Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1922-05-04

ter be the one ter do 1t, cause I'm goiB'
ter be the dead one, an"
Harriet"
There, there, please, ThadGeus.
I've got ter see Jehie: and Hannah
Jane fore l die"
But-they-theyll come if"
mo, they won't come. We've tried
it over an over again; you know we
have. Hannah Jane herself said max
IF anythin serious came up it would
be different. Well, I'm goin' ter have
somethin' serious come up!"
But, Harriet"
"Now, Thaddeus," begged the woman,
| almost crying you must help me, dear.
I've thought it all out, an it's easy as
can be. l shan't tell any lies, of course.
l cut my finger today, didn't ~
"Why-yes--I believe So" he ac-
knOwleged dazedly; but what has
that to do"
That's the accident Thaddeus.
You're ter send two kilograms at once
one ter Jehiel. an one ter Hannah
Jane. The kilograms will say: Acct
dent to your mother. Funeral Satur-
day afternoon. Come at once That's
| Jest ten Words"
"Now, that's all true, amt it" she
asked anXiOusly TIE accident is this
cut The 'fun'ral' Is old Mis- Went
worth's. | heard terday that they
couldn't have it until Saturday, so
thatll give us plenty of time ter get
! the folks here. | needn't say whose
| fun'raI it is that's gOin' ter be on Sat
urday, Thaddeus! | want yer ter hitch
! up an drive over ter HOpkinSvlle ter
send the kilograms. The mans new
over there, an won't know yer. You
couldn't send 'em from here, of
course"
Thaddeus Clayton never knew just
how he allowed himself to be per-
suaded to take his part in this "crazy
scheme" as he termed ii, but per-
suaded he certainly was.
1t was a miserable time for Thad-
deus then. First, thore was that hur-
ried drive to Hopkinsville. Though
the day was warm he fairly shivered
as he handed those two fatefu tele-
grams to the man behind the counter
Then there was the hOmeward trip
during which, like the guilty thing he
to side.
Even home itself came to be a mis-
cry, for the sweeping and the busting
and the baking and the brewing which
he encountered there left him no place
to call his own so that he lost his pa
tience at last and mOaned:
Seems ter me, Harriet, you're 8
pretty lively corpse !"
"Thcre, there, dear! Don't fret
Jest think how glad We'll be ter see
EN-" she exclaimed.
Harriet was blissfully happy. Hotl
the children had promptly responded
to the kilograms, and We're now or
their way. Hannah Jane with hel
husband and two children. were eX
peCtPd on Friday evening; but Jehie
and his wife and boy could not possibly
get in until early on the following
morning.
All this brought sCant joy to Thad
deus. There was always hanging ovel
MIN the dread horror of what he hat
done, and the fearful questioning a:
to how it was all going to end.
Friday came, but telegram at tn,
last moment told of trains delayed ant
connections missed. Hannah woult
not reach home until 9 40 the mex
morning. SO it was with a four-seatet
carryall that Thaddeus Clayton startet
for the station on Saturday morning Il
meet both of his children and thei
families.
The ride home was silent one
but once inside the house, Jehiel an
Hannah Jane, amid a storm of sob
and cries, besieged their father witt
questions.
The family were all in the darkene'
sitting rOOm-all indeed, save Harriet
who sat in solitary state in the cham
Der above, her face pale and her hear
beating almost to suffOCatlOn. 1t ha,
been arranged that she was not to b
seen until some sort of explanation
had been given.
"Father, what was IT." sobbed Har
nah Jane. "HOw did it happen?"
at must have been so sudden" fa
tered Jehiel. ut cut me up CON
pletely."
Il can't ever forgive myself,
moaned Hannah Jane hystericall!
"She wanted us to come East, and
J wouldn't. Twas my seltishness-'twa
, easier to stay where was and now
now"
"We'be been brutes, father" cut |
Jehiel, with shake in his voice; "a
of us. / never thought neve
dreamed-father, can--can we see
; herW
In the chamber above, woma
sprang to her feet. Harriet had quit
forgotten the stove-pipe hole to tn
room below and every sob and mOa