The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-07-21
1t fell at dawn. just as big red rooster

-
1t fell at dawn, just as big red rooster
under the house crowed and tapped his
wings. Dave came upstairs and shook
his brother, who had fallen asleep only
about an hour before.
"Well," he said, .'the old man has
handed in his checks. Geewhilil1ins,
Ron, I'm beginnn' to think I've run my
Blasted head into a secret of ma an
pas that they've kept from us fur over
Il quarter of I; century. All night long,
an up 10 the time he tuck his last suck
OF air the old man talked of nothin'
else but you-you-you, an some dead
! soldier"
''IIe seems to imagine" Ronald be-
gan, but Dave interrupted him.
Imagine dogs hind foot!" he blurt-
ed out. "Thar's some'n behind all them
hints an threats that have been passin'
betwiXt ma an pa sencc I was knee
high to bow-legged duck, an have,
at this late day, jest got my fust Whit
of dead mouse. You don't have to
knock me down with load O. mill
rocks as a general thing; I can see a
inch fore my eyes, eff l am cross-eyed.
The old man kept runnin' on last night
about baby an its dead daddy; an
ma kept tryin' to keep me from UNDER
standin' till she fell asleep out O. pure
WEAKNESS of the brain an then the
truth begun to creep into my noggin.
Ron, never did think you was bit
like the rest of us, an now I'm sure
you don't belong to this litter"
Ronald sat up on the edge of his bed,
as white as death could have made
him.
care you in earnest, Dave?" he ques-
toned.
''lf ever l was in my life"
did you find out anything-posi-
tive?" the last word came out with q
jerk.
NO. but you can, Ron; ma is all broke
up. She knows you saved the insurance,
an she would answer any question you
ask. Id go to 'er, after the buryin',
an demand to know it all. She'll tell
YOU"
At this juncture the voice of Mrs.
Fanslaw came up to them as she shook
the latch of Ann Josephine's door:
Wake ur, JOSIE she said, ''yore pas
been dead good half hour, an thar
amt nobody to cook breakfast!"
Ronald began to dress himself.
Dave" he said, your suspicion has
taken me completely by surprise; 1
have suspected for a good many years
that they did not feel towards me as
| n ho lint I
believe I am not rcally-a Fanshaw."
wait till you talk to ma" counseled
David. "Be shore you come at 'er ex-
actly right. Make 'er feel shore you
won't give 'cr Il specll O. trouble an
she'll let the cat out the bag"
The next day when Jade Fanshaw's
imprinted box was lowered into the
grave near the meeting house, half
mile over the hills, the snow was falling
so fast that the faces of the few mourn
crs and neighbors who stood around
could hardly be recognized. The mound
had scarcely received it's shape when
it was ROBBED in white. 1t was as~if Ma
ture had spread an emblem of forgive
ness over Jade Fanshaw's last resting
place.
Ronald rode home in the wagon con-
tanning Mrs. Fanshaw, Dave, the two
girls and Bud Tarbell. Arriving at
home the girls went into the house and
Mrs. Fanshaw hustled about on the
hackpcrch, opening the window blinds
which she had closed that no one might
gain access to her house during the
absence of the family. There Ronald
found her, still in her bonnet and heavy
shawl. Her eyes fell before the hun
CRY stare of his own.
81 wantto see you in private" he said,
excited in spite of a strong effort at
calmncss. She moved as Tito pass him
and go into the house, and then she
paused before him, a logged expression
i'll her unsteady glance.
dawes been blabbin' to you, Rom"
she said; 81 wouldn't pay no attention
to that boy"
you've been keeping something
from me-something concerning my
self, all my life," he heard himself
saying in deliberate tones.
She caught her breath, and then
looked through the hall ut Bud Tarbell,
who was turning his wagon away from
the gate.
"Dave tol' me back thar at the grave
jest now" she faltered, that you said
you never would give me no trouble
about anything. If I knowed that
you would not bring me to court, an
that you would let us have the insur-
ancc money to buy land in Texas, Ron,
I'd not keep back n thing"
"Your name shall never be men
tioned," he promised, now chilled to
the center of his heart by what might
b.revealcd. "Thave right to know it,
if am not your son, and not his. You
know you are welcome to the insurance
money"
Cant you put it off till after supper,
when all the rest is asleep? I am so
excited"
"No, I'd rather know now," he said.
ITO Be Continued