The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-02-15

NN-Al lie would. but
ne said that he AMI Ned Wickl9n,
and Loren Tompkins would spend III.
day investigating the matter and yanIa
telephone Belle as soon as they bear.I
anything"
Its mighty queer" ro,urnapta.f
Laura Bamwell as she threaded b,.r
needle.
Mrs. Smith went out to the Kitchen
and began preparations for dinner
The dressmaker sewel and snilg,es
and ripped and stitched busly.
Several hours passed uueventfu.ll
1t was 3 O'Clock when Belle yiekbai5
stalked up the path, her aa,sf fran.
clothed In black mourning garments.
Il guess it's all over. Annie Sh..
said sadly. Il just got telephone
message from Gideon He said they
had found Uncle Henry and would
bring the body back with EN- tonight"
We better 20 over 10 the house 10 lc
there. Ii needs fixing up-same fires
made and SO forth" said Ms. Smith
gravely. So after awhile the two cons
ins departed, leaving tie dr,-,maker
with her hands full Of mogrvu- car
ments, You'll have to come tomof
row. Laura" said Mrs Smith as She
/ went out
/ Il wouldh { miss 1t for farm" mul
/ tered Laura TO herself II exrect
there'll lie the greatest kind ~ jealousy
over Henry's will Each one Of tltsF
three women will expect tie lions
share. They've been watching each
other for years. afraid ole might 4et
the inside track with Uncle Henry aud
his money"
In the Popham homestead. ou the
Hollow road there W4S scene ul
great activity, although the three eoHs
ins found the house remarkably nclt
and clean for bachelor abode lia.
Hannah, who came once Il fortnight
clean and wash and iron. Declared ttat
Uncle Henry must have cleaned 4
himself since her last visit, anl tla
grief stricken Hieces admitted th3
Uncle Henry's suicide had been rry
meditated.
Fires We're made IN the seldom use.
front parlor and in empty bedrooms
and the beds were aired aud remadc
Perhaps the nieces found comfort &
hard work for they drudSed uueou
paininsly.
At dusk they prepared from The SUI
plies In the pantry, and them goWne
in deep black dresses they sat down
: the best rarlor to await Unele Henry
homecoming.
/ In her mind each woman was nai
y ming how she would refurniSh the rool
G when she came to live there
q If their grief was soothed hy a ce
9 tain complaeeney iii the recollection
$ Uncle Ieniy's comfortable thousand
It they made no utterance TO one au~hc
e At & o'clock there was the sound 9
! wheels along the Hollow road
Ie The three cousins turned pale an
e. shiyered little. 4 sudden pity &
70 Uncle HcnlE's last homecoming sweI
over them, and they advanced to Il
p front hall and threw wide the door.
$ They stood there blinking out In
n the darkness of the winter night Il
c fore the gate was Mason Winshli
De best hack. the one with silver lamf
~ and alighting from it were sever
a. people.
10 1t was not until they had crowd
n into the hail and parlor that the thr
cousins received sudden. stunni
81 surprise.
ls Uncle Henryr they screamed
III unison.
IS And it was not Uncle iienry's corr
that confronted them, but a rejuNen
en- ed Uncle Henry, with crisp, gray Gu
- combed over his ears aud sparkle
IN his eyes and a smile on hls ruddy IA
He was dressed in brand new lepi
u and salt suit and fur lined overee
n and he carried new seaISkln cap
- his gloved hand.
40 on Uncle Henry's arm leaned IA "
up small lady. his junior by dozen yc'
Ell perhaps, brown haired, sweet tae
with quick. birdlike movements q
,in appealing brown eyes. She wore sr
too with scarlet wing IN Der =
=. velvet hat
s 81 Uncle Henry repeated the me
- more family.
=. My dear nieces.' replied lie
- % Popham soothingly, don't be IFish'
=. cd il vague rumors of my deatl
- - drowning have reached you Nj
na people have spoken Of the matriInoI
: 49, : sea. You know. and er-well, ] We ="
-. getting married today, that's ali
a. me Introduce you 10 mf VIE. J
,ne Hester Pofnam. formerly Mis- lie.
&C Weed OF Redbridec Now. Ah
Belle. Sarah. kiss your Aunt ueSte'
an And they did with the best = y
qot they could muster. and when I,
rah three husbands. who had entered
the bride and groom. had fetched
md a large wedding cake the relai
ont spread wedding feast IN the u''
wv room. while Uncle Henry TOOK
- = -. - fba house Ait