The Press., 1883-10-25
HE MADE TT CUT.

sI-didn't say-a great many words, said John Macklefresh, in slow, grind 1 ing sort of way, ssbut guess it'l-cut.
 s'I wish ye hadn't writ so hard, John, said his wife, piteously. Twas all the worse for bein' so short. Your brothers and don't never mean to believe that Samuel meant to cheat you out O that $2OO."
 "What did he mean, then ?" snapped the husband, fiercely, his square, dogged chin in the air, as he combed his whis- kers upward, favorite action of his when he felt particularly pugnacious.
 Mrs. Macklefresh turned one of the long stockings she was alarming from heel to toe and back again before she answered:
 ''Didn't mean nothin', husband" she answered, softly. "We're all feller-mot- ties. Some of us is human sometimes. Thought he'd pay ye, I expect, when he borryed it. Then he couldn't, that's all.
 "I dunno anything about 'couldnts ; I know about 'didn 'ts, " said John Mackle- fresh, doggedly, still combing that per verse chin into the air. 'sThis I know, he's got the two hundred, and hain't and I'll never"
 "Don't John, dear p interposed his meek little wife.
 s'Well, bein' deacon, and a-''
 Christian" suggested his little wife, seeing he skipped that hard word. tI s'pose I can't say won't forgive him. But they ain't no commands between the leds of that air book about"
 "Twenty-fve cents to pay" said small business-like voice at the door. Mrs. Macklefresh turned the rough, brown en- velope over fearfully in her hands, trem- bling as people do at telegrams. I won T &<,i "Dont be bothering, Alice, said her husband, pushing her aside, not urgently, though his words were rough as usual. This is what he read when he had torn thin outlet at the end of the envelope s'Your brother Samuel died this morn 1 ing. Come at once." ..-.. The Western Union Telegraph company has a good deal to answer for-but then so have great many other people. John Macklefresh did not swoon away on the doorstep, or throw up his hands with a l piercing cry, or any of these things. He mechanically took out quarter from his loose change pocket, careful even to this moment to count the pennies given ln change, shut the door, handed the despatch to his wife, and walked away to the win dow. It was only his heart tainted. This, 1 then had come to the man he had said but moment ago, he would never-no, no, not that he didn't say that-Alice stop ped him, you know. Besides, he was a deacon and christian Alice had said so.
 But then he couldn't forget. That was ! what he had been going to say when the door opened The bible don't ask that. Or, does it, when it speaks about God casting our sins into the depths of the sea behind his back-remembe them no more against us. Forget? What was there to forget? He had lent his own brother $2OO. Might have given it to him and never missed it. Under his remorse- full eye his great fields stretched away, ] white now with snow-white as the soul God had forgiven, but yellow enough he knew as summer came on, yellow as the gold they would bring in his pocket. Those few poor, pitful hillsides of Sam uel's Why hadn't he given it to him right out and saved hard feelings [? There was Johnnie (named for him) wanted to go l to college ever since he was out of petit coats. Suppose he had given it to him. Misery-misery of remembering unkind- I ness, when it is too latel And then the cutting letter Had it reached him be- fore he dled, or was it only his poor, ,strick- en brothers family that would read the brief, harsh words?
 "He turned to his wife, who sat holding the dreadful envelope, sad, but doubling
 "Get your things on, will ye," he said, in voice that sounded dry and harsh even to himself. ''I'l be round with Old Billy to the front door. Wrap up warm and take soap stone. I'll have the bufaloes. Its mortal cold"
 She was ready and waiting when he brought Billy around. The house could take care of itself. She locked it. They had some sixty miles to ride. In the course of it his tongue became some what loosed, and he told in broken and lerky sentences into her sympathetic ear, what little of the chaotic grief and remorse he was able to put into words.
 "My brother, after all. Used to play together when little. Hum, hum." A man grows very tender when he goes back to the days when he was ''little.'' Bought me pair of skates once, when I wanted some. Older than me-Samuel was alwas a making me kites and whistles and all such rattle-traps. Never could seem to get along. Big family? Yes. I l ought ha' helped him. Ain't man ivin' could scratch anything but moss off them rocks he calls a farm. I'll help the boys see f don't' It was long, cold ride. Mrs. Mackle- 1 fresh wrapped the buffaloes higher and higher, till at last she was quite extinguish- ed in their folds, and her husband thought on drearily alone. Almost there. The house is in sight A long, low, unpainted pffair. The oldest inhabitant could not remember when it's owner had had money enough to paint it. Here at last. Whoa, Billy. You remem- Der the old hitching post, though it is so long since you've stopped at it. There hasn't been much visiting lately. ''Re- member how brother used to rush out in his ofd blue coat, Alice, and .
 "Why, John Why John P 5
 Mrs. Macklefresh ..rose up out of her enveloping furs like startled Esquimaux She pinched her husbands arm hyster- ically, and he in turn rubbed his eyes half out at sight of the apparition that confront ed him. ..: "Come in come in p it cried cordially.