Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1885-06-13
BE Made It Cut.
BY ANNA f. BURNHAM.

"I-did-not-say-a great many
words" said John Macklefresh, in slow,
grinding sort of way, "but 1 guess IT'LL
cut"
II wish We hadn't writ so hard, John"
said his wife, piteously. "'Twas all the
worse for bein' 30 short. Your brothers
and don't never mean to believe that
Samuel meant to cheat ye out O. that
$780,"
"What did he mean then?" snapped
her husband fiercely, his square logged
chin in the air as he combed his whisk-
ers upward, q 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
said softly. "We're all feller-mortals.
Some of us is human sometimes. He
thought he'd pay ye, expect, when he
borrowed it. Then he couldn't, that's
all"
81 dunno anything about 'couldn'ts;'
know about didn't" said John Mack
lefresh doggedly, combing that preverse
chin into the air. "This know, he's got
the two hundred, and 1 hain't and I'll
never"
"Don't, John, dearw interposed his
meek little wife.
We'll, bein' deacon and a"
"Christian," suggested his wife, seeing
he skipped that hard word.
81 s'pose can't say 1 won't forgive
him. But they amt no commands be-
tween the words of that air book about
TWENTY-FIVE cents to pay" said q
small business-like voice at the door.
Mrs. Mecklefresh turned the brown en-
velope over fearfully in her hand, trem-
bling as people do at kilograms. won
der if the telegraph boys ever get used
to it.
"Dont be bothering Alice" said her
husband, pushing her aside, not ungent-
ly, though his words were rough as
usual.
This is what he had read when he had
torn thin outlet at the end of the en-
velope:
"Your brother Samuel died this morn
ing. Come at once"
The Western Union Telegraph compa-
ny has q good deal to answer for-but
then so have great many other people.
John Macklefresh did not swoon away
on the door step, or throw up his hands
with q piercing cry, or any OF these
things. He mechanically took out q
quarter from his loose change pocket,
careful even in this moment to count the
pennies given in change, shut tho door,
handed the dispatch to his wife, and
walked away to the window. twas on
ly his heart tainted. This, then, had
come to the man he had said, but mo-
ment ago, he would never-no, no, not
that; he didn't say that-Alice stopped
him, you know Besides he was q dea-
con and a-Christian. Alice said so.
But then he couldn't forget. That was
what ne was going To say when the door
opened. The Bible don't ssk that. Or,
does it, when it speaks about God cast
ing our sins into the depthsof the sea-
behind his back-remembering them no
more against US. Forget? What was
there to forget? He had lent his own
brother 500: Might have give it to him
and never missed it. Under his remorse-
less eye his great fields stretched away,
white now with snow-white as the soul
God had forgiven, but yellow enough he
new as Summer came on, yellow as the
gold they would bring to his pocket.
These few pititul hillsides of Samuel's !!
Why hadn't he given 1t to him right out
and saved hard feelings? There was
Johnny manned for himl wanting to 60
to college ever since he was out of petit
coats. Suppose he had given it to him.
Misery-misery of remembering un-
Kindness, when it is too late! And then
that cutting letter! Had it reached him
before be died, or was it only his poor
stricken brothers family that would
cad tho brief harsh words?
He turned to his wife, who sat hold
ing the dreadful envelope, cad, but
doubling if che would DO wise to speak