Show 4 A fr 41 S 41 A JW 0 N ag I 1 S 1 ice ro everything else she tried and failed but her last 0 0 trick won success t I 1 by ELEANOR PORTER POINTER C t author anthor of ro rolly nyanna annn just david etc S fr U 1 by eleanor rr porter RS THADDEUS CLAYTON came M MRS softly into the room and looked kith apprehensive eyes upon the little did man mail in tb the rocking chair how be ye yc dearie yer balant wanted ranted fer now have ye she asked not a thing harriet lie returned cheerily im beelin real pert too was there lots lota there an did parson drew say a heap 0 fine things mrs clayton dropped into a chair and pulled listlessly at the black strings of her bonti bonnet ct ilk a beautiful fundal fu nral thad deus a beautiful funeral tu fu nral I 1 I 1 most it etwas was mine harriet I 1 she gave a shamed faced laugh well I 1 did then jolliet and hannah june jane would ft come tin an I 1 could a seen em the horrified look on tile the old mans face gave way to a broad smile oh hartlet harriet Har harriet 1 lie chuckled how could ye seen loin em if 3 sou on was defill dead huh well I 1 thaddeus tier hor voice rose sharply in the silent room every single one of them thein perkins boys was there and annabel too ton only think what av hat poor mis would a al given ter seen eni em fore she benti but they waited waited thaddeus eject as everybody does docs till their folks it Is dead but harriet demurred the old mau man surely a had them boys conic come ter their own mothers fundal fu nral comet come id a feasted tier her ees on em cm thaddeus Thadde liall mrs clayton rose to her feet and stretched out two gabat hands bands longingly thaddeus I 1 get to no hungry sometimes for jc gilel and han nah jane seems beelas as though I 1 jest stand iti 1 I know I 1 know dearle dearie quavered the old man vigorously polishing ill his glasses fifty years ago my first baby came resumed the woman in tremulous ulous tones then another came and on other till id pis fix I 1 loved ern em en an tended em cm tin an cared for em on an have a thought but was for fer them babies bable gt four died tier her bolce broke then went arent on oil with avith renewed streng strength th but ive got jehlen and hannah jane left at least ie IA e got two bits of kapr that comes debbe once a month an in one of ems signed bour our dutiful son jehiel tin an the alie other from your loving daughter hannah jane jan well harriet they good ter write letters ventured mr clayton letterst letters 1 waited wailed ill his wife 1 I cant hug tin nn kiss letters though I 1 try to sometimes well well ell wife debbe cvine debbe collie tills this summer clio knows 51 shook book her hend head dismally youve aad that eliat evry year fur for tile lie last fifteen summers lint nn they li alit collie yet belliel went vent west V esl more inore than twenty ears bears ago nn an hes never been home since why thallieus deus weve pot got a grandson inot inert eighteen that we even seen hannah janaq been home jest once since she he was married but that was nigh on ter sixteen tears iio ago ashes always of her tommy and nellie but blit I 1 want ter sen sel em thaddeus I 1 want ter see sec lem em yes les well well ask ein cm harriet ogain well ask em real urgent like a an debbe fetch em coin foiled the old man n nn well ask lein vm ter be hero here the fourth eight weeks off air iet an I 1 be real smart by then ano letters that were certainly ur pent fent like left the now new england faini house the alie next nest mottling on aue e was v us addressed to a thriving Ni ve estern tern city the alter to chattanooga tennessee in course of time the answers came hannah janes appeared first and was opened with shaking fingers dear leother read mrs clayton aloud your tour letter came two or three days ago and I 1 hae hurried round to answer it tor for you seemed to be so eo anxious to hear im real sorry but I 1 dont see ate how we e can jt away this summer nathan la Is real busy at the store and some way I 1 cant seem to got get up lip energy enough to even think ot of up the children to take them so far thank you for the in n though and wo we should en enjoy joy the visit very much but I 1 guess we cant to 90 just juet yet of 0 course it anything ts erious should hould come up that made it necessary my that would be different but I 1 know inow you are senal ble and ill understand how it la Is with us nathan 18 is well but busine busl neca cs has beon been pretty brisk anil and he Is in the store early alid nil late As long lone as ag hes making money he don dont I 1 mind but I 1 tell tel him I 1 think he might rest a little arid and let omo one eloa do the things he doen doea tom Is a big boy now in hla his tl lillea and with a good head for figures ellie cilia log to es tier her books too and for or a little of 0 eleven cloven does pretty wall we think mink 1 I duct celoso now we till all send love lad il W hope you are retting getting along all right a glad to hear father was gaining so BO your loving daughter HANNAR HANNAH JANE the letter dropped from mrs clay 1118 fingers and lay unheeded on the floor it tile Avor arin covered her face with th her hands rocked tier her body back anil and forth there there de dearie arlell soothed the be a nan man huskily meble Jehl els will ro lilt tha rent there there I 1 bant dont take 04 30 harriet bletl I 1 dot dont I 1 I 1 just juat banow colne v f A week later mrs clayton found another letter in the rural delivery box bos yes it was from jehiel she drew a long breath her eager thumb was almost under the flap of the envelope when N hen she hesitated eyed the letter uncertainly and thrust it into the pocket of tier her calico gown all day it lay there tavo save fit at times which indeed were of frequent occurrence when lien she took it froin its hiding place pressed it to tier her cheek or gloried in every curve cure of the boldly wilimen ad colless at night after the lamp was lighted she said to tier her husband in tones so low law he could scarcely hoar hear thaddeus Thadd eua I 1 I 1 had bad a letter from jehiel today you yon did and never told me why harriet what lie paused helplessly 1 I 1 I read it Thad thaddcus she stammered 1 I bear to someway I 1 dont know why but I 1 you read it 1 she held out the letter with shaking hands ile he took it giving her a sharp glance from anxious eyes As lie he began to read aloud she checked him no ter yer herself self thaddeus Thad Jeus ter herself I 1 then tell me As lie read she watched his face the light died from tier her eyes and tier her chin quivered as she saw tile the stern stem lines deepen around his mouth A inina funeral its murders Mur derl he gasped ute more and lie had finished the letter and told it town down without a word alm thaodeus adeus ye dout dont mean lie didat t say read it I 1 1 I cant choked the old man she reached slowly for tile the sheet 0 f paper and spread it ou on the table before tier her dear alother jehiel had written Nr itten just a word rd to tell you we ave are all 0 K X and doing d 0 ln g finely your letter reminded me that it was waa bout time I 1 was wag writing home homa to tl folks I 1 dont mean to let so ma many ny weeks go eo by 7 without a letter f from rom me but somehow tile tiie timo just gets acts away from me before I 1 know it minnie is well and deep in arring irring sewing and bouce c lean ing I 1 know becallo o dressmaker a bills are to come in anti and eve every ry time lime I 1 go home I 1 find a carpet tip rp in a new place our boy fred 19 eighteen tomorrow he be proud of 0 him I 1 krow know if you bouhl see him business li rushing glad to hiar youre all right and that fathers rheumatism la Is on tile the gain A an ever your affectionate affect ionato and dutiful von bon oh by the way about that ifft kast east I 1 reelon reel on well uell have hare tn in call it off year too bad but cant seem to see my xay way clear bye bye J harriet clayton did 1111 not try cry this time slip she anred at the letter long minutes with wide vide open ten te aress riess eyes then slip she slowly folded it abild put it back in its envelope Hit rilet febbe began the old man timidly dont thaddeu Thadd eup please diat she he interrupted 1 I I 1 dont biant ant ter talk and she rose roge to lier her fen fc E and moved toward tile the kitchen doir for a thuc oliue mrs clayton went about h her work ork in a bulto unusual elitle alle he lief r hubband tier her mith etli troubled eyes ills heart healt irrie cleved ved over the bowed hend and drooping ders and over the hie blurred eyes that ere so often surreptitiously wiped on a corner of the gingham apron but nt fit tho the end crid of a week the little litt lerold old wom till nn accosted him with a 1 I face full of aggress lo yet anxious thaddeus Thad dym I 1 want ter speak ter you about something so methIn ive been thinie la it nil all out nn an ive decided that pvc ive got ter kill one of us off harriet 1 well I 1 have A funeral Is the only thing that will fetch jehiel and linn lot are ye gone eone crazy nave have ye gone clean mad she looked at him appealingly now thaddeus dont try ter hender me please you see its the only way A fundal Is the A fi lural its murder he shuddered oh not ter make believe as I 1 shall she protested eagerly its make believe I 1 wh yes of course have |