Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1922-05-04

| IlIdL IL give US plenty OF time ter ge
the folks here. needn't say who's,
fun'ral 1t is that's goin' ter be on Sat
urday, Thaddeus! want yer ter hitcl
up an drive over ter Hopkinsville tel
send the, kilograms. The mans new
over there, an won't know yer. 70,
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.
1t 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 fateful tele.
grams to the man behind the counter,
Then there was the homeward trip,
during which. like the guilty thing he
was. he cast furtive glances from side
to side.
Even home itself came to be 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
thence at last and moaned:
Seems ter me, Harriet, you're a
pretty lively corpsel"
His wife smiled, and flushed little.
"There, there, dear! Don't fret,
Jest think how glad we'll be ter see
'em!" she exclaimed.
Harriet was bllssfully 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 Jehlel
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
ito how 1t was all going to end.
Friday came, but telegram at the
last moment told Of trains delayed and
connections missed. Hannah would
mot reach home until 9:4O the next
morning. So 1t was with a four-seated
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, Jehiel and
Hannah Tono or,ld = a<o.,,> 80 ...A.
and cries, besieged their father with
questions.
The family were all in the darkened
sitting room-all, indeed, save Harriet,
who sat In solitary state. In the cham-
Der above, her face pale and her heart
beating almost to suffocation. 1t had
been arranged that she was not to be
seen until some sort Of explanation
had been given.
! "Father. what was it7'' sobbed Han.
nah Jane. "How did It happenf'
! 1T must have been 80 sudden" fal.
tered Jehiel. 1T cut me up com.
pletely."
:; II can't ever forgive myself, !"
moaned Hannah Jane hystsrically.
:"she wanted US to come East, and /
wouldn't. Twas my selfshness-'twas
easier to stay where was; and now
now"
/. "We'be been brutes. father" cut in
Jehiel, with shake In his voice; all
OF US. I never thought never
dreamed-1ather, can-can We See
herr"
/. In the chamber above, woman
.sprang to her feet. Harriet had quite
forgotten the stove-pips hole to the
room below. and. every sob and moan
and wailing cry had heen woefully dis.
.tinct to her ears. with streaming eyes
and quivering lips she hurried down
the stairs and threw open the sitting
room door.
"Jehiel! Hannah Janet I'm here,
right here-alive 7" she cried. "An
I've been wicked. wicked womanl I
never thought how bad t was goin, ter
make you feel. Il truly never, never
did. Twas only myself wanted yer
so. Oh, children, children, I've been
SO wicked-so awful wicked !" ;s3
Jehtel and Hannah. Jane were steady
OF head and strong Of heart, and joy.
It is said, never kills; otherwise. the
results Of that sudden apparition In the
sitting-room doorway might have been
disastrous. a 81 b; ssssS8s3s
/. As It was, wonderfully happy fam
lily party gathered around the table an
hour later; and az Jehiel led a tremu.
lous, gray-haiged woman TO the seat OF
honor. he looked into her shining eyes
and whispered: :5s 81
Dear old mumsey, now that we've
found the way home again, reckon
wen be coming every year don't
your 3ss Ell.