The mules were never found.
Reginald's heart-broken mother took the body home to her
unfortunate son's widows. But before her arrival she
indiscreetly sent a boy to Bust the news gently to the afflicted
wives, which he did by informing them in a hoarse whisper that
their "old man had gone in."
The wives felt very badly indeed.
"He was devoted to me," sobbed Emily.
"And to me," said Maria.
"Yes," said Emily, "he thought considerably of you, but not so
much as he did of me."
"I say he did!"
"And I say he didn't!"
"He did!"
"He didn't!"
"Don't look at ME, with your squint eyes!"
"Don't shake your red head at ME!"
"Sisters!" said the black-haired Henrietta, "cease this unseemly
wrangling. I, as his first wife, shall strew flowers on his
grave."
"No you WON'T," said Susan. "I, as his last wife, shall strew
flowers on his grave. It's MY business to strew!"
"You shan't, so there!" said Henrietta.
"You bet I will!" said Susan, with a tear-suffused cheek.
"Well, as for me," said the practical Betsy, "I ain't on the
Strew, much, but I shall ride at the head of the funeral
procession!"
"Not if I've been introduced to myself, you won't," said the
golden-haired Nelly; "that's my position. You bet your bonnet-
strings it is."
"Children," said Reginald's mother, "you must do some crying, you
know, on the day of the funeral; and how many pocket-handkerchers
will it take to go round? Betsy, you and Nelly ought to make one
do between you."
"I'll tear her eyes out if she perpetrates a sob on my
handkercher!" said Nelly.
"Dear daughters in-law," said Reginald's mother, "how unseemly is
this anger! Mules is five hundred dollars a span, and every
identical mule my poor boy had has been gobbled up by the red
man. I knew when my Reginald staggered into the door-yard that
he was on the Die, but if I'd only thunk to ask him about them
mules ere his gentle spirit took flight, it would have been four
thousand dollars in OUR pockets, and NO mistake! Excuse those
real tears, but you've never felt a parent's feelin's."
"It's an oversight," sobbed Maria. "Don't blame us!"