The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1900-07-26

KNOW, ne duueu, DTlSntellIlS, peO-
pie don't expect no great pleasure
from funerals anyhow"
Mrs. Hunt sighed.
After a time, when the coffee was
ready and she and Tom were facing
each other across the small table, she
intercepted his hand as he was reach
ing for the sugar and held it for a
moment lovingly.
You're a good boy, Thomas" she
said.
''I'm glad you think so, mother.
s'pose l might be worse"
Thomas"
"Bless us, so I ami" exclaimed
Tom, stroking his bushy red beard
with his disengaged hand. I'D have
forgot it entirely if you hadn't men
toned it."
''Thomas?"
'Well, mother?"
at was on this day 25 years ago
that you were-you were"
Coin to get married" Tom con-
Guided the sentence somewhat grim
ly. $50 l was"
"Thomas, why didn't you?"
Haven't 1 told you, mother, hun.
dreds of times?"
Eyes; but, dear, I've never believed
YOU
"Mother''-Tom looked at the cid
lady with the utmost solemnity-''I've
fold tho f1-11fh Cha o1,1
not suited to each other. Ny hair
was too red, and her eyes were too
black. Twas lucky we found it out
il time. l reckon some one'd been I'M
happy if we hadn't"
''Are you sure, Thomas, that some
one hasn't been unhappy anyway"
''Well, tolerable certain, mother. She
she got married almost right away
to another fellow, didn't she? l don't
think the disappointment was very
close to her vitals, or she wouldn't
have done that"
But you, my boy"
''Me?" Tom laughed. "Have Won
seen me mopin' or pinin' or dwindlin'
away durin' the past 25 years? l
guess not. And it stands to reason,
don't it, that / would have moped
and pinned and dwindled some if I'd
took it much to heart? Mother, don t
you be frettin' your old gizzard about
this thing any more; it amt worth
it. Please to pass the doughnuts."
The meal was finished in silence.
Tom had his overcoat on before he
spoke again.
IT'S quite a ways over there" he
said, land L reckon I'd better be
startin'."
"Then you're really goin', Thomas?''
''Of course, mother. Why not?"
His mother offered no reply to the
question. She only sighed deeply and
put up her tremulous old lips to be
kissed, clinging to Toms shoulders
until he gently pushed her aside.
"Ill be back to dinner-maybe
earlier" he said cheerily. Have the
house pipin' hot, mother, for I'm
thinltin' I'll run the temperature
down bit when I come. It's cold
enough in the holler, but out on the
kill where the wind blows free I'll
warrant it's colder than the comfort
OF strangers.
Then he strobe away. His mother
stood at the window watching him I'M
| til he turned the corner into the
highway which led straight through
the village to the hill, two miles dis
tant, where the dead slept.
poor Thomas! Dear child" Mrs
Hunt utt red the words half aloud as
she poured boiling water into the
| dishpan. Il amt so blind that [ cam
see it-not so blind as that-no, no.
She shook her head dolefully. ''He
hasn't been the same child since
that day, 25 years ago, when he come
home with ghostly smile on his face
and told me twas all over between
him and Maria Bates. I almost
tainted with the shock of it, for ]
wasn't real strong then, havin'-hav-
fore. 1 thought then twas the girls
fault, and 1 think so yet. She's made
the poor boys life bed of thistles
just because Dick Morglinton had
prop'ty and wanted her to marry him
hope she's been happy, but it'd been
only righteous judgment on her il
she'd have come to a realizin' sense
long ago of what she's missed by not
havin' Thomas. Think of him goin
to that funeral on a day like this!
There amt more'n one man in thou.
sand would do it,"
TOMS mind, also, was busy with
thoughts of the past as he plodded to
ward the great house where the Grape
was futtering. He was wondering
whether he had acted wisely; whether
the reward had been worth the sacri
fee. He told himself that it had. Al
any rate, it was too late now for
He entered the darkened house anG
seated himself upon the edge of g
chair near the door, almost beneath
the heavy curtains. The room was
nearly filled with people, all of whom
he knew; but in the restraint-that
tenseness which comes at times like
this-he looked at them, and they re
turned the look, with unresponsivt
eyes. 1t was as though they were
strangers.