindled out and sorrow took it's place. and
then a fear, tremulous commseration and,
finally, bewilderment. He now looked straight
at me. His eyes were dull, fearful. "They
doant understand, them Perkins to the harbor.
They doant think ever ought to have done
that to Gram"
I gathered up my flies and was halfway to
the door before zeb spoke again. His voice had
now grown querulous: ''Wall-what do We
think?'
at gave my answer as I slipped out of doors
into the wide spaces again. 81 think the trout
are going to bite" said I.
(Copyright, 1899