Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1922-07-19

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ter be. the one ter do It, cause I'm goin'
ter be the tead one, an.
'Harriet!'' s.
There, there, please, Thaddeus
I I've got: ter see: Jehiel and Hannah
Jane fore. I diet" +
"But-they---they'l come IL
''No, they. won't come. Wc,ye tried
it over an over again; you. know We
have. Hannah Jane herself said that
il anythin' serious: came up it, would
be different. Well, I'm goir' tc: have
I:somethill' serious come up!''
But. Harriet-'''. .. -.
Nov, Thadlcus, begged the woman,
almost CRYING, you, must hel T. lie, dear.
I've. thought.it all out, an, it's easy as
can be-. Ishan't tell any lies, of course.
/ cut my finger today, didn't IT,
-yes-I believe so,'''' he ac-
5knowleged dazedly;. 'but what has
that to do 49, $50 :.
."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. Fu;:cral Sar,lr-
day afternoon. Come at once That's
| jest ten Words"
| Nov, that's all true, amt it," she
asked anxiously. 'The accident is this
| cut. The fun'ral' is Old Mis- Went
worth's. I heard terday that they
| couldn't have it until Saturday, so
thatn give. us plenty Of time ter get
the folks here. I needn't say whose
fun'ral it is that's goin' ter be on Sat-
| urday, Thaddeus! Iwant yer ter hitch
up an drive. over ter Hopkinsvi!le 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 it, but: per-
suaded he certainly was.
It was miserable time for Thad-
deus, then. First, there was that hur-
| ried drive to Hopkinsville. Though
the day was warm he fairly shivered
as he handed those two Hateful tele-
grams to the man behind the counter.
| Then there. was the homeward trip,
during which, like the guilty thing he
was, lie cast furtive glances from side
to side.
Even home itself came to be o mis-
cry, for the sweeping and the dusling
and the baking and the brewing which
he encountered there left him no place
to call his own. 50 that he lost his pa
thence at last and moaned:
Seems ter me, Harriet, you're a
pretty lively corpse!''
His wife smiled, and flushed a little.
There, there, dear! Don't fret.
Jest think how glad Wen be ter see
'em!" she exclaimed.
Harriet was blissfully happy. Both
the children had promptly responded
to the kilograms, and were now on
their way. Hannah Jane, with her
husband and two children. were ex-
pected on Friday evening; but JehieI
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 over
him. the dread horror Of what he had
done, and the fearful questioning as
to how it was all going to end.
Friday came, but a telegram at the
last moment told of trains delayed and
connections missed. Hannuh would
not reach home. until $40 the next
morning. So it was with q fou:-seatcd
carryall that Thaddeus Clayton started
for the station on Saturday morning to
meet both of his children and their
families.
The ride home was silent one
but once inside the house, .;ehiel and
Hannah Jane, amid a storm If sobs
and cries, besieged their father with
| questions.
The family were all in the darkencd
sitting room-all, indeed, save Harriet.
who sat in solitary state in the cham
Der above, her face pale and her henrt
beating almost to suffocation. II had
been arranged that she WIS not to he
seen until. some: sort of explanation
had been. given.
Father, what was it," sobbed Fan
nah Jane. 'sHow: did it happen!"
1T must have been so sudden fail.
tered Jehiel. 1T cut me up COM
pletely."
II can't ever, forgive myself
moaned Hannah Jane Historically.
"She. wanted us to come East, and /
wouldn't. Twas my. selfishness.-:twas
easier to. stay where was; a.u now
now T.; '''''' =
"We'be been brutes, father" cut in
Jehiel, with a shake in his voice: "all
Of us. I never thought nc-er
dreamed-father, Canaan we see
her?''' '>'S
In the, chamber, above, a. woman
sprang to her feet. Harriet Ind quite
forgotten, the stoye-pipe hole to the
room below, and every SOP and moan
and Wailing cry had been woefully dis
tinct to her ears. With streaming eyes
and quivering lips she hurried down
the stairs and threw open the sitting
room door. '.:sE E's=s' 7Ss:zss
"Jehiel! Hannah janet I'm here,
right here-alive 7" she cried. aAn,