Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-03


Plenty inc
His mother had
put the question anxiously; but Dons answer
had not been satisfactory Even when the child
was being put to bed she marveled at his unusual
quiet and wondered if Keith knew. Don usually
confded everything to his chum
Keith Kennedy and Don Maddox insep-
arabic The twenty-six wears difference in age
was a mere bagatelle They mentioned it.
They spent hours and hours together each day.
Don's glinting little head about reached Keitss
knees. The bigger vassal to the fodder.
Don's wishes always carried the day. If Don
wanted to go "a-hshn," they went. If he pre-
ferred following Keith the links, golf was the
thing. If he felt like just sitting in the woods,
they did so. Keith's big automobile, however,
was the JOY of Dons heart. To go chug -chugging
UP hill and down dale to perfect bliss
as the boys active little mind could imagine. So
three out of four days they went motoring.
Keith borrowed" Don SO often that the child
felt as much at home at the splendid house about
a quarter of a mile away as at his grandfathers
rectory. keith's servants were Dons 1ackeys.
His beautiful manners which manly quickly
won their inpressionabe hearts. Any of them,
from stable-boy to butler would have gone far out
Of his way have served The little gentleman"
as they called Don, and yet of these faithful
cnes unawares had sorely wounded his tender
heart
ncse servant, had been telling Larry the chauffeur
a secret Don seated just outside the carriage
house awaiting Keith. Johns voice per.
fectly distinct and SO Don heard the secret. " Mr..
Keith, he go velly far away soon He
come back He be nailed Don't tell Mr..
Keith, he kill me if anyone know he go way soon"
So fell the blow. Keith going away That
his hero was to marry made no impression upon
his mind. Marriage to Don unknown guam
tity. He had grasped only this vital fact: that his
chum to go away, more to come back.
With great lump in his throat, he stole softly
away. The servants after awhile the sturdy
little figure cross the meadows, then climb pain
fully up the steep hill leading to the rectory.
Thus it came that it was a sad hearted little Don
who lay in his brass crib that night, watching the
stars come out through the wide-opened windows.
He wondered if his papa, who lived away up there
in Heaven could see him. God could-God always
took care of little boys nights; but somehow to-
night Don wanted the father whom he had never
seen to look down at him from behind of those
bright stars His very beautiful
like an angel, Susan said. Don didn't know be-
he had never angel but his mama
didn't exactly fit into his longings tonight. His
father had been a man, like Keith day
he going to be, and SO he could understand
better what troubled his little boy.
A sob, stifed almost at once, broke the stiffness
softly. Keith was going away from him to stay
never so long, perhaps never to come back! In
the darkness the sweet baby face paed unnotced-
and he going soon! Who. wondered Don
would carry him over the hard places when his
tired legs hurt? Grandpa was too old, and his
couldn't, she too little. Aunt Addie
walked with a cwutch SO she couldn't either.
Then the fshin"t Never would there be any
more glorious silences upon the edge of stream