Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1927-04-29
SECRETS
in THE OLD
DRUM
BY H. M. EGBERT
Copyright. by W. C. chapman)

IMMY SPENCE looked wistfully at
his grandfather. He was only
five years old, and did not under
v stand many things but he won
dered especially why he must not
speak to the old gentleman to whose
house he went sometimes.
Nobody would tell him that, not
even his grandmother, who was so
kind to him. But nothing had ever
stood between Josiah Spence and his
happiness except his pride. He was
called hard, but 1t was the hardness
Of Il man ready to melt If the proper
solvent could be applied.
Ii his only son, Tom, had been will
ing to say he was wrong, Josiah
would have forgiven him. But the
boy had never said he was wrong,
not even when he was baby. SO
the two had lived within three blocks
Of each other, and had not spoken for
ten years.
Tom was married, and Josiah knew
his wife quite well by sight, though
he never recognized her. He knew
that his wife and Toms met at Toms
house, and when little Jimmy began
to be brought to his home Josiah said
nothing. But he would not recognize
the lad, or admit his existence.
II Tom had only said he was wrong
Upstairs, in the attic, were Toms
playthings, the woolly horse, the brok
en- soldiers, and the big drum with
the slip In 1t. Sometimes Josiah went
up and looked at them and thought
of the days when Tom had been his
little boy, before the stubborn nature
developed In him.
The mother felt that it was Toms
duty to make up with father. Josiah
was growing old. If Tom would say
he had been to blamel But Tom re-
fused, and 1t seemed likely that his
father would go to his grave without
reconciliation.
She had hoped that little Jimmy's
advent would change the situation
But Josiah, although secretly moved
by the sight Of the child, did not bulge
from his position. Let Tom say he
had been wrong, and he would open
his house to him and his wife. In
despair, the mother made a final ap-
peal to Tom.
81 won't say l was wrong, because l
wasn't" was Toms answer.
There matters rested, and the years
began to go by. Little Jimmy was sew
en- now, and still his grandfathtr had
never spoken to him. Jimms won
dered more and more. Some day he
would have to. be told.
Josiah Spence was seventy-fve. He
was growing weaker, and he was soft
ening with age. However, he did not
soften toward Tom. But he longed
for reconciliation as only a stub
born nature longs for what 1t cannot
obtain.
He was seated In the attic, where
he often went now, thinking Of the
boy he had lost. He was looking over
Toms toys and shaking his head.
"EIe would never say he was sorry"
he muttered. Let him say he was
sorry. If he said that I'd forgive
him. Let him say It,"
AS he fingered the drum the convex
edge, brittle with age, parted In his
hands. The drum came apart In his
hands To the old mans astonIsh-
ment he saw that the interior was
filled with scraps Of paper in a faded,
childish writing. He recognized 1t as
Toms He picked up one of them.
"Dere father" he read, II am sorry
that | broke the pane Of glass yestid-
day"
Josiah started. The pane Of glass
He remembered that as well as he
remembered anything Tom had thrown
a stone and 1t had gone smash through
the window. Tom had hung his head
when taxed with It, but had refused
to say he had been wrong.
Josiah picked up another. "Dere ia
ther," 1t ran. 81 am sorry that tor
my trousls yestidday"
Josiah did not remember that. Tom
must have torn good many pairs of
'trousis" In his bOyhOOd
"Bere father" another read. 81 am
sorry that got bad repot from
BKOOl.
That Josiah remembered. Tom had
dbne very badly that term, and he had
been wilfully defiant. lie had even
Dragged Of 1t.
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.
/ want to. But l can't. Perhaps our
natures are pretty much the same.
Perhaps you would be able to under
stand IL you were ever to see this.
But you never WILL
you think me idle and worthless
because I threw over that position In
the bank. 1t Is not that, father. |
am throwing It up because mean to |
start out for myself in the electrical |
business. would have told you II |
you had been willing to listen to rea
son. But you would have It I was
wrong. And so I have said nothing
For having 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, Josiah, had been wrong there.
The tears came into the eyes M he