The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-10-12
A TELEGRAM,

" Ab<hebsA2hs
didn't say-a great many
words" said John Macklefresh, in {
slow, grinding sort of way. "but CUES:
it'll-cm"
"Iwish We hadn't writ so hard, John, v
said his wife, piteously. "'Twas all the
worse for bein' so short. Your brother:
and don't never mean TO believe thai
Samuel meant to cheat ye out o that
two hundred dollars"
what did he mean. thenp" snapped
her husband, fiercely, his square. dogged
chin in the air as he combed his whisk.
ers upward, a favorite action of his
when he felt particularly pugnacious.
Mrs. Macklefresh turned one of the
long stockings she was darning from
heel to toe and back again before she
answered.:
Didn't mean nothin', husband" she
answered, softly. Were all Teller
notifies. Some of Ills is human some
times. Thought he'd pay We, expect,
when he borryed it. Then he couldn't,
that's all"
Il dunno anything about 'couldn' is;
know about didn't" said John
Macklefresh, doggedly. still combing
that peryerse chin into the air. This I
know, he's got the two hundred, and l
hain't, and I'll never
Don't, John, dear?" interposed his
meek little wife.
"Well, bein' deacon and AZ
Christian" suggested his wife, see
ing he skipped that hard word.
Il s'pose can't say won't forgive
him. But they amt no commands be-
tween the leds of that air Book
about
twenty-five cents to pay" said a
small, business-like voice at the door.
Mrs. Macklefresh turned the rough,
brown envelope over fearfully in her
aands, trembling as people do at tele-
grams. wonder if the telegraph boys
ever get used to it.
Don't be bothering, Alice" said her
husband, pushing her aside, not I'M
gently, though his words were rough as
usual
This is what he read when he had
torn thin outlet at the end of the en-
Evelope:
''1our brother Samuel died this
morning. Come at once"
The Western Union Telegraph Com
pany has 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 piercing cry. or any
of those things. He mechanically took
out a quarter from his loose change
pocket, careful even in this moment to
count the pennies given in change, shut
the door, handed the dispatch to his
wife. and walked away to the window.
1t was only his heart tainted. This,
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
stopped him, you know. Besides, he
was deacon and a-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 doesn't ask
that. Or, does it, when it speaks about
God casting our sins into the depths of
the sea-behind His back-remember-
ing them no more against us. Forget?
What was there to forget? He had lent
his own brother 5000 Might have
given it to him and never missed it.
Under his remorseful eye his great
fields stretched away, white now with
snow-white as the soul God had for
given, but yellow enough he knew as sum-
mer came on, yellow as the gold they
would bring to his pocket Those few
poor, pitiful hill-s:des of Samuers!
Why hadn't he given it to him right out
and saved hard feelings? There was
Johnny (named for him) wanting to
go TO college ever since he was out of
petticoats. Suppose he had given it to
him.
Misery-misery of remembering I'M
kindness when it is too late, And then
that cutting letter! Had it reached
him before he died, or was it only his
poor stricken brothers family that
would read the brief, harsh words?
He turned to his wife who sat hold
ing the dreadful envelope, sad. but
doubling if she would be wise to speak
yet to him.
''Get your things on. will ye." he
said, in voice that sounded dry and
harsh even TO himself. I'm be round
with old Billy TO the front door, Wrap
up warm and take a soap-stone. I'll
have the buffaloes. It's 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
somewhat loosed, and he told in broken
and lerky sentences into her sympathet-
&c 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 we was little. Hum,
hum
A man grows very tender when he
goes back to the days when he was
little"
Bought me pair O. skates once,
when wanted some. Older than me
Samuel was always a making me kites
and whistles and all sech rattle-traps
Never could seem to get along. Big
family? Yes. i ought to ha' helped
him. Amt man Twin could scratch
anything but moss off them rocks he
calls farm. I'll help the boys-see'f
/ don't"
1T was a long, cold ride. Mrs.
Macklefresh wrapped the buffaloes
higher and higher, till at last she was
quite extinguished in their folds, and
her husband thought on drearily alone.
Almost there. The house is in sight.
a long, low, implanted s6air. The old