The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1917-05-16

rrrangeu Tor a vacation Tor week"
"rll go down and see Ellery Waite"
he decided Just the thing He's a
true friend and will sympathize with
me. Anyhow. it will do me good to
talk affairs over with him."
SO John took the train to Brampton
It had been rainy. stormy week, and
this had contributed to his wretched-
ness. The Wuites lived ten miles from
town. Arrived in Brampton, John
went to the village livery stable TO hire
a buggy to convey him to his friends
sorry that I got "A bad repot from
skool."
That Josiah remembered. Tom had
done very badly that term, and he had
been wilfully defiant. He had even
Dragged Of ii.
Josiah picked up scrap after scrap.
There must have been fifty of them.
covering almost the entire period of
Toms boyhood. The latest Of them, in
the firm writing of a young fellow of
nineteen. ran thus:
Dear Father: have never been
able to say that | was sorry for any
thing. and | am unable to do so now
l want to. But l cant. 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
10 -.
throwing 1t up because | mean to start
out for myself in the electrical bust
ness. 1 would have told you II you
had been willing to listen to reason.
But you would have it | 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, Jo-
siah, had been wrong there.
The tears came into his eyes as he
thought of the ten years of loneliness.
Ten years of missed happiness. and not
many more to come. At seventy-five
one does not look forward to a 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 a 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 il to his mother.
what did he say7" she asked ex-
citedly.
Nothing, mamma. He Just put 1t In
my hand. Look what a fine drum !!
Give Inc something to hit 1t with
mammar
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.
IT'S my old drum" he cried. 81
recognize it. Jean, do you suppose the
old man means anything by itT'
eve can't tell, dear" she answered.
20 Tom, II only you could say you are
sorry"
And I'd give everything in the world
II l could, Jeanie," answered her hus.
band. But / can't. It's physical
impossibility for me now, because I've
never said it. used 20 try to when J.
was boy, and never could"
perhaps your father is the same
way" answered Jean.
well, there seems to be nothing We
can do" said Tom. But l wonder
why he gave Jimmy that drum2"
ae TOOK II in his hands. and as be
did so the glueing came apart. The
drum parted: out drnnned tho uttIs