The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1898-11-05
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born unto Ezra and Lucy WhittlssJ
two boys, William and John, who
grew to youths estate on the ole
farm in Oakland county.
John was home boy His hap
piest days were those on9which he
hoed and weeded. With William il
was different. He was like unto
neither his mother nor his father
He was just William. He-read, long
into the night, by the kerosene lamp
in the sitting-room, stories of adj
venture and OF youths going forth
into the world in search Of fortune
and Of fame. He longed for wider
field. He dreamed of conquests, Of
piles of gold, Of explorations.sinto
unknown country, and of expert.
ences in life such as never entered
the mind of Flooding John. He
detested the sorry life of the farm,
with the homely environment, the
old, old routine, day in, and day
out, and finally, after several years
of accomplishing servitude, he de-
termined to run away xs
He was Is then. For two years
he had saved every penny. every
nickel, every dime that had fallen
in his way, and ere long noted that
the dollars were taking care OF
themselves in a little company OF
their own. There were AZ of them
in the stone jar on the shelf at the
head of his bed.
IL will do it p he exclaimed to
himself in the dim darkness. II
will do it"
His thoughts were broken in upon
by the cry of the woman below, at
the foot of the stairs.
William, William, it's time to
20 for the milk"
"Yes, mother, I'm comm now"
The boy dropped all the $42 into
his trousers pockets,a and, after plac-
ing the stone jar back on its shelf
at the head of the bed, slowly
shambled down the stairs.
"There'sth pail, William, said his
mother, pointing toward the table
drawn up by the kitchen window.
William took it and passed out
into the deepening darkness. AS he
walked down that road the whole 18
years of his monotonous existence,
called life, unrolled themselves be-
fore his minds eye. He remem-
bered the old swimming hole, the
eager. hunts for birds nests in the
days agone, the "stOne bruise" be
carried to school with him all one
spring, and the beech whistles be
used to make at recess.
He stumbled along the rocky path
to the milk house on Green's farm,
and then be trudged back over that
country road. The moon was rising
Already soft, silvery light hecked
the foliage of the woods on the left
and cast shimmering shadows on
the stone walls.
And William dreamed of the
wealth of the Indies that would one
day be his, of the fame, glory, and
the great good name that awaited
him out in the world, beyond the
ken of life on the Whittlesy farm
Suddenly the boy stopped-se
suddenly, indeed, that the frothine
milk stopped over the top of the
pail and fell in two splashes, one or
the road, the other on his trousers
81 shall not 60 home. I shall
leave now" he cried.
He walked to the edge of the roal
and peered into the white, Lighted
woods. II must hide the pail" b.
said, shut whereof"
For a moment he stood in th'
shadow thinking.
He walked a few rods further W
the road and then sheered off int,
the woods. By and by he came GU
into the moonlight again. He hat
carried out the plan that had sug
gested itself to his mind. The mill
pail has been placed in the old ire
trunk.
Then William turned and wen
back down the country road.
"Yes," the station. agent at tn
crossing told him, "there will be
train along for the west in thirt
minutes. - M