The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-02-03

II was ~ tho Central Home of Rest,
whittier drift 10 many human wrecks. The
men had gathered about rude tables for q
few social words before retiring, for even
men who arc In hopelessly hard luck are
wont to crafty their gregariops instincts
They were telling their life storie& Some
Of these tales were obviously untrue Joe
Rogers voice had the ring of sincerity.
81 don't blame Katie for leaving me-"
he said. 'At least wouldn't II / didn't
know that man had persuaded her to give
me up. He courted her before we were
married, but he had courted a long time,
and she had got used to seeing him around
just AZ she was to seeing the pump in tho
yard and the front gate. came to town
later and took her fancy somehow, though
wasn't the solid man the other fellow
was I had ioated too long and got too
much like the water soaked driftwood that
has been cast on the bank. But she took
to me, and / bestowed upon her the one
honest affection Of my life. surprised
myself by the way l stuck TO work after
we were married, and when the baby was
born l was as proud and happy as king.
was too happy, guess, for you've got To
to make the sugar last, find. The trou.
BILE came with the failure of the house
worked for. / tried In vain to get other
work after the concern broke up We lived
in a village, and 1 thought II 1 went to a
city could get something to do. kissed
tho wife and baby, and thought I'd send
for them sure In month or two, but it's
been two years now and here am" He
nkad m ha vsrrAa fah nd tha AinIa
ing lights that served only to emphasize
the darkness. The stalwart mans face
took on deeper moodiness The wcazened
old man opposite him asked In weak,
little voice, "An didn't they wait for YOU
Joes'
"She didn't" said the stalwart man
"She wrote me kind letters ut first and
tried to cheer me when complained of
not finding anything to do, but after six
months they changed, and after awhile
there were no more kept on hunting
employment and trying to keep out of bad
company until notice that she was going
to bring suit for divorce on grounds OF
desertion and failure to support was served
on me. After that didn't care and never
have since very much-at least not about
her. But don't mind telling you, boys,
that cried for the child. Many a night
I've dreamed I felt his little arms about
my neck, and when 1 awoke and missed
him I've cried like child. heard three
months ago that my wife had married the
man that had courted her first. didn't
much blame her, but l hated to let him
rule my little one. 1t nearly drove me
crazy.
"I've been In hard luck ever since lost
my job in that little town In Ohio. I've
tried hard to get on my feet. You know
how 1t Is. But here l am. Along about
week before Christmas / couldn't stand Ii
any longer. felt that / must see that kid.
couldn't have raised IS to save my life.
But haven't been beating around this
country for nothing, and 1 got over tG
Ohio on side door Pullman without much
trouble.
There wasn't any danger Of being rec
ognized in the town where l had spent the
happiest year and half Of my life When
was there, was well dressed and acted
as though the earth and thofullness there
Of were mine Now / go at different
gait, and / didn' e take the trouble To pull
my old hat over my face. The poor clothes
would discourage any interest. So they
did. passed some old neighbors on the
street, but they didn't give Inc a glance.
You may imagine that hadn't light
heart that Christmas eve. 1t wasn't the
sort of return had thought about all
day and dreamed about mt night, but ]
braccd up, for had made up my mind
that would see the baby. They couldnt
deny me that.
Il made straight for the house of the
man my wife had married. 1t was IA cot.
tagc set back from the street little,
among evergreen trees. 1t was better
home than ever could have provided for
them. My heart softened little toward
my wife as opened the gate. One could
not blame her, after all. She was good
woman, but light one, one of those who
never get beneath the surface of things.
She may have believed that wasn't doing
my level best TO get something together
for the baby and her, though God knows
did. My hunger was not for her, but the
baby.
"A light shonc from one of the side win.
dOws. made my way around to the tree
that cast its shadow Oh the window A
terrible thought came to ipe as put out
my hand to lean against the tree II had
never seemed To me that the baby could DC
dead. What IL 1t wcrcy / felt as though
some one had struck me fearful blow
twas SO sudden and so strong that stag
gcred and gripped thctrec harder. Then
got courage to look at the window
"A boy stood with his back To me- He,
was watching the woman, once my wife,
who was clearing the table, She spoke To
him. and as she leaned over him l caught
sight of her face, changed very little since
i met hor first, three years ago. Women
like that get few lines on their faces. They
can't suffer much. The hoy still stood
with his curly, yellow poll toward the win.
dow. i remember thinking In 10 stunned
kind Of way that all the sunshine II ry
life was imprisoned In that little head. |
prayed for the first time I'm my life, and
God answered my prayer. The little fel-
low turned around and pressed his rosy
face to the window. 1t was my boy, bigger
and stronger and older than when kissed
him goodby two years ago, IL was the
same sweet baby face, and he was smiling
''Hc must have discArncd some shape I'm
the darkness, for he puckercd his little
lips into suppressed OH His mother
came to the window and drew down the