Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-08-01
DAILY SHORT STORY
A Daughters Gift.
IOriginal.1

either Del or Jim to come here after
ward This was because Jim had been
wild and hadn't settled down. 1t was
hard on us all, for Del was my only
child, she had always been her fathers
pet, and his treatment almost Broke
her heart
The years went by, and pa instead
OF softening appeared TO harden,
though Jim made Del a splendid hus-
band and grew rich. They had one
child, boy, the prettiest little chap
you ever saw. One day an artist saw
him in his bath and was so struck with
his slender little form that he asked
leave to copy him into picture he was
painting. The picture was Il success
and brought the artist Il fine reputa-
ton, all on account, everybody said, OF
the little figure in the corner.
One day Del said TO me, MA, Pm
going TO send pa apresent."
I'm afraid, my dear, he'll send it
right back TO you" frGl
Maybe he will, and maybe he won't
Anyway, I'm going to try II. I'm go
ing to put it in the dining room so that
he'll see it when he comes down the
first thing i'll the morning. He's al
ways in better humor then than at
any other time of day. Don't you re-
member how he used to toss me in the
air every morning before breakfast?"
How are you going to send itT'
''Jim and l are going to get up early
and take it round. You are 10 let us
i'll. Wen place it right where pa Will
see it the first thing when he comes
into the breakfast ROOM
didn't believe it would do any good,
but 1 told Del would help her in any
way / could, so it was all arranged
that they should bring their gift the
next Sunday morning. On that day
we breakfast at . o'clock, and pa does
not have to go downtown To business.
When Sunday came, the sun was shin
ing bright and beautiful, the birds were
singing in the yard, and there was
delicious freshnesS~in the air. l was
thankful, thinking that if anything
could put pa in Il good humor ii would
be this beautiful morning. \ little be-
fore . Jim and Del drove up to the
side gate, which was hidden from. the
house by trees, though that wasn't
=
shaving room, where he couldn't see
anything, and Jim carried an oblong
box about three feet in length up to
the side entrance. L let them In, and
they went to the dining room, while l
went upstairs to keep an eye on pa.
He had finished shaving and was sit
ting by the front window looking out,
but instead of being happy the bright
morning seemed TO make him all the
more melancholy.
what Il pleasant day" 1 said, for
family party TO go for n drive in the
country
There's no family party except you
and me-" he said,
I knew that he was pining for
DEL but l didn't say anything more
for fear OF making him ugly. l saw
by the clock that it was five minutes
TO o, and l went TO the banister and
coughed to give Jim and DEP warming,
then told pa that breakfast was ready.
He got up with n sigh, and we went
downstairs together.
We both stood mute looking Mt what
we saw in the bay window ut the end
of the dining room. The marble bust
been removed. and in it's stead was the
statue OF little boy about five years
old. 1t was of white marble-that is.
so far as we could judge-and held out
Il pair of little arms to us.
Great guns pa exclaimed.
Little darlingr' said 1. What n
pity 1t isn't alive"
How do. grandpa 2" cried the statue,
and, tearing off it's white face, it dis
played the rosy features of Ders little
Jim. jumping off the pedestal, all
I'm his white tights he ran up to his
grandpa, who bent down and took him
in his arms.
/ never saw pa so overcome in my
life. He Rugged the boy so tight that
/ thought he would crush him. Then
Del came from the pantry and put her
arms around them both. Del was
laughing and crying. and pa was try
ing to keep from doing both. Then he
put little Jim down, and without no.
ticing that his clothes were covered
with the white powder that had made
the boys tights look like marble he
folded Del in his arms.
Jim-big Jim, mean-seeing through
crack in the pantry door that the
plan had been success, came into the
room, and pa put out his hand.
That was the happiest breakfast par
ty any of us ever sat down to. l had
taken pains to have a nice breakfast,
though 1 didn't believe DePs present
to her father would break through his
crustiness, but hoped that it would
and we would all take our Sunday
morning meal together. After the
breakfast we sat in the library and
talked while pa and Jim smoked.
MA" said pa to me. didn't you say
something about a family party going
for drive? 1 reckon we'll have out
the horses"
Pa and Jim went out to the stable
while Del and 1 got up n lunch. Then