Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1883-11-15
he MADE IT CUT.
BY ANNA It. BURNHANI.

''I-did-not-say- great many
words, said John MackIefresh, in u
slow, grinding sort of way, ''but | guess
tIl-cut"
L wish We hadn't writ so hard,
John" said his wife, piteously. Twas
III the worse for bein' so short Your
brothers and | don't never mean to be-
icve that Samuel meant to cheat We out
) that 5000. y
what did he mean then?' snapped
Ter husband tiercely, his square logged
chin in the air rs he cOmbed his whisk-
us upward, favorite action of his
when he felt particularly pugnacious.
Mrs. MackIefresh turned one of the
tong stockings she was darning from
heel to toe and back again before she
answered:
''Didn' mean nothin' husband" she
said softly We're all feller-mottles.
Some Of Us is human sometimes. He
thought he'd pay ye, l expect, when he
borrowed it. Then he couldn't, that's
ALL
Il dunno anything about 'couldn 'ts;'
| know about 'didn't t. - said John
Macklefresh doggedly, still combing
know, he's cot the two hundred, and
hain't, and I'll never"
Don't, John, dear!' interposed his
meek little wife.
'Well, bein' deacon and "a
christian, -" suggested his wife, see
ing he skipped that hard word.
4 s'pOse | can't say won't forgive
him. But they amt no commands be-
tween the Ieds of that air book about"
''Twenty-tiye cents to pay" said
small, business-like voice at the door.
Mrs. Macklefresh turned the rough,
brown envelope over fearfuIly in her
hands, trembling rs 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-
gcIonc:
"Your brother Samuel died this morn
mo. Come ut once"
The Western Union Telegraph Com
2any Ha~ i Good deal to answer for
t,... :.gn i great many other
Dca. e. Joun AI:vN.e resh did not
5Woua away on the doorstep, or throw
up his hands with a piercing cry, or any
OF these things. He mechanically took
Calt 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 was 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 - remembering
them no more against US, Forget?
What was there to forget? He had lent
his own brother 5000. Might have
given it 10 him and never missed it.
Under his remorSeleSS eve his great
fields stretched away, white now with
snow-white as the soul God had for
SANShs OuO y CI1OH SHOuSn liz hhS" DIS
summer came. on, yellow as the gold
they would bring to his pocket. These
few poor, pitiful hillsides of SamueIs!
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 pet
ticoats. 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
10 him yet.
Get your things on, will ye," he said.
in a 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 soapstone. I'll have
the butfaloes. 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
N the course of it his tongue became
somewhat loosened, and he told in
broken and jerky sentences il'o nor
Srn1aaf1 0ttn or VIVA