Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 58, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 March 1920 — Mother and the Solomon Islands [ARTICLE]

Mother and the Solomon Islands

By H. LOUIS RAYBOLD

<©. ISM. by MeClur* N.w«p*p«r Syadicat*.) “Yes. we atm to go the first week in May,” said Mother Burgess, smoother her starched white apron with wrinkled hands. Christine, home for the Christmas holidays, regarded her mother with consternation. “I don’t believe it, mother.” she declared. “Of course, all my life I have heard father say that when we children were grown up he was going to sea again, but I never thought it would actually happen.* “Yes,” continued her mother, “he’s going to take his money out of the bank this week and buy the Mary Lee that’s down by the dock of Nicholson's boat yard.” “But the Solomon Islands!” groaned Christine. “Why does he insist on going there?" “Well, mostly,” answered her mother, “because it'S about the only place he's never been.” Moved by a sudden impulse, the girl rose from her chair, went over to her mother and placed two strong young arms on the other’s thin shoulders. “Tell me the truth, mother.” she demanded fiercely. “Do you really want to go, or are you doing it just to please dad?” ‘ For an instant her mother looked at her with eyes that were defiantly steadfast; then, beneath the girl’s determined .gace, her own glance wavered and felt

“Christine." she said, “I dread the thought of it. I know Hl be seasick, and rm scared to death of the savages, and I don’t want to leave my home and my white Wyandottes, and the quilt I'm making for the county fair and ” - “I understand," said Christine, soothingly. ‘‘Won't you let me explain to father?” “Don’t you say a word to him, not a word!" insisted her mother. “Why, I should be so ashamed to have him know I was afraid. Ever since he had to give up going when you children were born, he planned to take this trip, and it would simply break his heart to give it up. Promise!” Christine did so reluctantly. Not until bedtime, in the quiet of the loweaved room which had been hers since childhood, did she turn from contemplation of her mother’s problem to consideration of her own. She had agreed, when she returned to the city, to say “yes” or “no" to the middleaged principal of the school where she taught—and she didn't think she wanted to say “yes.” But, on the other hand, neither did she want to watch the years creep by, each one a little gayer, bringing with them no home of which she could be mistress, no little children to wash and dress, and, very, very occasionally, •cold. After all, wasn't a pleasant, cultured, elderly husband better than one room in a boarding house, meals out?

During the next few days Christine managed several chats with her father. And if at times it did seem that he overemphasized the desirabilities of the voyage and minimized its drawbacks, Christine at first accepted it all as merely the enthusiasm of a man who sees about to be accomplished a project anticipated for many long years. True, she noticed a very decided shadow cross the rugged face when her mother asked what he proposed to do with the experimental stand of alfalfa tn the field next to the wood lot. Also, when she remarked casually that for the first time in twenty years the county fair prize for the best thoroughbred heifer would go to somebody else than Captain Eric Burgess. "Have you bought the Mary Lee yet, dad?” she asked one morning. "No—l haven’t,” said her father. "But I don’t think there’s any great hurry.” “Mr. Nicholson owns it?” asked Christine.

"Yes,” replied the captain. Christine remembered Mr. Nicholson very well —a kindly bld man. And she remembered his son, too —a tall, slim, young fellow with attractive eyes who had graduated one class ahead of her from the high school. That afternoon Christine wandered down by the river to look at the Mary Lee. There she was, her gray bulk moored out beyond the rise and fall of the tide, her gaunt masts silhouetted against the somber winter sky. ■ Christine shuddered, picturing her rheumatic father and her frail old mother careening over the billowing Pacific, bound for tropic isles and coral-reefed lagoons. Such wanderings were for the young and strong. ‘And yet she could not imagine her father voluntarily turning back, once he had put hte band to the plow. Only, fate could alter hte plans—and she decided to play fate. Picking her way Over tarry hawsers and empty casks, she found her way to.the dingy office with its door letNicholson & Son. Not without At her entrance arose a tall young gray eyes. Christine, taken aback, could only «pected to see your

hand. “Why, it's Christine Burgess!" he exclaimed. After a moment of recalling mutual acquaintances, “I have come on a peculiar errand," confessed Christine. “No doubt you know about the trip ■my father is planning.” Be aodded his head gravely, not thinking it necessary to add that every person within a radius of thirty miles knew of Captain Eric's -contemplated voyage. “I know my father has not bought the Mary Lee yet. And—oh, isn’t there anybody else you know that wants to buy it?” she asked desperately. “Why. yes,” said the man thoughtfully. "There is a party who might consider IL He has' talked about buying it, but, like yopr father, I imagine, thinks the market is not very active and that there is no great hurry.” “Oh, If only you could sell it to him first!" cried Christine, "I hardly dare suggest iL but for mother’s sake —and for his, too, I would be glad to do anything to prevent their plans!” “I understand," said Barry Nicholson, sympathetically. “And I’ll tell you what I can do. I’ll call up this man and tell him there's another bidder for the boat. That will hurry up his decision. If he decides in favor, you can tell your father it is sold. How about my coming up tonight and giving yon the results?" he asked eagerly. Pretty, brown-eyed girls with lilting voices did not happen in his office very often. _ — And Christine, after saying that she would expect him, walked home, wondering why, all of a sudden,' saying “yes" to pleasant but elderly principals seemed so out of the question. Next day Christine was able to seek her father. "You’ve heard about the Mary Lee, dad?" she began tentatively. “No." said her father, concealed behind tha paneik n "===a; “It’s sold!" said Christine. “Sold!" cried her father, laying down his sheet and eyeing his guilty daughter over the top of his spectacles. “sold?”

“Yes,” nodded Christine. “Will—will it make any difference about your trip?” — Her father wrinkled his brow. I suppose," he said slowly, “I could look around for another boat.” Christine’s heart sank. But—“No, no!" her father was thundering, pounding his fist on the table. “If I can’t have the Mary Lee I won't go at all. She was the only boat in these parts for such a trip. But,” he lowered his voice, “your poor mother. Tm sorry for her. It will break her heart” A week later Barry persuaded Christine that, knowing each other as they had for years, they were foolish to waste any more time in becoming engaged. And, oddly enough, Christine agreed with him absolutely. And as a prospective member of the family, she confided to him a secret she had had locked In her heart. “Barry, dear,” she whispered, “I don’t think that I would ever have dared block father’s plans if I hadn’t had a feeling that he was aching for an excuse to get out of it all. Things that you plan when you’re young and energetic may lose their charm when you get old. Anyway, he would never have given in himself. He’s full of stubborn pride, if he Is a perfectly dear parent. But between us we gave him just the proper shred of an excuse !”

And when they went to share their happiness they found the old people sitting contentedly on opposite sides of the red-cloth table—the captain plotting his annual garden with the help of several of last year’s seed catalogues, his wife placidly piecing her quilt. , After the news had been told Caph Eric looked across the table. “Mother,” he said, “it looks as if the last of our children was being taken off our hands. Now when we want to go to the Solomons, there’ll be nothing to keep us home. For were going some day, mother and I,” he assured the young couple. “Mother just eats adventure, don't you, mother?” And mother nodded gayly.