The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-09-29
come to him and lay her soft, eooi
hands on Mia and draw the pen away
and turn him round IN his ch0sr .n0

col4lnnnu him to rest, Was she smil
ing down on him now as she had SMtl
ell down upon him then and Ns she al
most seemed to smile upon him from
the lifeless c%Anvasy
-Four and twenty years. and here h'
sat, IN old man, preparing Il wedding
gift for their 0 who was TO he mar
rled tomorrow, \ Gift for thelr son
Yes. yes. Ii was Il custom foolish Her
hnps. lie would give him Il check ia,
500. 1t was Il tidy sum and pretty
nearly as much cash us the boys fA'
ther had when he married, a hundred
dollars! Surely u liberal gift for-fol
their boy. Their boy!
He bent forward suddenly and dip
ped his pen IN the Ink, 1t was strange
how dim the lines on the check seem
CT. He wrote the date. -Four and
twenty years ago. why, the room
seemed full Of her! Was she Ganina
over his shoulder again? He slowly
made the figure u" and tho two ct'
pners. Their boy. Was that the toucl.
Of her soft, cool hands on his? Was
was she guiding his pen? The lines
were dim indeed rs he slowly wrote,
Then he paused and stared down AZ
his work aud carefully added his sig
nature. 4~. @
lIe dropped back In his chair and
brushed his hand cross his eyes and
for a moment was very still. When he
looked up again at the portrait, he
smiled. Then no briskly tore out the
check. pushed back the book. shut
down the desk and, SELLING his hat,
was off.
Ten minutes later he confronted the
serious faced teller of the Sixth Ma
tional and thrust the check at him
across his plate glass shelf.
Certify that, please" he said In his
crisp way.
The teller picked UP the slip Of pa.
glanced at It. Then his face suddenly
Deamed.
"Why. that's hne" no cried and Ger.
titled It In n hurry.
Obed said nothing,
1t was a quiet little homo wedding,
Only tho relatives were present, hu.
there was such q lot Of them on the
Truman side. 1t was q nice wedding
IL II was quiet. The noase was beau.
titled with flowers and vines and rib
bons under the supervision Of the sis,
ter who was In the school OF art, and
everybody locked quite happy, lnclud-
ing the younger Trumans. who We're
bearing Up bravely.
Arthur took his father with him to
the house and then left him In tho hall
In charge of IN usher.
"There Ia usually, | think" said
Obed to the usher, "A place set aside
for the gifts to the-the happy pair.
Am | right"
"You are" said the smiling usher.
'"Thls way" And he led him up stairs
to the little room where the modest
gifts We're displayed. Fortunately for
Obed there was nobody In the apart
ment ut the moment, and when the
usher's back was turned no slipped the
check from his pocket and laid 1t un.
der the edge OF a plaque on the table.
Then he softly stole down stairs.
After tho ceremony no came slowly
forward, following the others who had
offered their congratulations. and took
his sons hand and pressed 1t warmly.
Then no turned to his new daughter.
surprised at a look that passed be.
tween the happy pair and wondering
what It meant.
"Father Jarrett" said Alma az she
raised her face and tho old man quite
without forethought stopped and kiss.
ed her; "Father jarrett. you know
that nobody can refuse a BRIDES 70.
quest. And Arthur and ! want you to
promise to come and live with us just
as 500 ~ We arc settled In our fiat"
mo, MOI" said the astonlshed Obed,
I'll should DO In your way"
"That's no answer" said Alma. "Say
at least that you will come and try It."
The old man hesltated, She certain,
" was a dear girl.
II will promise to try It," no smil.
ingly said, and somehow his heart felt
lighter than II had for many years,
"And to think" he muttered to him,
self as no stepped back, that she In
vlted me without knowing a blessed
thing about that check"
A few moments later his son called
to him.
"Father," he said, "come up with us
and look at the presents, It's a good
time, Everybody ls busy talking, and
Alma wants you to sec how nice and
kind her friends have been"
30 they went up to the little room,
and there Alma began her rapid his
tory OF tho gifts and their donors,
Suddenly they were interrupted by q
cry from Arthur, He had discovered
the check,
whats this" he stammered. "Pay
to tho order Of Arthur Jarrett $lO,OOOf
Why, father!"
Somehow the boys note of profound
surprise Jared a little on the fathers