It was six months now since the sad funeral train had wound its way among

sage-brush and greasewood, and the body of the mother had been laid to

rest beside her husband. For six months the girl had kept the cabin in

order, and held as far as possible the wayward brother to his work and

home. But within the last few weeks he had more and more left her alone,

for a day, and sometimes more, and had come home in a sad condition and

with bold, merry companions who made her life a constant terror. And now,

but two short days ago, they had brought home his body lying across his

own faithful horse, with two shots through his heart. It was a drunken

quarrel, they told her; and all were sorry, but no one seemed responsible.

They had been kind in their rough way, those companions of her brother.

They had stayed and done all that was necessary, had dug the grave, and

stood about their comrade in good-natured grimness, marching in order

about him to give the last look; but, when the sister tried to utter the

prayer she knew her mother would have spoken, her throat refused to make a

sound, and her tongue cleaved to the roof of her mouth. She had taken

sudden refuge in the little shed that was her own room, and there had

stayed till the rough companions had taken away the still form of the only

one left in the family circle.

In silence the funeral train wound its way to the spot where the others

were buried. They respected her tearless grief, these great, passionate,

uncontrolled young men. They held in the rude jokes with which they would

have taken the awesomeness from the occasion for themselves, and for the

most part kept the way silently and gravely, now and then looking back

with admiration to the slim girl with the stony face and unblinking eyes

who followed them mechanically. They had felt that some one ought to do

something; but no one knew exactly what, and so they walked silently.

Only one, the hardest and boldest, the ringleader of the company, ventured

back to ask whether there was anything he could do for her, anything she

would like to have done; but she answered him coldly with a "No!" that cut

him to the quick. It had been a good deal for him to do, this touch of

gentleness he had forced himself into. He turned from her with a wicked

gleam of intent in his eyes, but she did not see it.

When the rude ceremony was over, the last clod was heaped upon the pitiful

mound, and the relentless words, "dust to dust," had been murmured by one

more daring than the rest, they turned and looked at the girl, who had all

the time stood upon a mound of earth and watched them, as a statue of

Misery might look down upon the world. They could not make her out, this

silent, marble girl. They hoped now she would change. It was over. They

felt an untold relief themselves from the fact that their reckless, gay

comrade was no longer lying cold and still among them. They were done with

him. They had paid their last tribute, and wished to forget. He must

settle his own account with the hereafter now; they had enough in their

own lives without the burden of his.




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