The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1901-03-07

himself on his knees, buried his face in
the old woman's lap, as she sat by tho
table, "Oh, mother! mother!"
"Why, father!" she said, with only
a faint surprise in her tone. She halt
put out her hand as if to stroke his
hair, then drew it back. The man rose
and brushed his sleeve across his eyes,
"She does not know mel"
Mary stood and grasped the table.
looking at him speechlessly for a mo.
ment. Later she broke out: ooh
Lem, is it you? Why, why have you
never sent s word all these yeurs?"
"Never sent a world" he echoed.
Didn't I write again and again and
this is all I got-my own letter re.
turned" and he drew from his pocket
an old envelope with postmarks of an.
Gent date.
"Oh, father!" Mary murmured, and
then she turned away to stop the fast.
flowing tears.
Where is father?" the man asked, 9
sterner note coming into his voice.
in the churchyard, this many a
year." she answered. And he sat down
heavily.
The old woman glanced at the new.
conner furtively, but. silently. The
other two fell into talk in low, sup.
pressed tones, going yer briefly the
life that lay between this and their
parting.
"Yes, I sowed wild oats enough at
first" the man said, "but,I managedt to
work my way across the ocean, and
then there came over me a great dis
gust of myself and my evil ways. Faith
er was hard enough on me-but I was
wrong, too, very wrong, and for moth
er's sake I should have been patient
and tried to do better. Please God my
boy shall have no such experience"
"Your boy?" Mary asked eagerly, her
face lighting up.
AYE, my boy--bless him. He's a
great lad. Well, I settled down in
England, in a good, sizeable village.
after awhile, and I did fairly well.
Then I married and we had this one
boy and a girl"
Where are your wife and children ?"
He turned his face away for a mo-
ment to conceal its ~quivering. 1.-THE
boy is with me-the other two lie un-
der the sod. When they were gone
Lemuel and I didn't care to stay. So
we've been wandering a bit. Then it
came over me that I must see the old
place C more. and here I am"
"But where is your boy?" pressed
Mary.
"He's down at the hotel. Ijust want
ed to walk around and take my bear
ings irst-it's all so changed except
this house."
eyes, mother always wanted this
kept just the same against you got
back. How like you've grown to faith.
er, Lem. Is your boy like your"
At every mention Of his son the mans
face lighted up. eyes, I suppose he's
like me some, but he's taller and roster,
too, since he's English born, and whilst
I see a look of the motheri in him."
Bring him!" Mary cried. I'm pin.
ing to see him."
"Yes, I'll go and fetch him now" he
said, rising. cts seldom we're so long
separated"
So she hustled about tidying up the
always neat little house and looking
into the glass to give some touch of i'm
provement to her own personal appear
ance, of which. poor soul. she scarcely
ever thought, but she had a sudden
wish to be pleasing in the strange
young eyes.
The mother wandered around rest.
lessly, going again and again to the
door and looking out toward the hills,
but saying no word. And thus they
waited. At last the click of the gate
sounded and the two, father and son,
came up the path, the latter looking
around with questioning eyes. AS they
entered a wild cry rang out. and the
old woman threw herself upon the boy
with passionate caresses, exclaiming
unconsciously in the words of Scrip.
ture:
20 my son! my son! He was dead
and is alive again! He was lost and is
found!"
"Humor her, lad" the father whis.
pered, and the boys rosy cheeks grew
roster as he stopped to her embrace.
Then she drew away, yet still cling.
ing to him, and looked imploringly at
the elder son.
ooh, father! be friends! be friendsl
He's a good lad, he means no harm!"
and the two men clasped hands silently,
while a tranquil, happy look crept over
the poor harassed face.
So no more the sad cry rang over the
fields, but an old oma and a boy
might often be seen walking together
on the road near the cottage, and late
roses bloomedo IN the faded cheeks, and
the sad eyes grew calmer, though rea.
son 40 more fully resumed it's sway.
Lemuel, the older. remained in his
former home and builded onto the cot.
tage, which was kept unchanged, as a
wing to the new Nuke, where Mary
was happy again i'll being a mother to
her nephew. When her short Indian
summer was over and they laid the little
mother to rest they wrote peace" -
the white Observation-Disclosures.