Jasper County Democrat, Volume 9, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 April 1906 — A MODERN PRODIGAL [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

A MODERN PRODIGAL

By Louise J. Strong

Mrs. Spencer was hanging up her sunbonnet as her son came into the kitchen with the milk. I “You’re out calling early, mother,” he laughed. “I wanted to see Mr. Wilson before he left home,” she replied evasively. "Won’t the tramp come in to breakfast?” Indicating a gray haired man, who stood by the pump drying his face on a red cotton handkerchief. “No; said he’d take it on the porch as he did his supper.” “Most of them are not so modest, sleeping in the barn and eating on the porch when they could have had a bed and come to the table.” There was a sneer in her tone, unusual to her kindly nature. “And it "isn’t always safe to put them In the barn,” she added. “Oh, he seems a pretty decent old fellow”— Her short, discordant laugh interrupted him an instant. John stared, then went on, “He doesn’t use tobacco, and he wanted to do something for his meals.” Mrs. Silencer sniffed ‘and added to the tray of food she had fixed a cup of coffee, into which she dropped two lamps of sugar. “Got to take it as you fix it whether he likes it or not, hey ?” John commented, smiling. The tramp seated himself on the edge of the porch in front of the open door, whence he glanced furtively and frequently at Mrs. Spencer in her place opposite him. She ate little, with an absent, perturbed manner, and return ed the glances with a curious expression in her eyes. John and his wife chatted vivaciously, endeavoring to dissipate the painful thoughts it was evident the sight of the old tramp had aroused in their mother’s mind. She scarcely noticed

them and presently, with little Sammy In her arms, went out on to the front porch. “Too bad we took the old fellow in,” Jojm muttered. “Makes her think of”— Lizzie nodded understanding^. As her son came out on his way to the store Mrs. Spencer put the boy down and took a roll of bills from her bosom and handed it to him, saying, “Here is the money for the interest, Johnny." “Why, mother, who loaned it to yon? I couldn't borrow it!” His eyes glowed with relief. “I didn’t borrow it. I’ve sold the tombstone.” She put up a hand as he would Jjave spoken. “You know, Mr. Wilson wanted it when his father died. I sold it to him this morning for threequarters what it cost just as It stands. I never ought to have put It up with no certainty that he was dead. It comes good now, though, for the interest, what I got for it.” “Why, It’ll put me right on my feet!” John cried. “But you oughtn’t to have done It, mother. You thought so much of father’s stone.” “I was a fool about it when he might be alive for all I knew.” she said, with self contempt. “I made myself the laughingstock. What more do you want?” she demanded suddenly of the tramp who had come around the house and paused as if to speak. “I—l thought I might get a job. You said you had a grocery store,” looking at John. “I’d work for my keep till”— “It isn’t likely lie’d want an old tramp about,” Mrs. Spencer interposed brusquely. “No, I suppose not,” the old fellow assented and scuffled dejectedly down the path. Mrs. Spencer watched him a few moments, her face pale and lips twitching;. then she commanded harshly: “Samuel Spencer, come back here! You knew if you got In once I couldn’t let you go off that way! I'm an old fool, Johnny, I suppose, but I can’t bear to have your father straggling about the country like that, sleeping anywheres and eating any old thing. It isn’t fair to you, son, but we’ll have to try, to keep him.” “Father!” John and Lizzie cried together. “I used to expect It at first,” Mra. Spencer hurried on,' “but when I put

op the stone I really thought he waß dead, it had been so long. And I might have married and been a bigamist!” she flared at the tramp, who stood in a downcast silence. “I might have been married this minute. I could have been. What then?” “If you'd been married again, Harriet—l didn’t think you would, though—but If you had I’d never let you know I was alive. And I don’t mean to burden you. There’s lots of work In me yet,” he quavered. “You don't look it, and there was never any too much at your best, but of course you’ve got to stay. I guess he can do errands and mind the boy, Johnny." John shook hands heartily with his unfamiliar father, whom he could not remember, Introduced his wife and exhibited the child named for his Isupposed defunct grandfather. “You’ve got to clean up and shave and have that shag of hair clipped. There’s some of your old duds upstairs, decent ones." Mrs. Speucer laid down the law, then turned to John again. “I expect It’ll raise a great racket, selling the tombstone and all, and I couldn’t have sold it If I hadn’t recognized him last night, Johnny. Dear knows what folks’ll say.” She flashed scorn at the prodigal, who drooped shamefacedly, but with a twinkle in his eyes. “I’ve got some things at the depot,” be explained meekly when she stopped.. “Things! I didn’t know tramps carried baggage,” she snorted. “I’m not a professional tramp; only In the way of running from Dan to

Beersheba. That was always my failing, you know, Harriet. But I’m get ting”— “Tou’re getting too old and worn out to stand It, else you likely wouldn’t have come home now,” she Interrupted a little bitterly. “You always had a good heart, Harriet,” he said gratefully. “I would go that last time, but I thought I was In for a good thing In mining out there, and when everything failed— Yes, I know, everything always seemed to fall with me,” he Interjected in answer to a look on her face. “When everything failed I was ashamed even to write, and I kept going from one thing to another, thinking I’d do better, till the first I knew I was getting old and gray and realized that I’d left you to tug along and raise Johnny alone. I’d never come back only”— “Only you couldn’t do anything else,” she put In again, unable immediately to forgive the long desertion. • “And to think of your slaving and putting up a tombstone for me and giving the little shaver my- name! I’ve treated you dog mean, Harriet,” his voice trailed, shakily. Into silence. “Well, what’s done’s done,” she said, regarding him more kindly. “I don’t know sb we can help the way we’re made, and I don’t suppose It’s always been easy for you any more than for us. We’ll make the best of it, won’t we, Johnny? Your father can Job about enough for his keep.” “Yes, that’s so, father.” John laid his hand on the old man’s shoulder. “We’ll soon be Jogging along as if

you’d never been away.” “Bless your hearts, so you will take In the poor old good for nothing tramp I” The bent shoulders straightened, he sprang nimbly up the steps, seized Mrs. Spencer aud kissed her soundly In spite of her shocked resistance, then grasped John’s hand; “You didn’t let me finish about coming back, Harriet. I got over being a failure. I went up to the Klondike and caught up vglth the luck I’d always been chasing, and—and Johnny, boy, you can buy out the whole little towir If you want to, and Mrs. Spencer, ma’am, let’s begin over again with the wedding trip we missed the first time.”

“I MIGHT HAVE BEEN MARRIED THIS MINUTE.”