Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-07-27
DAILY SHORT STORY
INVOLVEMENT WAY OF LIVING.
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HIS tdScy lOtkCNA IL @A4O ~ a. oOCAA W
leave his Office when3 man in the
garb OF a workman eTEered.
"Mornin', Mr.. Hobbsf' he said TO the
clerk.
You mean afternoon, John. Don't
you know better than to come here TO
make a payment after NJ O'Clock on
Saturdays? The safe is bcked and the
books closed for the week. You'll have
to bring it Monday"
"Oi'n be workin' all the tonne y're
open on Monda'."
Cant help IT."
''Mebbe If you'd tell me where she's
llvin' now OF might TAX ii lroun' me-
sell"
Couldn't do that When Ittell men
where their wives live, theytgo there
and raise a rumpus."
"Oi don't want to raise any rumpus,
Mr. Hobbs; Ord jist loike Ito git a
sight o the kid. - It's n month now
since me an me wife parted an Oh
haven't seen the boy since. TomOrra'
bein' Sunda', Oil be havin' tonne, an
its mighty lonesome up in me room"
Johns voice trembled, and the clerk
wavered. Then he told John where his
wife lived.
The next morning was bright and
beautiful. John shaved and got him
self into q clean white shirt with no
buttons) and started to walk half
dozen miles into the country. He
stopped before u cabin in the center
OF an acre planted with garden truck.
Through the open door he could see his
wife in "A clean calico dress buttOning
the collar on their boy. five years old,
thus completing his Sunday morning
costume. The man leaned on the gate
and called. The woman went to the
door and, seeing her husband, was
about TO turn away, when she noticed
a pitiful expression on his face.
What brings ye here, John?" she
asked. not unkindly.
THE allymony. The offs was shet
up Yesterday when OF KEN. The clerk
told me OF might bring it meser.'
The woman went TO the gate and the
man handed her a ten dollar bill
We'll, come in and have a glass O.
milk; We must be tired comm all the
way from the city. JOhnny'll be glad
to see his dad
Johnny. who had been admOnished
in no placid terms To give his father
a wide berth, looking upon this as a
removal of the embargo, ran down the
walk, climbed up on the gate and
threw his arms around his fathers
neck The mother opened the gate and
the boy rode into the house on his
fathers shoulder
Have v come back to stay, DAD"
he asked eagerly.
An embarrassing silence that fol-
lowed this i'll timed remark was
broken by the mother, who told the
boy 10 keep quiet and not mHss his
Sunday clothes. Then she got out
glass of milk and some bread and
butter and set it before her husband.
Yer shirt is wide open, john she
said. I'm thinkin' Ord better put on
some buttons while yer here"
While John was drinking the milk
and eating the bread. or, rather. feed
ing it 10 Johnny, Mrs. Hobbs was get
ting out needle and thread. Then she
produced the button bag, and by that
time John had finished his refresh
ment and was ready 10 have his shirt
repaired. but Johnny had settled him
self in his fathers arms and refused
TO be dislodged.
Coon now. Johnny" his mother
pleaded. "daddy's wantin' TO git mend
ed while he's here. Jump down loike
n good boy"
"Oi won't" said Johnny.
Lave him alone" said the father.
"Oi'd rayther have him than the but
tons
The woman laid aside the button bag
and the thread and needle, and Johnny
and his father had rOmp, at the end
IF which the father produced ginger
bread horse and several sticks of can
dy. with which he bribed his son TO let
the mother sew on the buttons. The
process of sewing OH buttons without
Johns taking of his shirt brought hus-
band and wife in close proximity. New
ertholess they got no closer than was
necessary, and, the buttons having been
sewed on. John said that since il was
a long walk 10 the city perhaps he'd
better be going. But Johnny got hold
of the skirt OF his coat and chung so
tight that neither father nor mother
had the heart to shake him off
Dim thinkin', john" said Mrs.
Hobbs. that, il bein' so onconvanient
for We 10 lave the allymony at the
clerks office. We moight bring it every
Sunda' yourself"
And We could put on the buttons
An effort was made with this assur-
ance to Johnny to remove him, but it
failed
What dye say, Mary" said John.
ito me stayin' on for awhile jist TO
place the chile? OF might be helpin' We
at times with the garden"
''Oi was thinkin' meseT that it would
be more convenient for ye to be here"
Its far from me work, but can get
up early"
Let go, Johnny; daddy's goin' 10
stay with US"
She took Johnny up in her arms os-
tensibly 10 relieve his father, but really
to conceal a tear that came into her
eyes, and the father, not wishing 10 be
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