The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-04-19


and ripped and stitched bustly.
( Several hours passed unSventxuII
1t was 3 O'Clock when Belle WIFI
staiked up the path. hes sahnt ,fls Il
clothed In black mourning garmeufL
II guess It's all over. Annie." she
said sadly. 81 Just got telephone
message from Gideon. He said they
had found Uncle Henry and would
bring the body back with 'em tonight
1--WE better go over to the house to 30
there. 1t needs fixing up-someF fres
made and so FORTH" said Mrs. Smith
gravely. SO after awhile the two cous-
ms departed, leaving the dressmAkef
with her hands fun Of mourning gar
ments. You'll have to come toner
row, Laura" said Mrs. Smith 40 sf1s
| went out
'I wouldn't miss It for farm" nut.
tered Laura to herself. T expect
there'll be the greatest kind Of jealousy
! over Henry,s Will. Each one Of those
| three women will expect the Hons /
share. They've been watching each
other for years, afraid one might get
/ the inside track with Uncle Henry and i
/ his money"
! In the Popham homestead. On the
Hollow road. there was q scene OF
! great activity, although the three couss
ms found the house remarkably neat
/ and clean for bachelor abode. Black
Hannah, who came once fortnight u !,
| clean and wash and Iron. declared that
Uncle Henry must have cleaned IL
| himself since her last visit, and this 1
grief stricken nieces admitted that
Uncle Henry's suicide had been. pre-
| meditated. ael
Fires were made In the seldom used
/ front parlor and In empty bedrooms
! and the beds were aired and remade.
Perhaps the nieces found comfort III
! hard work, for they drudged uncom-
plainingly. xesN
1 At dusk they prepared from the supe*
plies In the pantry, and then. gowned.
in deep black dresses, they sat down in
the best parior TO await Uncle Henry'a
Homecoming.
In her mind each woman was PAN
ming how she would refurnish the room
when she came 10 live there. $50.
I IL their grief was soothed by cerrY
tain complacency in the recollection mt
Uncle Henry's comfortable thousands
they made no utterance to one another.
At O'Clock there was the sound Of
wheels along the Hollow road. ~ Il
: The three cousins turned pals and;
shivered little sudden pity for
Uncle Henry's last homecoming swept
over them, and they advanced to tbs
front hall and threw wide the door.
!, They stood there blinking out fntm
the darkness OF the winter night Be-
fore the gate was Mason Winship's
best hack, the one with sfiy rf LAMPS,
and alighting from 1T were seveFHfs
, people. rs 70 go IA
1t was not untti they had crowded
into the hall and pariora that the thres'
!, cousins received sudden stunning
surprise. gre >" s.if ~ sA-sf1
/ "Uncle Henryr' they screamed Iii
unison. ,ss
And 1t was not Uncle Henry.s corpse
that confronted them, but rejuvenatf
, ed Uncle Henry, with crisp, gray curts
, combed over his ears and a sparkle In
his eyes and a smile on his ruddy facer
|, He was dressed In brand new pepper
and salt suit and fur Lined overcpat.
and he carried a new sealskin cap IN
| his gioved hand saas
!, On Uncle Henry's arm leaned very
| small lady, his junior by a dozen years
! perhaps, brown haired, sweet faced
with quick, birdlike movements and
!, appealing brown eyes. She wore gray,
. too. with a scarlet wing In her gray
velvet hat ~ sss|@
Uncle Henryg' repeated the nisces
more family. easas
: MY dear nieces," replied Henry
Popham soothingly, don't be frightens
8 ed II vague rumors of my death ~
, drowning have reached you. Many
people have spoken Of the matrimonfHi
sea, you know, and er-well, I've been
/ getting married today, that's all Let
: me introduce you to my wife. Mrs.
: Hester Popham, formerly Miss Hester
Weed OF Redbridge. Now. Annie.
Belle, Sarah, kiss your Aunt Hester
And they did with the best gracs
they could muster, and when their
: three husbands, who had entered with
: the bride and groom. had fetched In
a large wedding cake the relatives
spread a wedding feast In the dining
room. while Uncle Henry took his
wife on a tour Of the house And u
Uncle Henrys eyes twinkied at SIGHT
Of the many preparations which had
been made for a different Homecoming
he did not breathe word Of the joke
= to his wife, and she praised thu
thoughtfulness of his nieces and sat-
that surely she was going to be fond
of all three of them. for had they not
!. made her warmly welcome? Ass
And Annie and Belle and Sarsh. hav-
ing decided that they must make tile
best OF ii, went on with the prepafns
lions for the feast, but it must be cen
fessed that the three husbands. wha
had been In Redbridge that day TO-
witness Uncle Henry's marriage and
who had jokingly telephoned q fctt
tious message to Belle Wfckhams
came In for hours of stern reprcof
g. AZ IL. HI D..A ~