Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-11-14
DAILY SHORT STORY
Going Home.
lOriginal.l

A train stopped at little station in
the interior of Connecticut. A gentle
man alighted and stood, with satchel
in his hand and light overcoat OH his
arm, looking about him.
"The railroad hasn't changed the APP
pearance of the place much" he mused
''There is the wood through which l
shall hay" to go to reach the village.
The trees in that field We're saplings.
but they are NOW full grown. There is
an iron bridge down there where that
wooden one was l helped TO destroy.
In other respects the face of the coun-
try is the same as it was thirty years
ago
So saying he left the station, struck
into the path and entered the wood.
Orville Gilbert when Il boy had run
away from home He was Il bad boy,
and his parents could do nothing with
him. lie was always fighting with
his companions, and when II lawless
gang of boys was caught in some act
of destruction Orville was sure to be
found among them. one evening after
his father had whipped him for being
absent from home for several days
without giving any account of himself
he disappeared entirely. 1t was well
that he did, for he was wanted by the
civil authorities for being implicated
in firing the bridge he had noticed re-
placed.
Orville worked his way westward
until he reached the Missouri river.
where he Joined wagon train start
ing out to haul Il stock of goods to
San Francisco. He delighted in rid
ing in advance of the train scouting
for Indians, and by his GOODNESS and
bravery several times he saved it from
capture and the travellers from being
murdered. On reaching the Pacific
coast he was taken into the store
where the goods were sold, helped to
sell them, soon became partner and
at last grew very rich.
At first he did not write home. partly
because he did not think ii safe to give
his whereabouts and partly because.
like all boys who are troublesome, he
considered himself badly abused. After
that he became so Immersed in bust
ness that he took no interest in any
thing else one day he took up poem
by James WhitcOmb Riley called ''The
Afterwhiles:"
Afterwhile-we have In view
A far scene to journey to
Where the old home is, and where
The old mother waits us there.
Peering. the time grows late,
Down the old path TO the gate.
How Wen click the latch that locks
In the pinks and hollyhocks.
And leap up the path once more
Where she waits us at the doori
How We'll greet the dear old smile
And the warm tears-afterwhile!
IL
after reading the poem, and he next
day found himself ON a train going
home.
Reaching the house from which he
had departed in anger years agone, he
laid trembling hand on the gate
latch. then went up to the house. n
young girl of fifteen came to the door.
Are Mr.. and Mrs. Gilbert ut homer
he asked in a faint voice.
1.-The old people who used to live
here?"
Yes
"No; they had to give up the house
during the hard times"
where are they now?"
She hesitated, and Gilbert's heart
sank.
81 don't know. They had son who
ran away. They always We're looking
for him to come back and give them
lift. The neighbors all laughed at them
for thinking so, though my mother
used to tell me the boy wasn't so bad,
only full of deviltry."
"Your mother was Margaret Pixley?"
"Yes. How did you know that?"
81 knew her when she was half your
age. Who lives here now?"
Mother and t.
'Is your mother a widOwT
yes"
"AIay I go in and rest?"
The stranger was made comfortable,
though when the girl looked up at him
suddenly she saw tears in his eyes.
Presently n woman slightly less than
forty came in.
Margaret Pixley," said the stranger,
rising. II am Orville Gilbert. 1 have
been to blame in leaving my parents
and paying no heed to them Can you
tell me where they are now!'
"Yes. Maggie, go out to the well
and draw some water
Maggie went out, and the woman re-
piled to the question::
'In the Home for the Friendless."
The man staggered and caught the
back of a chair.
"Will you go and bring them?"
"Yes."
81 will be here tomorrow at this time.
Don't tell them that L have come.
The next day when Orville Gilbert
clicked the latch of the gate wo-