Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1916-12-01

he said that he and Ned Wlckham
and Loren Tompkins would spend the
day investigating the matter and would
telephone Belle as soon as they heard
anything"
"It's mighty queer" commented
Laura Bamwell as she threaded her
needle.
Mrs. Smith went out to the kitchen
and began preparations for dinner.
The dressmaker sewed and shipped
and ripped and stitched busily.
Several hours passed uneventfully.
1t was 3 o'clock when Belle Wickham
stalked up the path, her gaunt frame
clothed in black mourning garments.
81 guess it's all over, Annie" she
said sadly. 81 just got a telephone
message from Gideon. He said they
had found Uncle Henry and would
bring the body back with 'em tonight"
"We better go over to the house to be
there. 1t needs fixing up-somV fires
made and SO FORTH" said Mrs. Smith
gravely. So after awhile the two cous-
ms departed, leaving the dressmaker
with her hands full of mourning gar
mtulS. 1OQ IL ndAc W COhIc tOL1Ol-
row, Laura said Mrs. Smith as she
went out.
81 wouldn't miss it for a farm" NUT
tered Laura to herself. 81 expect
there'll be the greatest kind of jealousy
over Henry's will. Each one of those
three women will expect the lions
share. They've been watching each
other for years. afraid one might get
the inside track with Uncle Henry and
his money"
In the Popham homestead, on the
Hollow road, there was q scene of
great activity, although the three cous
ms found the house remarkably neat
and clean for a bachelor abode. Black
Hannah, who came once q fortnight to
clean and wash and iron, declared that
Uncle Henry must have cleaned it
himself since her last visit, and the
grief stricken nieces admitted that
Uncle Henry's suicide had been pre-
meditated.
Fires were made in the seldom used
front parlor and in empty bedrooms,
and the beds were aired and remade.
Perhaps the nieees found comfort in
hard work, for they drudged uncom-
plainingly.
At dusk they prepared from the sup
plies in the pantry, and then, gowned
in deep black dresses, they sat down in
the best parlor to await Uncle Henry's
homecoming.
In her mind each oma was plan
ming how she would refurnish the room
when she came to live there.
If their grief was soothed by a GER
tain complacency in the recollection of
Uncle Henry's comfortable thousands
they made no utterance to one another.
At 6 o'clock there vas the sound Of
wheels along the Hollow road.
The three cousins turned pale and
shivered a little. A sudden pity for
Uncle Henry's last Homecoming swept
over them, and they advanced to the
front hall and threw wide the door.
They stood there blinking out into
the darkness of the winter night. Be-
fore the gate was Mason Winship's
best hack. the one with silver lamps,
and alighting from it were several
people.
1t was not until they had crowded
into the hall and parlor that the three
cousins received a sudden, stunning
surprise.
Uncle Henryr' they screamed in
unison.
And it was not Uncle Henry's corpse
that confronted them, but a rejuvenat-
ed Uncle Henry, with crisp, gray curis
combed over his ears and a sparkle in
his eyes and a smile on his ruddy face.
He was dressed in a brand new pepper
and salt suit and a fur lined overcoat,
and he carried a new sealskin cap in
his gloved hand.
On Uncle Henry's arm leaned a 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.
"Uncle Henry!" repeated the nieces
more family.
my dear nieces," replied Henry
Popham soothingly, don't be frighten-
eu IL vague ruuuOfS OF my ueaCn by
drowning have reached you. Many
people have spoken of the matrimonial
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 grace
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 if
Uncle Henry's eyes twinkled at sight