Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1916-12-01
By CLARISSA MACKIE

Miss Laura Bamwell's little black
eyes blazed with the fire of excitement.
Such a tidbit of news had not trembled
on the tip Of her sharp tongue for
many a day, and to add interest to the
matter Laura was going to sew that
very day at Mrs. Gid Smiths, and it
was dollars to doughnuts that Mrs.
Gid hadn't heard a word about it, and
Henry Popham was her own uncle tool
So Laura settled herself in the sunny
south window of the Smiths sitting
room. pinned her knitted pincushion
to her apron belt, spread her fashion
books on the sewing table and then
looked into Mrs. Smiths wide. simple
countenance.
Terrible about your Uncle Henry,
wasn't it?" asked Laura.
At this bombshel Mrs. Smith squeak
ed neryously.
"Uncle Henry! What's happened to
him?' she demanded, visions of deep
mourning wells, a wreath of carnations
carnations were the least costly of
winter flowers-the division of Uncle
Henry's money and perhaps herself
and family (she had been real good to
Uncle Henry, living in Uncle Henry's
comfortable house on the Hollow road,
whirled through her mind while she
waited for Laura's deliberate answer.
why, amt you heard? He's disap-
peared."
Disappeared! Where top
Nobody knows" went on Laura
complacently. POSTMASTER Brown
thinks he might have drowned him.
self In the mill pond"
Mrs. Smith verged on Mysteries.
"Oh, poor. dear Uncle Henry!" she
sobbed. Il have been expecting most
anything to happen to him, he being
an old man and living alone"
Hes only sixty years old and con-
sidered some spry, and, being a cranky
old bachelor, he was most comfortable
living alone, most likely" retorted
Laura, who In her youth had once
tried to Henry Popham's
heart and failed. eff he did commit
suicide l guess it wasn't because none
of his nieces wouldn't live with him!"
Laura laughed as she tipped open one
OF the fashion magazines. Look here,
Annie. What do you think Of these
plated skirts?' she asked.
Don't talk to me about making I'D
that garnet cashmere" protested Mrs.
Smith, rising and twitching the bun
die of dress material from the table.
."How do 1 know but I'll have to be
wearing black tomorrow? l guess you
better fix up my black taffeta, Laura,
and press out that mourning veil. Do
you think you could fuss up that bon
net too?"
Likely enough" said the chagrined
dressmaker, for she hated making
over" But why don't you wait until
you find out if he is dead? Maybe he's
only gone visiting somewheres."
"Visitingl Uncle Henry amt been
outside of B%rooklawn for twenty years
except over to Redbridge to the bank.
Who told you he was missing?"
"Your own cousin, Belle Wickham.
She was coming out of the house scar
ed to death; said it was all swept
clean as a pin and the attic door was
locked and she was afraid to go up
there. He might have hung himself
from the r~afters, you know, Annie.
"Seems Belle went Over to take him
some hot corn bread for his breakfast
tention, Annie-and he didn't answer
her knock, and so she went In through
the sitting room winder and found he
hadn't wen slept in his bed nor had
any breakfast. He just wasn't there.
So she came to the postofice, and Mr..
Brown said he saw Henry Popham
down at the mill pond last night and
he reckoned he'd ended his lonely life"
Mrs. Smith went upstairs and brought
down an armful of somber hued gar
ments, which she piled on the sewing
table before the discounted dress
maker.
"Do the best you can with 'em,
Laura" she said gloomily. 1--WE got
to go over and see Belle and Sarah
Tompkins."
Mrs. Smith hustled heavily away, and
presently Laura saw her going out
through the gate, wrapped in a heavy
blanket shawl. She went down the
road toward Belle Wickham's, and the
dressmaker was compelled to attack
the venerable taffeta dress and waited
with what patience. she could for the
return of Henry Popham's niece.
1t was II o'clock when Annie Smith
returned, and her eyes were red with
weeping.
"What news?" asked Laura eagerly.
ST guess poor Uncle Henry's gone"
sighed Annie, sitting down in the Bos-
ton rocker and unpinning her shawl.
81 went over to Bellies, and Sarah wa
there. Seems James Whalen met IN
Gle Henry last night In Redbridge, and,
Laura, he was standing on the bridge
over the falls, and James says he look