Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1917-01-17

done very badly that term. and he had
been wilfully defiant. He had even
Dragged Of It.
Josiah picked up scrap after scrap.
There must have been fifty Of them,
covering almost the entife period Of
Toms boyho0d. The latest Of them, In
the firm writing Of young fellow Of
nineteen, ran thus:
Dear Father: l have never been
able to say that was sorry for any.
thing. and ! am unable to do SO now.
want to. But I can't. Perhaps our
natures are pretty much the same.
Perhaps you would be able to under.
stand If you were ever to see this. But
you never will.
You think me idle and worthless be.
cause threw over that position In the
bank. 1t Is not that, father. 1 am
throwing 1t up because mean to start
out for myself in the electrical bust.
ness. ! would have told you II you
had been willing to listen to reason.
But you would have 1t I was wrong.
And SO ! have said nothing. For hav.
ing wounded you am sorry"
Josiah laid down the drum and put
back the scraps Of paper. Tom had
made good. Tom had been right. And
that was the one time where he should
not have said he was sorry. He, 10
slab, had been wrong there.
The tears came into his eyes a. he
thought Of the ten years Of loneliness.
Ten years Of missed happiness, and not
many more to come. At seventy-dve
one does not look forward to q great
deal. The old man wept.
Presently, moved by an uncontrolla.
BILE impulse, he took up pen and pa.
per. Dear Tom, am sorry for every.
thing" he wrote. and thrust the scrap
Of paper into the drum.
He glued the broken ends together
lightly and went out with bowed head.
The next day wonderful thing hap
pened to little Jimmy. His grandfather
gave him drum.
1t was so amazing that he was quite
incoherent when he got home with his
treasure. He showed 1t to his mother.
"What did he sayf" she asked, ex-
citedly.
Nothing, mamma. He Just put It In
my hand. Look what fine drum
Give me something to hit 1t with,
mammal" SIC 90
That evening, when the little boy
was asleep in bed, she told her hus-
band and showed the drum to him. Tom
looked and looked at It. ~
ITS my old drum he cried. n
recognize 1t. Jean, do you suppose the
old man means anything by itT'
1--WE can't tell, DEAR" she answered.
20 Tom. IL only you could say you are
sorry"
"And I'd give everything In the world
II could, Jeanie," answered her hus-
band. "But I can't. It's physical
impossibility for me now, because I've
never said 1t. I used to try to when
was boy, and never could"
Perhaps your father is the same
way" answered Jean.
swell. there seems to be nothing we
can do" said Tom. But l wonder
why he gave Jimmy that drumf"
. He took II In his hands, and as he
did SO the glueing came apart. The
drum parted; out dropped the little
heap Of old letters. Tom stared at
them speechlessly as the memory Of
them came back to him.
"What is this. deari" asked his wife.
Look! Dere father. I am sorry I sat
on yore hat"
II wrote them" answered Tom grim.
ly. II used to slip them In there.
couldn't say II to his face"
"Why. they are all confessions, Tom, !"
said Jean. "And who wrote this. Dear
Tom. I am sorry for everythingr
Tom took the paper In his fathers
writing and looked at II. Gently he
laid 1t down. When Jean looked ut
him she saw that his eyes were full Of
tears.
Il guess We were both the same,
after ALL" he said.
tom. dearest"
I'm going to him."
And, twenty minutes later Josiah
Spence. implacable, answering. opened
the door. to see Tom and his wife
standing there together. He controlled
his emotion with a violent effort, and
waited. But the words died on Toms
lips. Then Jean stepped forward.
HE can't say It, but can," she said.
Hes sorry. Tom, aren't you sorry.
dearT
Tom nodded.
And you, father? Aren't you tiny
little bit sorryi" she continued, to Jo-
siah.
Sorry? For what, MADAME de.
handed the old man.
jean wasn't fcazed. "Never mind
your tongue-just nod" she said.
You're both the same. you men. Now
aren't you tiny bit sorry?"
mot In the least" Josiah answered
and nodded. And with n cry of hap
piness Jean drew the two mems hands
together.
Jimmy Is nine now, and he has al.
most forgotten the days when his
grandfather did not speak to him. They
are the best of friends and spend hours
together In the fields and countryside.